New Toyota Vice-Chairman applauds Austria's first green dealership
Toyota Frey Austria today welcomed the company's new Vice-Chairman and former President of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), Katsuaki Watanabe, to a special ceremony marking the construction of what is touted to be Austria's first eco-friendly retail space. The Salzburg site is one of three Sustainable Retailers to be built and piloted in France, Austria and Slovenia, as a business case for eco-friendly design and construction. Under the programme, Toyota is targeting new builds as well its 3,000-strong network of retailers to achieve widespread cuts in energy use, water consumption and CO2 emissions.
Speaking at the ceremony, Katsuaki Watanabe said: 'Our focus on sustainable business cannot stop at products and sustainable plants. It should also include our retail network. Toyota Frey Austria has not lost sight of its environmental objectives. To apply tough environmental criteria will reduce the retailer's carbon footprint and translate into lower operating costs over the longer-term.'
The new retailer, Toyota Frey Salzburg, aims to meet ambitious environmental targets via the use of photovoltaic solar technology, district heating and innovative lighting. Thanks to eco-friendly construction, the building is expected to emit zero Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) while CO2, emissions are expected to be 90% lower compared to the average Toyota retailer. Water consumption per car will be 80% lower, and energy consumption will decrease by 40%. Toyota Frey Salzburg is scheduled to open in late 2010.
Comparable savings are expected at Toyota's Sustainable Retailer in La Rochelle, France, which will also open in 2010. A "green roof" will provide a natural internal cooling system, capture and store rainwater, and serve as a wildlife habitat, while earth-warming pipes buried deep in the soil will ensure naturally pre-heated ventilation in winter. These and other eco-friendly measures are predicted to reduce water use and energy consumption at the La Rochelle site by an impressive 60%.
Similarly, Toyota's third pilot in Maribor, Slovenia, will employ high-efficiency heat pumps for heating and cooling, and increase insulation levels to reduce energy consumption by some 65%.*
Like all new builds captured under the programme, La Rochelle, Salzburg and Maribor will be subject to a Toyota Retailer Environmental Assessment, which is based on an international standard for sustainable construction and design. Retailers will be assessed across nine areas: energy, waste, water, materials, pollution, land use & ecology, health & well-being, plus management and transport.
Although existing retailers are not subject to this assessment, they are expected to improve their environmental performance by participating in an "energy kaizen audit" to understand how instant and meaningful improvements can be made. 100% of retailers are expected to participate in the audit by 2013, and to have secured ISO 14001 certification by 2015.
Efforts to meet these targets are well underway. Toyota Deutschland (TDG) has already joined forces with DEKRA to ensure that independent energy checks are carried out at 100% of German-based retailers by 2012.
Up to 18 German Toyota Retailers have already kicked off preparations, with the first audits starting this month. Toyota Great Britain (TGB) is also carrying out trial audits at 16 retailers, with the view to expand.
The environmental efforts of retailers are not just limited to operational performance. Business owners are also encouraged to support local community activities e.g. leading and supporting EcoDriving workshops. Graphical representation of Flagship Sustainable Retailer in Salzburg, Austria
*Compared to the average retailer building