"always better lives" - Toyota European Sustainability Report 2014
Brussels, Belgium, December 19th, 2014 - Toyota Motor Europe (TME) has released its eighth annual European Sustainability Report. Available in a downloadable and easy to navigate format, the digital report is now integrated into toyota-europe.com, the website of TME.
Content
The 2014 Report's content covers TME's environmental, social and economic performance for the financial year 2013 (FY13) from 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014. Fifteen priority issues identified in the FY12 review are reported, as well as the set of KPIs developed and maintained by Toyota Motor Europe's CSR Committee.
Additional details on the priority sustainability issues, such as Environment, Safety, and Alternative Powertrains, are provided across the website - the case studies and examples are to be regularly updated to always provide the most relevant information.
Always better lives
At Toyota, sustainability encompasses all business activities. As stated in Toyota's Global Vision, this means delivering products and services that respect and enrich society and the environment.
"Always Better Lives" has been chosen as the overall expression of TME's view towards Sustainability in Europe: "Putting people at the heart of everything we do". Toyota's approach to sustainable growth is achieved through the following 3 pillars:
1) Always Better Cars
Toyota strives to make Always Better Cars in quality, safety, environmental performance and driving pleasure. In Europe, the focus is on small and compact cars and this year two important models have been launched: The new Aygo and the new Yaris. Those models also represent the most significant customisation so far from Toyota's European RandD strategy focused on A, B, C segments vehicle development.
Both models are proof of Toyota's commitment to give all customers a product that is tailored to their individual needs, while at the same time safer, more environmentally friendly and fun to drive. Looking forward, next year the Mirai, Toyota's first Sedan Fuel Cell Vehicle powered by hydrogen, will be launched in Europe. Its extended driving range, zero emission and fast refuelling time make it the nearest thing yet to the ultimate eco-car.
2) Always Better Society
Toyota stands for green technologies and mobility that is affordable. For the former to have a real impact they need to be widely adopted. For this reason, Toyota has spearheaded the adoption of hybrid vehicles. As of today Toyota has put more than 7,000,000 of them on the road worldwide, with 830,000 of those in Europe. At the same time, Toyota continues to pioneer alternative solutions that address society's challenges by pursuing the vision towards a Smart Mobility Society — a mobility that connects private and public means of transportation in a seamless way. A recent example is the Citelib by Ha:Mo project in Grenoble, where together with partners Toyota studies multimodal and last mile mobility with ultra-compact electric vehicles, including the revolutionary i-ROAD.
3) Always Better Business
To achieve its vision and long-term goals, the business must be successful. This means creating a business model for sustainable growth. For example, one of company's commitments is to contribute to communities by producing where cars are sold. Today Toyota can proudly say that it is a legitimate local player in European region, having reached in October this year the milestone of 9 million European-produced vehicles. With 20,000 employees, 9 manufacturing plants and 31 sales and marketing organisations covering 56 countries, Toyota's Europe region increased sales in 2013 for the third year in a row despite a declining market, and achieved solid profitability.
Moreover, company's dedication to make cars that are eco-friendly and help people have a stress-free life is paying-off. Hybrid sales in 2013 have increased by 28%, making it a fundamental contributor to profitability.
Navigation
The 2014 Sustainability Report is accessible online through the homepage of toyota-europe.com à Home/World of Toyota/Sustainability
The Report contributes to Toyota Motor Corporation global Sustainability reporting system. More information about Toyota's stance on Sustainability, and details on products, global operations and technologies can be found in Toyota Motor Corporation's 2014 Sustainability Report.
We welcome your comment on this report and invite you to share them with us via email at info@toyota-europe.com