Toyota plants 50,000 trees

Thursday 29th May, 06:16 AM JST

NAGOYA —

Toyota Motor Co this week planted approximately 50,000 trees at the Tsutsumi plant as one of the company’s sustainable plant activities. Based on the local greenery, 55 types of native trees were planted to create a multi-layered natural environment. Toyota has also planted NOx-absorbing vegetation on the rooftop of the Tsutsumi plant.

These sustainable plant activates are not the only eco-friendly changes being made at Toyota. In March, Toyota installed a photovoltaic power generation system to reduce its CO2 emissions. This generator uses natural energy to produce 2,000kW of power for the plant and surrounding streetlights. The use of this photovoltaic generator is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 55% less than the 1990 business year, Toyota said.

The changes being made in Tsutsumi are expected to continue in Toyota plants in Japan and overseas. Toyota said it is encouraging “eco-thinking” among its employees and creating activities that reflect the interests of the local citizens.

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Latest 15 of 21 Total Comments Show All

roomtemperature at 06:44 PM JST - 1st June

GM you say?

They spend $68 million to charitable causes in 2004 and now need to close plants and buy out personel?????.......indeed......how embarrassing!!! GM could learn from Toyota!!
Kwaabish at 08:32 PM JST - 1st June

Also, this article fails to report that, since 1991, Toyota has donated more than $340 million dollars to philanthropic programs.
Kwaabish at 08:33 PM JST - 1st June

oops. I forgot to add to the last post that the $340 million figure is in the US charities, within the US alone.
westurn at 10:59 PM JST - 1st June

"this article fails to report that, since 1991, Toyota has donated more than $340 million dollars to philanthropic programs"

And in Japan ? 50,000 shrubs ! E-m-b-a-r-r-a-s-s-i-n-g !!!
Kwaabish at 02:51 AM JST - 2nd June

ummm.... the planting of the trees is not necessarily a show for "monetary contribution", rather it seems that it is in line with the program which calls for more energy efficiency and CO2 reduction in production of cars....

Slightly off topic, in actuality, the Toyota Foundation provides many donations and grants globally, not only in Japan and/or the US.

It would be interesting to see how much GM, Chrysler or Ford contributes to various charities within Japan... I hope such figures would not be so E-m-b-a-r-r-a-s-s-i-i-n-g...
westurn at 06:15 AM JST - 2nd June

No deal "K" ! Yer grasping at straws here. Fact is J companies are pathetic in terms of philanthropy... Toyota is no diff. In fact its safe to say they wouldn't donate a damn thing if it weren't for pressure from other major co's, namely in the US ! Check yer history books, you'll see J co's in the states were nothing but jonny-come-latelys in terms of forking out the donations. But, since Toyotas image is currently under attack, they had to throw the masses a bone... and you bit ! Hardy har !
Kwaabish at 07:17 AM JST - 2nd June

Speaking of grasping...

it would be a reach W for you to try to connect planting of trees for Eco purposes to calling Toyota "cheap" and un-philanthropical. Truth is, at least Toyota is hiring, as opposed to laying off........

Try again.
westurn at 12:43 PM JST - 2nd June

kwaabish... yes you are grasping ! Attempts to cherry pick around the planet in some lame misguided attempt to save Toyota from more public embarrassment ! If you want a break down of charitable donations by Ford, GM, Coca Cola, McDonalds etc. do so at the proper forum. Fact is Toyota has done damn little in terms of philanthropy here in Japan... the topic at hand ! Planting a mere 50,000 trees on here and there is a joke ! Gee, wonder whats gonna become of the excess limbs and falling needles or leaves ? Yep... they are gonna decompose, or be burnt, thus generating even more co2 carbons than before ! Fact... plants and greenery are the number one cause of greenhouse gasses ! Well done Toyota ! You wanna help the environment ? Try sending your staff home at decent hours and closing down your factories at night... that should lower the use of aircons, heaters, lights, electricity etc ! Damn loser company ! Voluntary overtime indeed ! All their doin' is pollutin the air with all that free labor ! Time to shut Toyota down !
rajakumar at 04:14 PM JST - 2nd June

Toyota should plant millions of tree in japan cities, 50,000 trees is some kind of cheapskate hype.
Kwaabish at 11:14 AM JST - 3rd June

Rajakumar,

What makes you think that Toyota will help plant only 50k trees within Japan? The 50k figure applies to the programme at the Tsutsumi plant in Aichi Prefecture by itself; The sustainable plant project applies to most Toyota facilities worldwide so the total figure should be much higher considering the amount of facilities that Toyota owns.
Kwaabish at 11:20 AM JST - 3rd June

Westurn,

nitpicking and grasping.... pfffttt....

You initially brought up the GM charitable contribution levels, not me. You did so by wanting to connect the Eco activities of Toyota to their supposed "cheapness". (see above)

However, as you mention, if sending workers home contributes to cleaning air, then I suppose Detroit's air is much cleaner since they are sending their workers home, permanently...
Kwaabish at 04:36 PM JST - 3rd June

Perhaps, finally, people understood that the topic at hand was Toyota trying to be more energy efficient and self sustaining (as opposed to someone thinking that this was about a low level charitable contribution by Toyota)...
thepossum at 09:03 PM JST - 3rd June

"the topic at hand was Toyota trying to be more energy efficient and self sustaining"

I disagree ! I'm with those that look at this as nothing but an attempt to curb criticism of recent poor press over things like "voluntary overtime", recalls, and news that Toyota has been dumping chemicals into local rivers and water tributaries. Toyota has never had a history of charitable donations here in Japan. And the only things they do overseas, for example in Africa, is sponsor sports tournaments, a form of advertising ! 50,000 trees is hardly anything to boast about. For anyone to tout this afternoon of tree planting as more than it is is suspect, a Toyota exec maybe. If so, read this carefully, "The worlds number one car manufacturer can afford more than 50,000 trees for a small plant in no-where Japan" ! Sheesh !
Kwaabish at 09:55 PM JST - 3rd June

Ok, I guess I was wrong when I figured that most would stay on topic...

But here we go again. ""Toyota has never had a history of charitable donations here in Japan. And the only things they do overseas, for example in Africa, is sponsor sports tournaments, a form of advertising ! ""

Never, huh? There's research on this? Also, philanthropy is not all necessarily plain cash. http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/social_contribution/vision/history/chronology.html

http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/social_contribution/oversea/index.html

And again, 50,000 trees planted doesn't seem to be total goal, but merely a portion of the sustainable plant project, one of many, to start. They are also incorporating natural energy production through solar panel uses, which reduced the use of outside electricity.

Of course Toyota can afford more than 50,000 trees. And it usually does. They also have dedicated entire forests (see Toyota no Mori).

""for a small plant in no-where Japan" ! Sheesh !""

Ummm.... the Tsutsumi plant is the main plant that produces the Prius. Ever hear of that car? How small scale do you think that plant is? As a matter of fact, the Tsutsumi plant, located in Toyoda City, Aichi Prefecture, is practically smack dab in the center of Toyota, employing 5,000. That's like saying Ford's Rouge complex is no-where USA.

Maybe I should use more exclamation points in posts!... will it look convincing!?
westurn at 04:40 PM JST - 4th June

Kwaabish ! What a great link you have provided ! Talk about narcissism at its best ... good god what a joke. Lemme see, under the heading of "Social Contributions" Toyota includes the following:

-1933 Kiichiro Toyoda establishes the Automobile Department within Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd.

-1935 The Toyoda Precepts established

-1937 Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. established

-1950 Toyota Motor Sales Co., Ltd. established

Gimme a break ! Are these really "charitable contributions" ??? Bwahaha ! And it gets worse... Toyota goes on to brag about, among other things...

-Community concerts (1981)

-Orchestra Camp (1985)

-The Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology (1994)

What a farce ! "K" is this your idea of a philanthropy ? Or like I said, just lame advertising to promote their products. In any case, thanks for the link, I didn't realize how poor Toyota's philanthropy record in Japan really was till looking at that mess. Again, bwahaha ! "Orchestra Camp !!!