A Greenpeace East Asia report ranking global car makers on their environmental credentials has placed Australia's top-selling carmaker Toyota at the back of the pack.
The ranking has been released alongside a new Greenpeace Australia Pacific report, which exposes Toyota's track record of lobbying against measures to reduce climate pollution from vehicles, greenwashing and advocacy for fossil-fuelled hybrid vehicle technology.
- Toyota has been ranked dead last for the second year in a row by Greenpeace East Asia's Auto Environment Guide for its lobbying against climate action, refusal to embrace electric vehicles, and continued advocacy for highly polluting hybrids, with 499 out of every 500 Toyota vehicles sold powered by fossil fuels
- Toyota has also been found to be the 3rd most influential negative climate lobbyist globally, after Exxon Mobil and Chevron, with an international track record of lobbying against the introduction of vehicle pollution standards, and actively working to slow the uptake of electric vehicles.
- The Australian Federal Government is currently considering the introduction of fuel efficiency standards regulating climate pollution from cars, which would ensure wider choice of more efficient and zero emissions vehicles for Australian consumers. Greenpeace Australia Pacific holds there is a strong risk Toyota will use its established tactics to distract, weaken, and delay effective legislation in Australia.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific Campaigner Violette Snow said many Australians would be shocked to learn that one of the country's most trusted car makers has worked to extend the use of polluting fossil fuel vehicle technology.
"Toyota is Australia's largest and most trusted car maker, but its international track record of aggressive global lobbying against measures to lower climate pollution from transport has seen it ranked in the world's top three most influential fossil fuel lobbyists, alongside Exxon Mobil and Chevron," she said.
"Toyota is a global roadblock to electric vehicles, lobbying to weaken fuel efficiency standards, greenwashing its image and promoting electric vehicle disinformation while making big profits from polluting internal combustion engine and fossil-fuelled hybrid cars.
"Australia is at a crossroads in its electric vehicle transition, as the Albanese Government considers the introduction of fuel efficiency standards. Greenpeace Australia Pacific believes, based on our research into Toyota's international track record of lobbying against regulation of vehicle climate pollution, that there is a strong risk Toyota will work to weaken and slow Australia's transition to cleaner, safer electric vehicles.
"The International Energy Agency says to get to net zero by 2050, all new cars must be electric by 2035. If Toyota and the petrol car industry don't support this timeline, how do they think Australia can meet our climate goals?"
The global automotive report found that global sales of electric vehicles doubled in 2021. However, for industry laggard Toyota, sales of zero-emission vehicles made up a meagre 0.2% of total sales.
Fiona Collins, retired, Sydney said:
"It's incredibly disappointing that an innovative car company like Toyota which Australians like us have always turned to and trusted is holding back climate action by actively blocking the move to electric vehicles.
"We've owned several Toyota cars over the years, including a Corolla, Yaris, and Camry, so we were shocked to find the company placed last in Greenpeace's green car rankings.
"We are deeply concerned about the future of our environment – for us, our kids, and hopefully one day our future grandkids so we want car companies like Toyota, backed by the Australian government, to embrace electric and get on with it."
Greenpeace is calling on Toyota and other car makers to get behind strong fuel efficiency standards in line with other major markets and to speed up their transition to electric vehicles.
Notes
Read Under The Hood: The Truth About Toyota
https://www.greenpeace.org.au/act/electrify-toyota
Read the Automotive Environment Guide 2022
