Toyota is leading the way in automotive retail certifications

Toyota is proud to join the ranks of the top 10 companies with the most Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified retail locations¹. While the list includes retailers from various industries, Toyota is the only automotive brand to be included in the top ranks².

“Inclusion among the top 10 retailers to date for LEED certification², and being the only automotive brand, speaks volumes to the movement Toyota has achieved through our environmental efforts to improve the overall quality of life,” said Kevin Butt, general manager of environmental sustainability at Toyota Motor North America (TMNA). “Environmental leadership means supporting our dealers as we continue to drive environmental performance across four key areas – Carbon, Water, Materials and Biodiversity. Toyota is focused on environmental sustainability with a goal of zero impact by the year 2050.”

“Toyota is one of the leading examples of a business embracing sustainability and taking action to drive change,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council. “As one of our Platinum level members and one of the most prolific users of LEED in their retail spaces, Toyota demonstrates an unmatched commitment to sustainable development and responsible growth among their peers in the automotive industry.”

Toyota and Lexus brands have achieved various levels of LEED certification for the construction and renovation of their sales and service areas.

More Than Just Construction

Toyota assists its dealers in making the investment and improvements to their dealerships to meet the LEED certification requirements. Through efforts like the Toyota Image II facility initiative and Lexus Vision USA, dealerships incorporate the best of sales and retail in an environmentally-friendly setting featuring windows allowing for natural light and low-emitting interior finishes.

One such example is Kendall Toyota in Eugene, Oregon, a LEED Platinum dealership. A few of their sustainable features include:

• Photovoltaic panels: With photovoltaic panels covering most of the dealership’s roof, they are able to produce up to 30 percent of the building’s energy needs.
• Recycled Cisterns: Two 10,000 gallon, above-ground cisterns are recycled fluid tanks. They serve as an important role in the water recycling system at the dealership.
• Capturing and Recycling Rain Water: Approximately 60 percent of the water accumulated on the roof is collected and is directed into the two above-ground cisterns. This water supplies the car wash and landscape irrigation.
• Other features include on-site storm water treatment, high-performance HVAC, day lighting, recycled building materials, and native landscaping.

Toyota and Lexus work with their dealerships on an individual basis providing guidance on sustainable strategies to achieve LEED certification and vendor support for products and programs such as LED lighting retrofits for energy savings.

Toyota and Lexus recognize the hard work that goes into the LEED certification process. The continued efforts not only are attractive to environmentally conscious consumers, they also can provide dealerships an edge in recruiting and retaining team members.

Long-term goals

The growth of LEED certifications by Toyota and Lexus dealers closely aligns with the company’s larger goal to have a net positive impact on society and the planet by the year 2050. Details of the TMNA Environmental Action Plan can be found in the online version of the 2017 Environmental Report (https://www.toyota.com/usa/environmentreport2017/).

“Achieving zero impact on our planet requires us to rethink the way we power our facilities, from manufacturing to selling vehicles,” Butt said. “As business owners, we encourage them to use the Challenge 2050 as a guide for their individual business goals.”

Toyota and Lexus continue to work to provide guidance and administrative support to dealers that seek to update their buildings with the LEED certification guidelines. Each dealership is an independently-owned business within the Toyota or Lexus network.

Toyota and Lexus are proud to recognize the following dealerships who have achieved LEED certification in retail and other project categories since 2007.

Toyota Dealerships³

Lexus Dealerships³

¹ Excluding financial institutions with retail bank locations.
² As of the date of the release.
³ List is inclusive of Toyota and Lexus dealerships. Project registrations vary with the U.S. Green Business Council.