Toyota City, Japan,
17
November
2016
|
11:35
Europe/Amsterdam

Selection of Recipients of the 2016 Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program

Toyota Motor Corporation has selected 28 projects to be the grant recipients of the Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program. In the 17 years since its introduction in 2000, a cumulative total of 332 projects in 53 countries and regions have received this grant.

The program was introduced to commemorate Toyota winning the Global 500 Award1 in 1999. It is also part of Challenge 6: the Challenge of Establishing a Future Society in Harmony with Nature under the Toyota Environmental Challenge 20502, which was announced in 2015.

Once again, biodiversity conservation and global warming were chosen as themes for the grant program, which drew 92 applications in the three selection categories―the international project grants, the domestic project grants, and the domestic small project grants.

During the screening process, the first and final rounds focused on continuity and future development, harmony with regional characteristics, among other considerations. Within the international project grant category, 10 projects, including the "Joint Biodiversity Conservation Activities with Cacao Farmers in Ghana" were selected. In Japan, ten projects including the "Conservation of Endangered Butterflies (luehdorfia japonica and coenonympha oedippus arothius)" were selected from the domestic project category, and eight projects including the "Local Power to Protect Wildlife! Nature Specialist Club for Nurturing Future Generations" were selected from the domestic small project grant category.

A ceremony will be held in December in Tokyo, where representatives of this year's selected projects will be presented with grant certificates. A meeting will be held next spring to report on the selections.

Toyota plans to continue making its contributions to establish a future society in harmony with nature through various forms of support to NPOs among others, in the future.

1The award recognizes the outstanding achievements of individuals and organizations in protecting and improving the environment. In 1999, Toyota became the first Japanese corporation to receive the award in recognition of its many initiatives to protect and improve the environment (such as being the first company in the world to mass-produce and sell hybrid vehicles) and its wide-ranging corporate social contribution activities.

2With the aim of contributing to the sustainability of the global environment, in October 2015, Toyota had announced the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050. The Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 aims to reduce the environmental burden of manufacturing and driving vehicles to zero, by helping address key global environmental issues such as climate change, water shortage, resource depletion, and degradation of biodiversity, as well as to create value and produce benefit to society. The challenge is composed of six individual challenges across three areas: ever-better cars, ever-better manufacturing, and enriching lives of communities. http://www.toyota-global.com/sustainability/environment/challenge2050/

http://www.toyota-global.com/sustainability/environment/challenge6/ecogrant/ (English)

2016 Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program Recipients

Grant CategoryThemeProject DescriptionOrganizationCountry
Outside JapanGlobal WarmingTrial operation of buses with the goal of operating the first community buses in Vietnam, and conducting educational activitiesCar Free Day JapanVietnam
Biodiversity ConservationJoint biodiversity conservation activities with cocoa farmers in GhanaThe Rainforest AllianceGhana
Protection of the spoon-billed sandpiper, an endangered species throughout the Talay Park coastal area in Thailand, as well as the promotion of bird tourismBirdLife International TokyoThailand
Supporting local communities, biodiversity conservation, and watershed conservation through reforestation in West JavaConservation International JapanIndonesia
To introduce biodiversity teaching materials in Bangladesh's elementary curriculum with the intention to raise public awarenessJapan Environmental Education ForumBangladesh
Forest protection activities and promotion of environmental education for biodiversity conservation in the central "dry zone" of MyanmarOISCA-JapanMyanmar
Creation of sustainable mangrove community forest with grassroots participation in the Uto Village in MyanmarRamsar Center Japan
Prevention of illegal logging by improving forest conservation awareness in the local communities in the coastal areas of the Russian Far EastWWF JapanRussia
Promotion of the Yangtze River Children's Environment Summit and Cherry Blossom Relay, and building a Biodiversity Conservation NetworkToki-no-hane (feather of Japanese crested ibis)China
Protecting highly important floodplain habitats in Hungary within the Tisza FloodplainWWF HungaryHungary
JapanGlobal WarmingEffective utilization of bamboo plants flourishing in the forests near populated areas, with the goal of realizing a local recycling-based society based on bambooEnvironment-Education seminar of Energy in Yokkaichi UniversityJapan
Helping children propagate energy conservation activities in their homes through the Eco Ranger ProjectUbe Network for Climate Change Actions
Implementation and promotion of the Eco School Program, designed to develop human resources that will tackle environmental problemsFEE Japan
Biodiversity ConservationBuilding an organic agriculture model for biodiversity conservation in the Echigawa Area, Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture (and other related educational activities)Nippon International Cooperation for Community Development
Conservation of endangered butterflies, focusing on rare butterflies (Luehdorfia japonica and Coenonympha oedippus arothius)Kakogawa's Satoyama and the Gifu Butterfly Network
Nationwide Visiting Lectures on the Biodiversity for Citizens Project, aimed at mainstreaming biodiversityThe Nature Conservation Society of Japan
Hachioji Forest and Village Building Project: Turning a dark forest (evergreen forest) into a bright forestThe Life style Research Institute of Forests
Building an intraregional circulation of mulberry tree, silkworm, and cocoon resources, with multi-generational participationMulberry Club Chubu
Enhancement of environmental learning focused on flagship species in the Amami Islands, educating residents on the proper methods of keeping pets, and optimization of the tourism industryWWF Japan
Building hometowns where insects can thriveSociety for Communing with Nature and Oomurasaki
Monitoring of mountains, rivers, and coastal areas around the Toyokawa river basinAssociation to Save Shallow Water and Tidal Flat in Asia
Conservation of the Obasute (Tagotono Tsuki) terraced rice fields, a famous and important cultural scenic spotTagotono Tsuki Terraced Rice Field Preservation Club
Conservation of the Hokuriku salamander around the Kureha Hill, carried out jointly by elementary schools and citizens' groupsYuukyuunomori Executive Committee
Ashida River Stream-side Learning Hut: an Ashida River clean-up projectAshida River Environmental Management Center
Initiative to preserve the forests remaining near populated, urban areasSuita Environment Learning association for the Future (SELF)
Local Power to Protect Wildlife!Nature Specialist Club to nurture future generationsWildlife Partnership Office
Establishment of sustainable local environmental conservation systems that utilize unused resourcesOsaka Bay Coastal Area Environment Creation Research Center
Initiatives to create forests with the help of honey bees