Toyota Targets 40 Percent Emissions Reduction in North America
Toyota says it will aggressively use Virtual Power Purchase Agreements with renewable energy providers to cut down emissions from its North American operations by up to 40 percent over the next three years. The move is part of Toyota’s Environmental Challenge 2050 goal of completely eliminating its global emissions from plant operations.
Under the VPPAs, Toyota will contract renewable energy providers to generate solar and wind power that will be provided directly to regional electric grids. This funding of renewable electricity will grant the manufacturer Renewable Energy Credits that it expects will substantially offset emissions from its North American facilities.
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Toyota developed its VPPA program for more than six years in partnership with MIT, the Rocky Mountain Institute, and the National Renewable Energy Lab. The automaker believes its potential for reducing and offsetting emissions will help it accomplish its Environmental Challenge 2050, some of the goals of which are highlighted below:
- Completely eliminate CO2 emissions at all manufacturing plants around the world, as well as from all suppliers and logistics streams
- Reduce global average CO2 emissions from new vehicles by 90 percent compared to 2010 levels
- Minimize water usage and promote end-of-life vehicle recycling
“We are committed to setting an example of sustainability that goes beyond vehicles to show how a company can significantly reduce the environmental impact of its operations,” said Kevin Butt, Toyota Motor North America’s general manager and director of regional environmental sustainability. “By cutting our U.S. emissions by forty percent, we will be that much closer to our goal of having a net positive impact on the environment by the middle of this century.”
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