Toyota NZ sets science-based CO2 reduction targets

Toyota New Zealand has announced a commitment to reduce its total carbon emissions (CO2) by a minimum of 46 per cent by 2030 (off 2019 levels) in the launch of their annual Sustainability Report.

The science-aligned emissions target includes the lifetime tailpipe emissions from all new and used vehicles sold by Toyota New Zealand each year and is aligned with the UN Paris Agreement’s 1.5 degrees celcius pathway.

Toyota is the first automotive company in New Zealand to include lifecycle emissions from vehicles sold in its targets, which account for 86 per cent of Toyota’s annual direct and indirect emissions.

Toyota New Zealand Chief Executive Officer, Neeraj Lala, says Toyota needs to set ambitious goals as part of its response to climate change, contributing to the company’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon by 2050. Including the lifetime emissions of a vehicle, he says, is about the company’s accountability regarding climate change across its local value chain.

“We are all in this together. Our responsibility as a Kiwi brand and a market leader is to reduce not only our own emissions, but also help our supply and value chains, and
customers to make a positive contribution,” says Neeraj.

“Our greatest challenge is reaching our net zero carbon goals while maintaining mobility for all — where no kiwi is left behind by providing affordable, accessible, and safe mobility for all.”

By the end of the year, 67 per cent of our passenger vehicles will have an electrified option such as hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or battery electric. Toyota has a further 15 all-electric battery models in the pipeline for production by 2025.

“A 46 per cent emissions reduction by 2030 is a lofty target and represents a major step forward for Toyota New Zealand on our path towards net zero carbon by 2050. There are challenges ahead for our business, but we also excited by the possibilities this presents to innovate,” he says.

“Toyota was built on the Japanese principle of Kaizen, which means continuous improvement. We recognise that capturing data and measuring correctly is critical and we are committing to applying kaizen regarding our data sources. This means that we know and accept that our data will always be improving.

“Previous measures, such as the hybridisation of Toyota vehicles, have already seen significant reductions in the lifecycle footprint of Toyota vehicles, to the tune of 160 million tons of CO2 emissions avoided globally,” says Neeraj.

In the 12 months between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022, Toyota New Zealand reported total emissions of 1,553,378 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e), with 1,310,799 tCO2e of those resulting from the full lifetime emissions of 36,342 new and used vehicles sold during the year.

Toyota New Zealand’s emissions reduction targets are part of reporting and goal setting contained in its annual Sustainability Report.

The Sustainability Report focuses on outcomes related to the three pathways of Toyota’s Let’s Go Places brand vision: environmental sustainability, mobility for all, and community social impact. Neeraj Lala says Let’s Go Places represents Toyota New Zealand’s long-term vision as a mobility company.

“It is not reliant on a single outcome on its own but articulates the interconnectedness of multiple solutions working together in unison.

“For instance, Toyota has taken an interconnected approach to powertrains. It is not about a singular focus, such as solely selling BEVs, but about taking multiple pathways that have the greatest overall impact to reduce our emissions he says.

Each of the Let’s Go Places pillars is a key metric in determining Toyota’s domestic outputs, and its pledge to operate ethically and responsibly within Aotearoa New Zealand. The vision connects Toyota New Zealand globally to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and to the Toyota Motor Corporation’s Environmental Challenge 2050.

Neeraj says Toyota is already making progress, through a myriad of initiatives.

“Let’s Go Places is about bringing Aotearoa with us. To become net zero carbon will require us to fundamentally change the way we live, and to transform the automotive industry. Ultimately, Toyota’s Let’s Go Places sustainability report is a powerful signifier of some far-reaching changes to the way we do business in the future.”