Toyota Releases Environmental Report, Plans 2.2 MW Solar Power System

December 7, 2007

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Toyota Motor Sales, USA has issued the first update on progress toward the goals and targets in the its 2011 Environmental Action Plan. The 2007 North America Environmental Report covers environmental management, energy and climate change, air quality, substances of concern, recycling and improved resource use, and cooperation with society.

“We take these targets very seriously,” said Dian Ogilvie, senior vice president of Toyota Motor North America. “Our environmental reports show a consistent history of achieving – and in many cases exceeding – our targets. We believe that the combination of actions we are taking will all play a part in meeting the challenges we all face.”

Manufacturing

The majority of CO2 emissions associated with Toyota manufacturing facilities is related to energy use. Its facilities consume more than $100 million worth of energy annually, resulting in 1.4 million metric tons of CO2 emissions per year.

Using FY2002 as a base year, Toyota’s target is to reduce total energy use in its manufacturing operations in North America by 27 percent per vehicle produced, to 6.3 MMBTU/vehicle produced, by FY2011. In the first year of the Action Plan, the company says that increased production and facility expansions led to an overall energy use per vehicle increased.

Sales & Logistics

At its U.S. sales and logistics sites, Toyota says it exceeded its target of 18 percent reduction in energy consumption (per square-foot) by FY2011, from a FY2001 baseline (Toyota plans to set a new target). It reduced total energy consumption per square foot by 23 percent. Energy efficiency investments of over $6.5 million have led to almost $11 million in avoided costs. Toyota says the investments have led to cumulative savings of over 41 million kwh of electricity, 2.4 million therms of natural gas, and the avoidance of 73 million pounds of CO2 emissions, since 2001.

Water Use
Toyota says it is exceeding its target of reducing water use at North American manufacturing plants to 0.98 kgal/ vehicle, by FY2011. It now reports using 0.80 kgal/ vehicle.

Nonsaleable Waste

The company says it has reduced nonsaleable waste (nonhazardous waste plus materials Toyota pays to have recycled) to just under 28 kg/vehicle. The five-year Action Plan target was 30 kg/vehicle.

Toyota Motor Sales, USA also plans to install a 2.28 megawatt solar electric power system on the roof of the TMS Ontario, California Parts Center. The system will be financed and owned by a third-party financier under a SunPower purchase agreement program. When completed in 2008, the photovoltaic system will be the largest single-roof solar power installation in North America, according to Toyota.

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What is Toyota doing to reduce VOCs and other toxic chemicals in the plastics used in the vehicles?

Robert Coleman | December 14th, 2007

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