Toyota Environmental Update - Fiftieth Issue

Toyota Environmental Update - Fiftieth Issue - June 2008

tags: 2008 environmental toyota

MORE THAN ONE MILLION PRIUS SOLD

As of April 2008, worldwide cumulative sales of the Prius have passed the one million mark, with approximately 1,028,000 units sold since its introduction in Japan in December 1997. More than 591,000 Prius have been purchased in North America. Toyota's own estimates indicate that Prius hybrids have contributed to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 4.5 million tons of CO2 compared to non-hybrid gasoline-powered vehicles in the same class and of similar size and driving performance.

TOYOTA MANUFACTURING RECOGNIZED BY U.S. EPA FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a 2008 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award to Toyota's North American manufacturing division, TEMA (Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.). The award was given in recognition of TEMA's continued leadership in protecting the environment through energy efficiency.

Chosen from more than 9,000 candidates, Sustained Excellence Award winners are a select group of organizations that have exhibited outstanding leadership year after year.

TOYOTA AND LEXUS CONTINUE SUPPORT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS

Toyota is contributing more than $1 million and five vehicles to Everglades National Park in support of regional education programs for K-12 students. This donation is part of a recently announced $5 million contribution from Toyota in support of five National Parks and the National Park Foundation to enhance environmental leadership and educational programs. Toyota's contributions are among the first corporate contributions to be matched by the Department of the Interior's Centennial Initiative, which calls for $1 billion over 10 years to strengthen basic park operations via a public-private funding partnership for new projects and programs.

Toyota has pledged a three-year, $1.4 million sponsorship of MillionTreesNYC to support tree planting, public education, and community outreach activities. MillionTreesNYC is a partnership between the New York Department of Parks & Recreation and New York Restoration Project to plant one million new trees in New York City by 2017.

A $1.48 million grant from Toyota to the National 4-H Council will help 4-H introduce "Exploring Your Environment," an environmental curriculum to promote its water conservation programs, and "4-H20," an interactive online learning experience to connect youth to water conservation issues and environmental engagement.

Lexus Environmental Challenge grants and scholarships totaling more than $1 million have been awarded through a national competition by Lexus and Scholastic to educate and empower teens about making a positive impact on the environment. Two grand-prize winners received $75,000 each, and 14 first-place teams won $50,000 each.

The National Audubon Society and Toyota have launched TogetherGreen, a nationwide Audubon program to fund conservation projects, train environmental leaders, and offer volunteer opportunities to benefit the environment. A $20 million Toyota grant will fund TogetherGreen for five years.

TOYOTA MARKS EARTH DAY WITH ACTION

At Toyota's national headquarters campus in Torrance, California, the annual Earth Day e-waste recycling drive recycled used electronics totaling 23,000 pounds from Toyota Associates and 21,000 pounds from the local community. In other parts of the country, the Portland Parts Distribution Center and Region Office and Toyota Logistics Services (TLS) Portland aided in a Columbia Slough clean-up project; the Cincinnati Parts Distribution Center partnered with local schools on environmental education; TLS Fremont and the San Francisco Parts Distribution Center participated in the city of Livermore's beautification program; and the Boston Parts Distribution Center and Region Office aided in the city of Mansfield's "Great Mansfield Clean Up."