Toyota Fund for Europe

As one of the world’s largest automobile companies, with operations in more than 170 countries, our aim is to become a good local corporate citizen, admired by all the communities in which we operate.

To achieve this goal, we provide financial and practical contributions to projects that seek to improve the lives and sustainability of our communities. Priority areas are the environment, road safety and technical education.

At Toyota we recognise that the growth of our business depends on the success of sustainable mobility. This has led us to develop innovative solutions such as the Hybrid Prius and the fuel cell Mirai. We are also aware that tackling environmental issues during the life-cycle of our products is not enough to solve today’s environmental issues.

TFfE helps by building working relationships so that people can share knowledge on environmental solutions available today. Together we can help solve these challenges.

Mobility is key to the quality of life. Yet traffic accidents throughout Europe claim tens of thousands of lives each year. If vehicles are to continue to be accepted by society, safety issues must be tackled. As a major vehicle manufacturer, we hawse have a clear responsibility to address these safety issues and reduce the number of accidents, injuries and fatalities.

Genuine sustainable mobility requires us to tackle safety by improving vehicles, creating a safer traffic environment, and educating road users to improve behaviour on the roads. This depends on governments, non-profit organisations, educational institutions and vehicle manufacturers working together to create positive change.

TFfE helps by promoting awareness on road safety and promoting solutions regarding vehicle safety, responsible driving attitude and safe road infrastructure.

Education in general, whether environmental knowledge, Road Safety knowledge or problem solving approaches, is an important skillset for future generations.

Technical Education specifically, is a fundamental skillset that we believe future generations will benefit from, whether it will be used at an automotive manufacturing company or elsewhere. We believe that the level of education and skills will determine future prosperity and sustainability.

TFfE helps by supporting projects where future generations learn about environmental or Road Safety issues and how they can solve them, or projects where Toyota can share its technical knowledge to with future engineers or technicians.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey (TMMT), one of our European production bases, began working closely with technical high schools and engineering faculties back in 2006. Since then, TMMT has donated around 100 vehicles and 1000 engines and transmission systems to educational institutions throughout Turkey for the purposes of technical education.

In the past three years, 62 cars, 109 engines and 124 transmissions were delivered to schools in 31 cities of Turkey that had engineering sections or automotive laboratories. To mark this milestone, TMMT invited representatives, school directors and teachers from 22 schools to attend a ceremony in the TMMT conference hall.

TMMT’s eco tour is a hugely popular event for children in the city of Adapazari, where TMMT is located. During this activity, children watch educational presentations and environmental movies, and learn about our activities as an environmentally-friendly vehicle manufacturer. They then visit our manufacturing operations, wastewater treatment plant and solar energy production facility.

Our employees love getting involved in this project – particularly when they play the fun waste segregation game with the children! Since it started, nearly 5,000 children from schools in the Adapazarı district have taken part in the eco tour.

TMMT is committed to support young technical students, encourage their innovative ideas and stimulate their R&D competences. Within this framework, TMMT was co-sponsor of the 9th Inter-Junior High School & High School Technical Project Competition, held in cooperation with Sakarya National Educational Directorate.

360 projects were submitted by 700 students in the two categories of Environment and Automation. At an awards ceremony held at TMMT, the 77 winning students and their schools were recognised by TMMT top management. Since it started, 4,000 students have taken part in this competition.

SLM Toyota, dealer for East Sussex, UK, recently passed on a donation from Toyota to the Glyne Gap School for their Wild Garden Project. The project aims to create a space that can be used by teachers as an outdoor classroom to hold lessons on topics like the Natural Habitat and Mini Beasts. Environmental storytelling, music and theatre sessions are also scheduled to take place.

The wild garden will also host Family Days on certain Saturdays, during which schoolchildren can introduce family members to their eco activities. The donation will allow the school to equip the garden with all the educational facilities needed, including improved wheelchair access.

We are delighted to financially assist Staffordshire Wildlife Trust in the UK to develop a popular nature reserve. The trust will use the money to create a new visitor trail at Doxey Marshes, a 300-acre area of wet grasslands near Stafford. It will comprise a series of timbered posts fitted with plaques depicting animal and plant species that can be found on the reserve.

The marshes are home to more than 200 bird species and are designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. W.R. Davies Toyota in Stafford has previously supplied the trust’s conservation workers with Toyota vehicles.

More than 50 Surrey Scouts and Explorers were given an insight into Japanese culture during an activity day hosted by Toyota GB at its headquarters in November 2015. The event helped them prepare for their journey to Japan for the 23rd World Scout Jamboree and gave them the chance to boost their personal fund-raising for the trip.

It was a reward for the scouts’ help in clearing the grounds of the office complex, as part of Toyota GB’s on-going project to promote biodiversity. In addition, a contribution was made towards the Surrey County Jamboree Fund, which will help meet general equipment costs.

Toyota is working with WWF and the village of Tiszatarján on a unique, community-based conservation project alongside the river Tisza in north-eastern Hungary. Its goal is to contribute to the conservation of the area’s natural floodplain wetlands and grasslands. The area is important for key species such as white-tailed eagle, black stork, beaver, long-horn grey cattle and water buffalo.

The project will also increase awareness of ecosystem management practices while supporting the local community to generate bioenergy. This very practical model has the potential to be replicated elsewhere in the world.

Toyota is supporting WWF’s Green Generation mentor programme. This environmental and sustainability focused project involves a year-long training programme to give children deeper knowledge of two focus areas: biodiversity and the smart city. Children are encouraged to learn active citizenship, mobilise others, and build a green community.

24 children between the ages of 14 and 16 from all over Hungary are participating. They learn through playing games, solving exercises, role playing, developing projects and conducting research. The programme includes field trips, workshops at school, as well as several tasks to be completed at home.

Toyota is encouraging European schoolchildren to explore and investigate their natural environment to help biodiversity. The project is an initiative of TME, the Foundation for Environmental Education and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to support biodiversity education in schools throughout Europe. We are funding the translation of the educational materials for schools in their own language.

In this way we hope to encourage young people to become advocates for the conservation and promotion of local biodiversity activities. The initiative builds on the Wellcome Trust funded project “The Great Plant Hunt” co-ordinated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.