We believe business has a role to play in reversing nature loss and protecting biodiversity. Across North America, we are focusing on, no net loss of biodiversity, respect for legally designated protected areas, and avoidance of negative impacts on threatened or protected species.
Biological diversity – or BIODIVERSITY – refers to the wide variety of plants, animals and microorganisms that inhabit the planet and how they work together in an ecosystem to maintain balance and support life.
Humans can’t exist without biodiversity. Bees, butterflies and many other species are responsible for the food we eat, and their habitats provide us with fresh water, shelter and raw materials. Ecosystems provide over half of global GDP and encompass diverse cultural, spiritual and economic values.
But human activity is putting pressure on biodiversity and accelerating biodiversity loss. A report issued by the United Nations (UN) in 2019 estimates that up to 1 million plant and animal species – out of a known 8 million – are threatened with extinction.
This on its own is a global challenge, but biodiversity is also inextricably linked to climate change – nature plays a significant role in capturing and storing CO₂ from the atmosphere through ecosystem services, on land and in the oceans.
The current rate of habitat and species decline is unprecedented and threatens the foundations of economies, food security, health and livelihoods. Businesses are expected to play a significant role in achieving the bold and transformative steps urgently needed to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path. Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) is committed to doing our part to operate in harmony with nature. That’s why TMNA joined more than 1,000 companies in signing up to Business for Nature’s Call to Action, calling on governments to adopt ambitious policies to reverse nature loss in this decade, and why we named "Biodiversity" as one of our four environmental sustainability focus areas.
In North America, our biodiversity strategy includes partnering with nonprofit organizations and local communities to achieve positive and wide-reaching conservation results on our sites and in our communities. Our projects focus on:
Since 1999, Toyota has been partnering with Wildlife Habitat Council® (WHC) to restore habitats on our properties. WHC is a nonprofit organization whose services and initiatives empower companies to advance biodiversity and employee engagement. WHC’s voluntary standard, Conservation Certification, recognizes meaningful wildlife conservation and education programs on corporate lands. Toyota has programs at 16 sites with Conservation Certification. Several of these sites have set aside acreage and have installed walking trails to allow team members and the public to enjoy these protected areas. Other certification activities include tree and pollinator garden planting, installing and monitoring bird nesting boxes, and working with local schools to teach students about the importance of biodiversity.
Pollinators such as bees and butterflies are responsible for the food we eat, and their habitats provide us with fresh water, shelter and raw materials. The loss of habitat is one of the most pressing threats facing pollinators. That’s why we have established a target within our current five-year environmental action plan to enhance at least 26,000 acres of pollinator habitat in North America between 2021 and 2026. For progress on how we’re doing, see our story here.
TMNA has undertaken a value chain assessment of our nature impacts on land, water, biodiversity and other aspects of nature to understand material and priority impacts and to help inform our current work and future goals for the next Environmental Action Plan, which will run from fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
The automotive value chain is highly complex given the hundreds of parts used in building a vehicle. TMNA is working to create more transparency and traceability into its supply chain to better understand ways to manage impacts from sourcing raw materials.
TMNA is also looking at downstream impacts related to driving. While overall vehicle collisions have decreased, there has been an increase in the remaining collisions involving wildlife. As a result, TMNA initiated work with the National Wildlife Federation to support research on ways to address this issue. The first step in the project will be to identify priorities for future locations for wildlife crossings, a solution which, if designed correctly, has proven to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions for various species.
Small actions can lead to big impacts. Take a look at a few things you can do to help Make a Better Planet...
Pollinators are all around us, so we all have opportunities to help. From a single pot of flowers on a balcony to a sprawling acreage of land, creating a pollinator garden of any size can help these vital creatures thrive.
Plant a tree in your yard, or donate to a reforestation project. Every tree is a breath of fresh air, literally.
Check with your local park, refuge or other wildlife area and help remove invasive troublemakers and spread the word.
Don’t stop now, head over to the Toyota Choose Your Change page and see even more smart things you can do to make a positive environmental impact at work, home and play.
