Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) began accepting applications today for this year’s¹ Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program, which is designed to support environmental revitalization and conservation activities aimed at sustainable development.   Similar to previous years, the eligible themes for this grant remain: biodiversity conservation and global warming countermeasures.  Grants will be provided to NPOs and other private, non-profit groups (excluding schools) that are promoting practical projects.  As before, the program will award grants to projects both in and outside of Japan.

The Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program was established in commemoration of TMC’s receipt of the Global 500 Award² in 1999 from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and has been carried out every year since 2000 as part of TMC’s environmental social contribution activities, with this year marking the program’s 14th year.   Furthermore, for the first time in the program’s history, a grant program information session³ will be conducted on May 23 along with reports from previous grant-receiving groups on the results of their activities.

Inquiries regarding application procedures and further details about the program should be addressed to:   Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program Secretariat  Phone: +81-3-3817-9238 (Mon.-Fri.: 10:00-17:00, Japan Standard Time)  Email:

Detailed information is available online here.

1. 2012 Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program Recipients

Grant         Category	Theme	Project Summary	Organization	Country/         region
	Biodiversity         Conservation	Endangered species assessment capability development project in Bhutan	Biodiversity Network Japan	Bhutan
		Conservation project for the Bandula Barb, which is on the verge of extinction	International Union for Conservation of Nature, Japan Office	Sri Lanka
		Conservation of freshwater ecosystem in the Colombian Amazon with participation from indigenous peoples and local farmers	Conservation International Japan	Colombia
		Project to develop educational materials and train staff to protect biodiversity in Bangladesh’s Sundarbans region	Japan Environmental Education Forum	Bangladesh
		Coastal wildlife biodiversity conservation project in Dhalghata, Bangladesh with participation from local people	Ramsar Center Japan
		Protection of national bird, the Phillipine Eagle, and environmental education activities on the Philippines’ Luzon island	BirdLife International Asia Division	Philippines
		Biodiversity-conscious tree-planting project in the Philippines	OISCA-Japan
		Japan-China cooperative nature school on Chongming Island, Shanghai for protecting biodiversity (Aiming to present project at UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development 2014)	General Incorporated Association ‘Toki-no-hane’         (feather of Japanese crested ibis)’	China
	Global Warming	Project to promote energy conservation in India’s metal rolling industry	International Center for Environmental Technology Transfer	India
	Biodiversity         Conservation	Nisshin Exploration Map: Creating a town in harmony with nature through three generations	Nissin Citizens’ Network on the Environment (NPO)
		Regional revitalization through restoring roofs of old thatched roof houses used by trout fishermen and cultivation of thatch-use grass culture	Asagiri Furusato Sosei Net (NPO)
		Revitalization and creative use of terraced rice fields and nearby undeveloped land in Nishihata-cho, Ikoma City	Ikoma Rice Terrace Club
		Natural revitalization of urban river basins that link together forests, rivers and sea based on shared memories of the area	Association for the Cultivation of Rich Forests, Rivers and Seas
		Zostera bed revitalization aimed at creating a rich sea for urban areas	Amamo Revival Collaboration in Kanazawa-Hakkei, Tokyo Bay Area
		Teaching people about rare species through card games and cultivating an awareness of the need to preserve the natural environment	Jisedainotameni Ganbarokai
		Tokyo Satoyama* project to promote cohabitation of people and nature	Jyumoku Kankyo Network Kyokai (NPO)
		Holding seminars on new ways of living in Satoyama* areas and training volunteers	Sanson Jyuku
		Project to establish a terraced rice field “eco school”; conserving terraced rice fields that cultivate diverse organisms and training staff	Tanada LOVER’s (NPO)
	Global Warming	Nurturing activities and practical biodiversity surveys following the Kujukuri Conservation through Afforestation Project	The Life style Research Institute of Forests (NPO)
*A Japanese term applied to undeveloped woodlands near populated areas.

2. Grant Project Statistics by Year and Region

Project         Implementation         Sites		FY2012			FY2011			FY2010			FY2009			FY2008
			Category			Category			Category			Category			Category
			Over         seas	Japan		Over         seas	Japan		Over         seas	Japan		General	Small- scale		General	Small- scale
Total	233	19	9	10	21	11	10	18	6	12	10	0	10	25	13	12
Asia	77	8	8	0	8	8	0	4	4	0	0	0	0	5	5	0
The Americas	19	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	0
Africa	22	0	0	0	3	3	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	4	4	0
Europe	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Japan	107	10	0	10	10	0	10	12	0	12	10	0	10	14	2	12
Others	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

^*Projects awarded grants from 2000 to 2012

¹Unless otherwise noted, years mentioned are from April 1 to March 31.
²Presented by the United Nations Environment Programme to recognize the outstanding achievements of individuals and organizations in protecting and improving the environment.  In 1999, TMC became the first Japanese corporation to receive the award in recognition of its various achievements in environmental protection and improvement (such as being the first company in the world to mass-produce and sell hybrid vehicles) and its various corporate social contribution activities.
³ To be held at TMC’s Tokyo Head Office, May 23, 13:30-17:00