Cleaner business earns Toyota Carbon Trust Standard

Toyota’s success in bringing down emissions from its UK business operations has been rewarded with the Carbon Trust Standard, an independent seal of approval for good practice and success in measuring, managing and reducing carbon emissions.

The certification follows a rigorous assessment of Toyota’s performance at its headquarters near Epsom, its logistics centres at Portbury and Lutterworth, and the Toyota Academy in Nottingham. The Carbon Trust Standard assessment showed that the company reduced its carbon emissions by more than seven per cent over the three (fiscal) years up to 2009,

This was achieved through co-ordinated environmental programmes, including an annual “Green Month” to increase employee awareness of how energy can be saved and engage everyone in making a contribution through efficient workplace practices.

Key contributors to Toyota’s success include: -

Reduction in the number of computer servers at head office from 200 to 20

Automatic office lighting system that switches off at 7pm

Change in office cleaning schedule from evenings to mornings

Twenty per cent improvement in CO2 emissions from company fleet vehicles

Installation of low voltage lighting system at logistics centres

Switching off of compound floodlights at the Portbury import centre when not required

Toyota’s achievements in cleaner business operations are fully in line with the industry-leading environmental performance of its vehicles. The latest independent analysis by Clean Green Cars and data researched by Autocar magazine show that Toyota’s model range already has lower average CO2 emissions than the 130g/km target set manufacturers by the European Union for 2012 – both calculate the mean level to be less than 125g/km.

Thomas Rosselle, Toyota Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, said: “We are delighted to have received the Carbon Trust Standard, it recognises our sustained commitment to environmental performance in general and carbon reduction in particular. It doesn’t mark the end of our efforts, we will continue to set ambitious targets and invest in staff awareness, energy management and technologies to help us improve further.”

Harry Morrison, Carbon Trust Standard General Manager, said: “Being certified with the Carbon Trust Standard is proof that an organisation has taken genuine action to reduce its impact on climate change by cutting its carbon emissions. We congratulate Toyota for achieving the Carbon Trust Standard across its operations in the UK.”