Toyota to Fund 'Social Investment for Sustainable Development'
22 May 2000
Toyota to Fund 'Social Investment for Sustainable Development' - New Grant Program Commemorates Receiving of Global 500 Award -
TOKYO, May 22 TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) and the
Toyota Foundation(a) have established a grant program to support environmental
improvement and conservation both in Japan and overseas, with a key aim of
promoting activities that will lead to sustainable development.
The program will award approximately 200 million yen a year in grants over
the next three years to support "social investment for sustainable
development." The projects funded should represent practical grass-roots-type
activities and demonstrate a global perspective on environmental protection.
The grants will generally support the following types of projects:
(1) Projects that bring to fruition technology for the promotion of
environmental and economic development, and projects that contribute
to the social and other systems needed to accommodate such technology,
all for which the program plans to act as an "incubator".
(2) Educational and consciousness-raising activities conducted to raise
environmental awareness among the next generation and others who will
play an important role in bringing about sustainable development, and
to promote and implement environmental protection activities.
This environmental activities grant program was established to commemorate
TMC's receiving of the United Nations Environment Program's (b) Global 500
Award on World Environment Day 1999 (June 5) and will be implemented as a part
of TMC's social contribution activities. The Global 500 Award, which is given
to individuals and organizations for contributions to environmental protection
or improvement aimed at sustainable development, recognized TMC for its
comprehensive environmental management structure, its release of the world's
first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, its responses to ISO14001 certification
and active disclosure of its environmental data.
The grants will be awarded to a wide range of organizations, including
universities, research facilities and environmental NGOs. Selection will be
handled by a committee comprised of eight well-informed members from Japan and
abroad, and headed by Keiko Nakamura, deputy director general of JT Biohistory
Research Hall.
(a) A multi-purpose foundation established by TMC in 1974 to commemorate
its 40th anniversary. It provides grants for research and civic activities
that meet the needs of the times, in a wide range of fields both in Japan and
overseas. Major project areas include living/natural environments, social
welfare, and educational and cultural activities mainly in developing
countries.
(b) A U.N. organization started in 1972 for comprehensive coordination and
management of the environmental activities carried out by U.N. organizations,
and to promote international cooperation on new environmental problems.
Headquartered in Nairobi.
Grant Consideration Committee
Name Title, Organization
Keiko Nakamura (Chair) Deputy Director General, JT Biohistory Research
Hall (Japan)
Norio Ogura Professor, Graduate School of Bio-Applications
and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of
Agriculture & Technology (Japan)
Eiji Hosoda Professor, Faculty of Economics, Keio
University (Japan)
Peterson Myers Director, W. Alton Jones Foundation (U.S.A.)
Goran A. Persson Director, Bellagio Forum for Sustainable
Development (Germany)
Somsak Sukwong Executive Director, Regional Community Forestry
Training Center for Asia and the Pacific
(Thailand)
Shosaburo Kimura President, Toyota Foundation (Japan)
Fujio Cho President, Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan)