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8

Caring for the Environment
28
TOYOTA INDUSTRIES CORPORATION

Basic Principle

Five-year Environmental Action Plan (from April 2001

Toyota Industries, recognizing that preservation of theto March 2006). This plan defines specific targets andglobal environment is one of the most pressing issues

activity guidelines, including zero emissions* at all ofof the 21st century, embraces environmental soundness

Toyota Industries’ plants by March 2004. To be

as a crucial business concern. Our basic corporate

implemented by all Toyota Industries Group members,

principle states that “Toyota Industries believes that

it is designed to make these ideals a reality. Following is

economic growth and conservation of the natural

an outline of the plan.

environment are compatible. It strives to offer products
and services that are clean, safe and of high quality.” In* Toyota Industries defines “zero emissions” as “reducing landfill waste to lessthan 5% of the fiscal 1999 (April 1998 to March 1999) level.”

ANNUAL REPORT 2001

accordance with this principle, we have been actively

Environmental Policies

engaged in the protection of the environment.

1. Conduct corporate activities that are considerate ofEnvironmental Protection Activities
We devised our First Environmental Action Plan in
1993. In this plan, we specified three basic policies,
namely to “establish an in-house system,”“manage ourthe environment at every stage of a product’s life
cycle, from development through design,production, use and disposal, so as to provide cleanand safe products
2. Strive to intensify environmental management,

business activities reflecting concerns for theincluding that of consolidated subsidiaries, for theenvironment” and “contribute to society.” Each division

further advancement of corporate activities thatthen responded with a detailed program ofsupport environmental protection

environmental policies and acted on them. In 1996, we

3. Promote social contribution, information disclosure

announced our Second Environmental Action Plan toand knowledge through wide-ranging cooperation

confront new environmental challenges. We alsowith society on environmental protection, with thestarted activities to obtain ISO14001 certification.

ultimate aim of achieving a better global

Third Environmental Action Planenvironment

Toyota Industries has two ideals: First, to balance

Action Guidelines

corporate activities with the preservation of the global

1. Develop and provide clean products withenvironment, and second, to contribute to a recycling-minimal environmental impact

oriented society. As the targets set out in the second(1) Thoroughly incorporate environmental

plan, including ISO14001 certification for each division,
have almost been met, we once again revised thewhole plan in August 2000 and announced the Third

considerations in development and design(2) Promote “green” procurement

Outline of ISO 14001

2. Promote manufacturing that strives for zeroemissions

Upward to the Next Stage(1) Further reduce adverse environmental impacts
through resource and energy conservation(2) Voluntarily set, execute and monitor goals throughthe Environmental Committee
Continual Improvement

3. Expand environmental management systems(1) Strengthen cooperation between the company andits subsidiaries and trading partners

Act(2) Firmly grasp environmental protection costs andEnvironmental
Action PlanManagement
review

cost-efficiency
4. Actively participate in public environmental

Basic
Philosophy

protection efforts as a responsible corporate

Environment
Policies ofManufacturing
PlantscitizenCheck(1) Engage in the creation of a recycling-oriented(2) Thoroughly implement active informationPlan

disclosure and communication with local

Planning

Docommunities

Implementationand operation

Specific numerical targets include the following: By
the end of March 2006, reducing total CO2 emissions
to 95% of the fiscal 1991 level, and to 90% of the fiscal
the fiscal 1999 level; and by the end of March 2006,

March 2006, reducing total emissions of PRTR

reducing total VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds)(Pollutant Release and Transfer Register) substances

emissions from paint lines to 50% of the fiscal 1999

specified by the Ministry of the Environment to 50% oflevel.

Companywide Waste Emissions(Ton)
60,00050,00040,000Toyota Industries
aims at zero emissionsby March 2004.

30,00020,00010,000Target
0
FY

9192

9394

9596

97

98

9900

01

04

ANNUAL REPORT 2001

1991 level by the end of March 2011; by the end ofTOYOTA INDUSTRIES CORPORATION

Checking andcorrective actionsociety29

FOCUS

8

System for Environmental Activities(In-House Organization)

are currently preparing for certification. We are now

To tackle environmental issues in a consistent andoffices and other group companies.

seeking to obtain certification for our non-production

organized manner, we have set up the Environmental
Committee, chaired by the President. The committee

Environmental Audits

has five specialized subcommittees. Also, each plant

Internal audits are carried out by an on-site team withhas organized its own Plant Environmental Committee

a thorough knowledge of plant operations andand specialized subcommittees to deal withspecialist training. External auditors from anenvironmental issues regarding individual

independent inspection institution visit each site tomanufacturing facilities.

check that ISO14001 standards are properly met. Infiscal 2001, the external auditors found no significant

30

Compliance with International
Environmental Standards

violations.

TOYOTA INDUSTRIES CORPORATION

Toyota Industries is working to obtain ISO14001

Environmental Training

certification in order to establish a company-wide

Based on the notion that it is important to raise theenvironmental management system and fulfill its

environmental awareness of each employee, Toyota

corporate responsibilities for international

Industries regularly conducts environmental training

environmental protection. As of April 2001, all theand education programs. These programs include

production plants of Toyota Industries (i.e., the parentcourses for training internal auditors, providingcompany) had received ISO14001. The same applies

ISO14001 internal auditing education for divisional

to MACI, TIEM and TIESA, our overseas production

project leaders, and general education programs for allbases. Four plants of BT Industries acquired ISO14001

employees.

certification by March 31, 2001, and its other plants

ANNUAL REPORT 2001

Internal Organization for Environmental Activities

EnvironmentalCommittee

Product Technology Subcommittee• Development of products reflecting concern for the environment• Facilitation of product recycling • LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) systems• Final decision-making group forenvironmental protection
matters

Energy Subcommittee• Proposal of plans for increasing energy efficiency and promotion of related activities

Pollution Prevention Subcommittee• Promotion of pollution prevention activities • Management of chemical substances• Management and phase-out of materials that have a negative environmental impact

Waste Minimization Subcommittee• Preparation and promotion of plans for curbing the volume of waste materials andpromoting the reuse of materials

Communications and Public Relations Subcommittee• Preparation and promotion of plans for environmental communications, public relations
and contributions to the community

Plant EnvironmentalCommittee• In overall charge ofenvironmental protection
matters, based on corporate
policy, at each plant

Specialized Subcommittees at Plant Level• Implementation of decisions made by the specialized subcommittees listed above• Promotion of environmental protection at the plant level

Environmental Accounting
While international bodies are working on the range
and definition of environmental costs, we arecalculating the costs of environmental investment andmaintenance and studying cost-efficiency inaccordance with the guidelines laid down by theJapanese Ministry of the Environment.

Environmental Reporting
We believe that it is important to explain ourenvironmental protection activities to the generalpublic. In December 1999, we published our first
Environmental Report. In August 2001, we published31

our third edition, Environmental Report 2001. It
contains a summary of the activities and performancecopies of this report, see the last page of this annual
report.The contents of the report are also posted on
our Web site.

Environmental Protection of Soil andUnderground Water
In 1984, Toyota Industries stopped using
trichloroethylene, before the Japanese government
toxic. In 1994, under provisional guidelines for soil

Toyota Industries is working to acquire ISO 14001
certification as part of its group-wide environmental
management efforts.

and underwater pollution issued by the Ministry of theEnvironment, we voluntarily conducted soil inspection

the chemical in the wells for drinking water wasof our plant premises for the substance. We

below the recommended limit.

discovered that the amounts of trichloroethylene

Though we are not legally bound to publicize these(including cis-1, 2-Dichloroethylene, a decomposedincidents, all Toyota Group companies act upon avariant) at the Kariya Plant and the Kyowa Plant incommon policy to disclose as much information as

March 1996 and June 1998, respectively, exceeded thepossible to local communities. In accordance with thisallowable limits set by the Ministry of thepolicy, Toyota Industries, along with other Toyota

Environment. Upon this finding, we conducted a moreGroup members, held a briefing session for thedetailed inspection and started a continuous cleanup

residents of the communities on April 27, 2001 andcampaign. Our top priority was to prevent thereleased the findings to the press.

pollutant from seeping outside the plant sites. We

We will remain vigilant about this matter andcreated barrier wells along the downstream side of thecontinue the cleanup campaign. We will also disclose

plants and pumped out underground water for

information on other environment-related issues if

seepage prevention and purification.

such issues arise.

We voluntarily reported the situation to the local
government and the local public health center. The
health center immediately carried out inspections ofsurrounding wells, and confirmed that the amount of

For more detailed information, please refer to theEnvironmental Report 2001, published in August 2001.

ANNUAL REPORT 2001

designated the chlorinated organic compound as

TOYOTA INDUSTRIES CORPORATION

of our environmental protection programs. To obtain