Toyota Steps Up Reducing its Carbon Footprint +VIDEO

TORRANCE, CA - December 8, 2015: Forty-three thousand energetic Toyota team members prove their efficiency efforts are no carbon copy.

With a renewed focus on energy efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction projects, Toyota has achieved a feat no other automaker can claim: 11 consecutive ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Awards, courtesy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Since 2002, Toyota’s innovative measures in North America have saved 14 billion kWh of energy, enough to power 800,000 average American homes or the city of Chicago for nearly a year. In addition to having the ability to provide lights for the Windy City, Toyota’s carbon savings are the equivalent of planting almost 250 million trees to go along with that nice breeze.

How? How? How?

Following the lead of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada’s (TMMC) Woodstock facility, team members in Texas and Mississippi modified their chilled water systems used in HVAC units to cool air. The three plants have saved more than 23 million kWh and 12,000 metric tons CO2e collectively.

Toyota installed LED warehouse lighting technology at the Portland Parts Distribution Center and the Princeton Vehicle Distribution Center in Indiana. The LED upgrades in these locations will save Toyota an estimated 1 million kWh per year.

Working with Waste Services of the Bluegrass, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky (TMMK) now generates power from local landfill waste; Toyota estimates the locally generated landfill gas will supply enough power each year to produce 10,000 vehicles.

“Through our team members’ efforts and outstanding collaboration, we have minimized our environmental footprint in communities where we assemble vehicles, engines and parts,” said Robin Haugen, general manager of Toyota’s Plant and Environmental Engineering Group. “While there’s always room for improvement, achieving energy efficiency demonstrates that good ideas have helped us become environmentally responsible while making a significant impact to our bottom line.”

Having already met a number of goals that were scheduled to be achieved in 2016, Toyota now aims to be the forefront of a low carbon future through its own initiatives and collaborations with a wide range of stakeholders by funding, donating vehicles, and sharing experience and know-how.

To find out more about how Toyota is taking the air out of CO2 to fuel big savings, float over to Toyota’s 2015 North American Environmental Report.