The World Wildlife Fund and Toyota Motor Corporation have a five-year agreement to “promote biodiversity, raise environmental awareness and accelerate the move toward a zero carbon society.” Toyota is the first automaker, as well as the first Japanese company, to sign a so-called Global Corporate Partnership agreement with WWF, which claims to have more then five million supporters and a global network active in 100 countries.
As part of the deal, Toyota will support the Living Asian Forest Project, a new series of existing and planned WWF activities to conserve tropical forests and wildlife in Southeast Asia. The project will take place in WWF priority places Borneo (Kalimantan) and Sumatra in Indonesia. In the future, the project will expand to the Greater Mekong region.
The focus is said to increasing the sustainability of natural resources such as wood, paper and pulp, palm oil and natural rubber. Unsustainable production and use of these commodities are among the main causes of deforestation and increased threats to endangered species in these regions.
Toyota will donate $1 million to the Living Asian Forest Project in 2016 and will continue its support for five years. The support strengthens efforts toward achieving the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 goals of aiming to reduce Toyota’s environmental footprint to zero.
With demand expected to rise for natural rubber – the main commodity for tires – sustainable production and the use of natural rubber is required for forest ecosystem conservation. Toyota acknowledges the environmental and social challenges surrounding natural. It will collaborate with industries and stakeholders to contribute to international standard-setting as well as other related activities that WWF promotes.
Throughout the partnership, WWF and Toyota will also work together to help realize a zero carbon society. In order to successfully meet the company’s Zero CO2 Emissions Challenges under its Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050, Toyota has already joined the Science Based Targets initiative that is aimed at helping companies combat climate change.
