World Environment Day was celebrated on 5 June this year. In line with Toyota's commitment to reducing vehicle manufacturers' impact on the earth, the company will be supporting a number of environmental initiatives during the month of June.

As part of an ongoing sponsorship agreement between Toyota and Food and Trees for Africa the company will be donating 300 trees to City Parks, earmarked for the Greening Soweto 2010 project.

Toyota President and CEO, Dr Johan van Zyl - "Toyota have been long-time supporters of initiatives aimed at improving the environment in which we live in and we are proud – in fact, it is a cornerstone for Toyota's corporate values".

The key to Toyota's commitment to a cleaner environment is the continued development and improvement of its hybrid technology as applied in the Toyota Prius, the world's best-selling hybrid vehicle. Recently the third generation of this award-winning vehicle was launched in Japan and boasts a fuel efficiency of 38.0 km/l, with CO₂ emissions of only 61g/km – this all with a stronger engine output.

Closer to home, Toyota SA is continuously challenged by reducing its energy consumption wherever possible and through a number of internal initiatives – including the use of solar energy to heat water, changes to energy efficient lighting in the plant and campaigns to switch off lights and electrical equipment when not in use – electricity consumption at the production plant has been reduced significantly.

During June the company will also launch an internal 'Waste From Home' campaign at its marketing offices in Sandton, aimed at encouraging staff to recycle – both at the office and at home.

Join the Toyota No Impact page on Facebook