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Toyota Wins United Nations Environmental Protection Award

7 June 1999

Toyota Wins United Nations Environmental Protection Award; The First Automaker to Receive the Global 500 Award

    NEW YORK, June 7 -- Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC)
was awarded the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)
Global 500 Award in a special ceremony Saturday, June 5 in Tokyo.  Mr.
Shoichiro Toyoda, chairman of TMC, was present and accepted the award.
Sixteen other individuals and organizations also received the 1999 UNEP award
for their environmental initiatives.
    Toyota, the first automaker to receive the UNEP Global 500 Award, was
honored for the leadership it has demonstrated in the development of
environmental technologies and measures.  Special mention was given to the
introduction of the Prius, the world's first passenger vehicle in mass
production to be powered by a hybrid power train system; Toyota's commitment
to meet and surpass ISO 14001 standards at all its plants within this year;
and finally, Toyota's EcoProject -- a public declaration featuring the
importance of ecology-oriented business philosophy.
    The event was hosted by UNEP and the government of Japan and was part of
the World Environment Day celebrations.
    Originally, the UNEP Global 500 Award was to span from 1987 to 1991 and to
be received by 500 honorees for their environmental achievements.  However,
the program was continued and by 1998 a total of 670 individuals and
organizations have been honored.  The 1999 recipients were announced earlier
this year in Nairobi, Kenya, on May 18.
    Previous recipients include former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, marine
explorer Jacques Cousteau and the World Wide Fund for Nature.