Toyota announces new ‘sciencebased’ CO2 reductions targets
Toyota New Zealand has committed to reducing its emissions by a minimum of 46 per cent compared to 2019 levels, a “science-based” target.
This includes the lifetime tailpipe emissions from all new and used vehicles sold by Toyota New Zealand each year and is aligned with science behind the UN Paris Agreement’s 1.5C pathway.
It’s also the first time an automotive company in New Zealand is including lifecycle emissions from vehicles sold in its target, which Toyota says account for 86 per cent of its annual direct and indirect emissions.
Ztoyota New Zealand Chief Executive Officer, Neeraj Lala, said including the lifetime emissions of a vehicle is about the company’s accountability regarding climate change across its local value chain.
The reduction will also help the company achieve its goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2050.
“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’re also excited by the possibilities this presents to innovate,” he said.
“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.
“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.”
More than two-thirds of Toyota’s passenger vehicle lineup will have an electrified option by the end of
2022, including hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or battery electric. Toyota has a further 15 allelectric battery models in the pipeline for production by 2025.
Those models could include a Hilux-sized pick-up, as hinted at in December last year when Toyota
showed off 30 concept EVs. Toyota has since pulled back on some of those projects like the Toyota Compact Cruiser crossover and all-electric Crown, according to a report by Reuters from October, but nothing has been said about the electric ute.
The report claimed Toyota’s planning had previously assumed demand for EVs would “not take off for several decades,” four internal sources, which declined to be named, said.
Previously, Toyota set itself a goal of selling 3.5 million EVs globally by 2030 – roughly one-third of its current global volume – but this may change as the manufacturer looks to adjust its electric plans.