Global Society / Local Communities
Environment
"Respect for the planet" is a special emphasis at Toyota as a car manufacturer. We will continue striving to minimize environmental impact throughout the vehicle life cycle, from the manufacturing of new cars to the scrapping of end-of-life-vehicles. We will do that in developing and refining a state-of-the-art production system that minimizes waste.
Toyota strives to save energy, reduce CO2 emissions, use resources effectively through such as recycling, and develop things and people in harmony with nature.
Principles, Policies and the Toyota — Environmental Action Plan
The Toyota Earth Charter, the company's action policy for the global environment, was formulated in 1992, and the Toyota Environmental Action Plan, which embody the Earth Charter to facilitate the environmental initiatives was announced in 1993. Toyota started its activities based on the five-year Fourth Plan in 2006, and achieved all goals. For the coming five years that begins in FY2011, Toyota promotes its activities based on the Fifth Toyota Environmental Action Plan that shows the corporate vision and the direction of Toyota.
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Promotion of Consolidated Environmental Management
As Toyota's business expands on a global scale, Toyota introduced a consolidated environmental management system (consolidated EMS) in FY2000 to promote environmental action in concert with consolidated subsidiaries. Toyota presents its environmental policies and guidelines to all companies subject to consolidated EMS, and requests that all companies adopt and implement five-year environmental action plans, create environmental management systems and undertake environmental activities at the highest levels in their each country or region. Toyota also supports environmental management by affiliates through the sharing of best practices and exchanges information to mutually strengthen relationships, as well as audit training, etc.
Implementation Structure
The "Environmental Product Design Assessment Committee," "Production Environment Committee" and the "Resource Recycling Committee" were established under the Toyota Environment Committee, which is chaired by the president, to investigate issues and develop response policies in their respective areas of responsibility. Each committee collaborates with all relevant divisions to promote companywide action.
The Fourth Toyota Environmental Action Plan: Main Status of Action
| Field | Status of Action |
|---|---|
| Energy/Global Warming |
|
| Recycling of Resources |
|
| Substances of Concern |
|
| Atmospheric Quality |
|
| Consolidated Environmental Management |
|
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Energy/Global Warming
Increase of Average Fuel Efficiency
Average fuel efficiency has improved due to expanding sales of hybrid vehicles (HVs), improvement of existing transmissions, adoption of high-efficiency transmissions and other measures. Meanwhile, global fuel efficiency for FY2010 was generally flat due to changes in model mix (decrease/increase in compact car models) resulting from the Lehman Shock.
All Vehicle Weight Categories Have Cleared FY2010 Fuel Efficiency Standards since 2005
- The FY2010 fuel efficiency standards are set by weight category, and all weight categories have continued to clear since FY2005.
- Three out of four new or fully changed models for FY2010 met the FY2010 fuel efficiency standards.
- 98.2% of Toyota's gasoline-powered passenger vehicles conformed to the FY2010 Fuel Efficiency Standards (an increase of 0.4 percentage points over the previous year).
Cumulative CO2 Reduction with 3.11 Million HVs (Toyota Estimate)
Global cumulative HV sales, mainly the Prius, exceeded 3 million units, and cumulative CO2 reduction was 19 million tons.
Expanding PHV Verification Tests in Japan and Overseas with the Aim of Market Launch in 2012
In an effort to expedite market launches of plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs) and gain a broader understanding of their market expansion, about 230 PHVs have been introduced to Japan and about 600 to the global market since December 2009, with fleet customers in Japan, the U.S. and Europe as primary targets. In October 2010, its verification test started in Tianjin City , China.
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Promoting Creation of a Low-Carbon Society with Toyota City
In August 2010, they established the Toyota City Low-Carbon Society Verification Promotion Council as the parent organization to promote the project. The council confirmed the content of a five-year action plan that outlines specific activities starting in 2010.
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CO2 Emissions (from Energy Sources) and CO2 Emissions per Sales Unit (Fixed Sources such as Plants and Offices) (Global)
The FY2010 target per sales unit of the Fourth Toyota Environmental Action Plan was achieved due to enhanced productivity and steady daily improvement activities. However, the total volume increased from the previous year due to an increase in the number of units produced.
CO2 Emissions Volumes in Logistics (Japan)
In FY2010, Toyota reduced CO2 emissions from logistics operations by 3,300 tons through implementing various initiatives, including activities to increase the loading efficiency of trucks, promote the modal shift and continue fuel-efficiency improvement activities taken jointly with logistics partners. In addition, a decrease in production volume in the initial plan contributed to reduced emissions. The result was total emissions volume of 264,000 tons.
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Recycling of Resources
Efforts Continue to Reduce Volume of Materials Discarded, 9.4% Less than FY2009
Water Consumption at Vehicle Assembly Plants and Consumption per Vehicle Produced (Global)
Water consumption per vehicle produced stabilized due to established steady conservation efforts at affiliates in Japan and overseas. However, in FY2010, the consumption rose slightly due to an increase in the number of target plants.
Ensuring a Proper Response to the Automobile Recycling Law in Japan
World's First Use of Bio PET* Adoption of Ecological Plastic in Car Interiors
In January 2011, the world's first product using bio PET was launched. Bio PET is a plastic material formulated from a sugarcane-derived bio-substance, replacing conventional PET's mono-ethylene glycol (constituting 30% in weight), which was jointly developed with Toyota Tsusho Corporation. Starting with the luggage compartment liner in the Lexus CT200h, Toyota plans to increase both the number of vehicle models featuring the new material as well as the amount of vehicle-interior area covered by it.
- *
- PET (Polyethylene terephthalate)
Sugarcane
New Bio PET plastic in the Sugarcane CT200h
Substances of Concern
Management and Reduction of 4 Key SOCs
Status of Actions on 4 Major SOCs
| 4 SOCs | All Production in Japan | Key Overseas Plants |
|---|---|---|
| Lead, Mercury, Cadmium and Hexavalent Chrome | All eliminated since August 2006 | Almost all eliminated since the end of 2007 |
Ensuring Conformity to the Chemical Substance Regulations: e.g. REACH/CLP
Status of Compliance to Chemical Substances Regulations
| Regulation | Overview | Compliance Status |
|---|---|---|
| REACH*1 | The European regulation REACH clearly seeks corporate responsibility for management of chemical substances. REACH requires companies to fully understand the properties of the chemicals they use and assess their risks. Toyota has complied fully with these obligations by completing pre-registration in 2008 and the registration in 2010. | Full Compliance |
| CLP*2 | The CLP regulation enacted in 2009 standardizes classifications, labeling and packaging of chemical substances in the framework based on the international coordination rule GHS*3. This regulation requires chemical product manufacturers and importers in Europe to notify the hazard classification of their chemical materials to the relevant authority and to label them accordingly. Toyota completed all the required procedures for chemical substances being imported by European affiliates before the January 2011 deadline. |
- *1
- REACH(Registration,Evaluation,Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals)
- *2
- CLP(Regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging of substances and mixtures)
- *3
- GHS(The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals)
Reducing Discharge Volume of Substances Subject to PRTR*
In FY2010, Toyota reduced usage and improved recovery rates for cleaning solvents and moved forward on water purification of cleaning solvents for waterborne paints. Annual discharge volume totaled 1,100 tons, a 30% increase from the previous year, as amendments to PRTR have broadened the range of substances subject to regulation since FY2010.
- *
- PRTR(Pollutant Release and Transfer Register)
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Atmospheric Quality
Percentage of Total Production in FY2010 that Meets the Approval System for Low-Emission Vehicles Based on the 2005 Exhaust Emissions Standards
VOC Emissions from Paint Reduced by 3g/m2 to an Average of 20g/m2 in Body Painting Processes
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