Toyota Voted Most Eco-Friendly Company in Japan

Toyota Motor Corp. has the best environmental brand image in Japan, according to a survey of Japanese companies conducted by the Eco Management Forum (EMF), part of Nikkei Business Publications Inc. This was the fifth Environmental Brand Survey conducted by EMF; it was carried out from April 5 to May 10, 2004, and elicited responses from 18,995 Japanese consumers. After Toyota Motor Corp., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. and Kirin Brewery Co. ranked second, followed by Nissan Motor Co., Sharp Corp., Suntory Ltd., Lion Corp., Honda Motor Co., Asahi Breweries, Ltd., and Sapporo Breweries Ltd., in that order.

These rankings are based on EMF's original environmental brand index compiled from the results of a questionnaire on overall consumer consciousness about corporate environmental activities. This survey asked questions about "image," "evaluation" and "access to environmental information" for each company.

Three out of the top 10 companies belong to the automobile industry, which topped the list in the industry/sector category of the index. This reflects consumers' impression that the Japanese car industry is now leading the world in the development of fuel-efficiency technology and fuel-cell vehicles that run without emitting carbon dioxide, as represented by hybrid vehicles.

Meanwhile, electric appliance companies have been promoting sales of CFC-free refrigerators and other environment-friendly appliances such as products that conserve energy or water, or products that utilize natural energy. This strategy contributes to brisk sales and helps companies enhance their environmental brand image.



Posted: 2004/12/25 03:58:59 PM
Japanese version