Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program Accepts Applications for FY2003

For Immediate Release

July 24, 2003

Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program
Accepts Applications for FY2003

Tokyo—TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) today began accepting applications for the FY 2003 Toyota Environmental Activities Grant, a program designed to support environmental revitalization and conservation activities both in Japan and overseas for the purpose of sustainable development.

Commemorating TMC's 1999 receipt of the Global 500 Award for Environmental Achievement from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)*, the Toyota Environmental Activities Grant was launched in 2000 as a three-year program to be concluded in 2003. However, recognizing the positive feedback from Japan and overseas, TMC decided to extend the grant program to further demonstrate its social and environmental responsibility. In the previous three years, the program has funded a total of 560 million yen (supporting a total of 38 projects; 9 implemented in Japan, 6 in the Americas, 3 in Europe, 18 in the Asia-Pacific and 2 uncategorized).

TMC supports practical community-based projects concerning environmentally sound technology and environmental education through this program, under the key theme of "Social Investment for Sustainable Development." This year, approximately 200 million yen will be budgeted for the grantees.

For application guidelines and an overview of FY2002 recipients, please see the attached document "Toyota Environmental Activities Grant: Program Summary".

*United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): Established in 1972, UNEP is the first United Nations agency to be based in a developing country — in Nairobi, Kenya. UNEP's mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnerships in caring for the environment by enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. It acts as a catalyst, advocate, educator and facilitator to promote the wise use and sustainable development of the global environment.

Toyota Environmental Activities Grant: Program Summary

Grant-making Areas
Basic Theme: Social Investment for Sustainable Development
Sub-theme:
1. Environmental Technology: Commercializing environmentally sound technology
  Grants will be awarded to projects that incubate new technologies or that build systems for utilizing and marketing new technologies to achieve both conservation and economic development.
2. Environmental Education: Developing human resources for the next generation
  Grants will be awarded to projects targeted to raise environmental awareness and encourage concrete actions, inspiring the next generation, which will face the challenge of achieving sustainable development.
Grant Period
From one up to three years, beginning in December 2003.
Application Period
July 24 (Thu), 2003 - August 24 (Sun), 2003 (Postmarked no later than August 24, 2003)
Notification of Decision
The selection committee, comprised of seven experts from Japan and overseas, will review the applications and make its decision. Applicants will be notified in writing in late-October 2003.
Contact Information
Further details on the Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program and specific questions on application procedures can be submitted by phone, fax or via e-mail to the Program Secretariat (address below).

Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program Secretariat
MBE Box 363,
2-3-6 Otemachi,
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0004 JAPAN
Tel: +81-3-3272-1925 Fax : +81-3-3272-1926
E-mail: toyota-ecogrant@mri.co.jp

Additional information is also available online at:
http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/community_care/ecogrant/index.html(English)
http://www.toyota.co.jp/jp/community_care/ecogrant/index.html (Japanese)

List of Previous Grantees and Projects

SUBTHEME: Technology
NO.	PROJECT TITLE	ORGANIZATION	PROJECT SITE LOCATION
1	Promoting High-quality and High-yield Rice Cultivation and Integrated Utilization of Biomass in Wa, Myanmar	South-North Institute for Sustainable Development (SNISD)	Myanmar
2	Building Local Capacity in Sustainable Forest and Natural Resources Management	Pred Nai Community Support Group	Thailand
3	Development of a Biodigester for the Promotion of Renewable Energy and the Protection of the Environment in Rural Areas in Vietnam	Center for Rural Communities Research & Development (CCRD)	Vietnam
4	Protecting Terrestrial Biodiversity in Pohnpei, Micronesia	Conservation Society of Pohnpei	Micronesia
5	Substitution of Conventional Cooking Fuels by Plant Oils in Guatemala: Practical test for implementation	Institute for Agricultural Engineering in the Tropics and Subtropics, University of Hohenheim	Guatemala
6*	Commercialization Project for Sustainable Utilization of Medicinal Plant Resources in Central and Western Himalayan Communities	Society for the Conservation and Development of Himalayan Medicinal Resources	Nepal
7	Biomass Gasification for Distribution of Gas Supply in Rural Areas of China	Institute for Thermal Power Engineering, Zhejiang University (China)	PR China
8	Support for Rehabilitation of Devastated Tropical Peatland Ecosystems in Central Kalimantan	Agricultural Studies Department, Hokkaido University Graduate School	Indonesia
9	Banana Green-Gold Project: Using banana peel to make paper in Haiti, Jamaica and Central America	International Cooperation for Banana Paper Project	Haiti / Jamaica
10	Modern Cycle-rickshaw Technology for Addressing Poverty and the Environment in Yogyakarta, Indonesia	The Institute for Transport and Development Policy	Indonesia
SUBTHEME: Education
NO.	PROJECT TITLE	ORGANIZATION	PROJECT SITE LOCATION
1	An Environmental Awareness Activities Program that Targets Junior High School Students and Teachers in East European Countries	The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC)	Hungary
2*	“Green-Pack” Environmental Awareness for Schools in Bulgaria and Hungary	The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC)	Bulgaria / Hungary
3*	Creation of Eco-School Network by Reopening Closed Schools: Project for the provision of “Schools for Forest and Wind” and associated human resources	Iwate Children’s Environment Research Laboratory	Japan
4	Project to Train Leaders in Nature Experience Activities	Japan Environmental Education Forum, Inc.	Japan
5*	Leadership for Environment and Development Program	LEAD Japan Program	Japan
6	An Environmental Program that Targets Elementary School Children in the U.S. through Tree-planting Activities	The National Arbor Day Foundation	U.S.
7*	An Environmental Education Program that Targets Vietnamese Government Officials Dealing with Environmental Issues	Center for Environment Research, Education and Development (CERED)	Vietnam
8	Implementation of the Environmental Education Guide in a Designated Eco-region of the Central Mountain Range	Moscoso Puello Foundation	Dominican Republic
9*	Practice-based Education Program Aimed at the Preservation and Betterment of the Steppes of Inner Mongolia	Imin Soum Environmental Problem Research Group	PR China
10	Expanding “Roots and Shoots” Environmental Program to Japanese youth	Jane Goodall Institute, Japan	Japan
11	“Youth to Youth” Peer Education for a Sustainable Future	Pronatura Peninsula de Yucatan, A.C.	Mexico
12	Environmental Education at the Laguna del Tigre National Park, Guatemala	Conservation International - Pro Peten	Guatemala
13*	Participatory and Active Learning for Thai Youths in the Management of Local Resources for Sustainable Development	Eco-Community Vigor Foundation	Thailand
14	Build Environmental Awareness through the Creation of Footpaths in the Tama Hills Area of Machida City and Support the Project by Marketing the “Midori-no-Yubi” Logo	Tsurukawa Community Development Citizens Group ”Midori-no-Yubi”	Japan
15	Implementing an Environmental Education Program Targeting the Indigenous Semelai School Children at Tasek Bera Ramsar Site, Malaysia	Wetlands International Malaysia Programme	Malaysia
16	Establishing a Pilot Villager Group of Alternative Livelihoods in Wa, Myanmar in Cooperation with WADP, and Transforming the Wa Agriculture School into A Relatively Formal Polytechnic School	Beijing South-North Institute for Sustainable Development (SNISD)	Myanmar
17	Next Generation of Water Leaders	Third World Center for Water Management	Mexico
18	Enhancing Environmental Awareness and Safety through Education, Training and Dissemination of VACVINA Biodigester Technology	Center for Rural Communities Research & Development (CCRD)	Vietnam
19	Support to Environmental, Work and Living Improvement Programs in Vietnam Mekong Delta Area and its Diversified	The Institute for Science of Labour	Vietnam
20	Eco-Platform “Global School” to Connect Humankind with Nature	Eco Platform Tokai	Japan

*Received grant more than once.

Selection Committee Members for the FY2003

NAME	FIELD OF EXPERTISE	ORGANIZATION
Keiko Nakamura (Chair)	Life Science	Director General, JT Biohistory Research Hall (Japan)
Motoyuki Suzuki	Chemical Engineering	Professor, University of the Air (Japan)
Eiji Hosoda	Environmental Economics, Theoretical Economics	Professor, Faculty of Economics, Keio University (Japan)
J. Peterson Myers	Zoology	Senior Advisor, United Nations Foundation (U.S.A)
Göran A. Persson	Chemical Engineering, Environmental Administration	Chairman, Energy and Environmental Committee, Royal Academy of Engineering (Sweden)
Hiroyuki Watanabe	Technology Management	Senior Managing Director, Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan)

Note: A seventh committee member is to be named.

The information in this release speaks as of the date issued. Toyota Motor Corporation does not, does not intend to, and expressly disclaims any duty to, update or correct such information.