Toyota Wins Top Award for Energy Conservation Efforts from Japan's Natural Resources and Energy Agency

The Energy Conservation Center of Japan (ECCJ) announced on January 24, 2013, that Toyota Motor Corp., which promotes energy conservation at its facilities, had won the Director-General's Award, from the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, in the industrial section of the Energy Conservation Case category of the 2012 Energy Conservation Awards. These are intended to recognize prominent activities and advanced products in energy conservation, as well as to help increase energy-saving awareness and promote energy-saving products.

At vehicle assembly factories, 85 percent of overall carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are generated by the use of lighting and air conditioners. In order to reduce CO2 emissions, Toyota changed its assembly line from a suspended type to a floor-standing type to downsize the area and lower the height of the factory.

Furthermore, aiming to create a machine useful for manufacturing, modifying, and remodeling at the factory, the company introduced a traditional technique unique to Japanese manufacturing. Production engineers themselves developed an energy-saving machine that enables automated manufacturing with minimal power, using hands mainly. As a result, CO2 emissions were reduced by 30 percent in 2011 compared with 2000.

The number of entries for the 2013 Award was 164, more than the previous year. In the category of Energy Conservation Case, 25 companies, including Coca-Cola Japan Co. and Omron Corp., also won prizes. In the Products and Business Models category, 21 companies, including Daikin Industries Ltd. and Fuji Xerox Co., won awards for their initiatives.

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