Apr. 27, 2007

Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program Accepting Applications

 

Tokyo ― TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) has begun accepting applications today for this year's*1 Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program, which is designed to support environmental revitalization and conservation activities, both in Japan and overseas, for the purpose of sustainable development.

The program was established in commemoration of TMC's receipt of the Global 500 Award*2 in 1999 from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and has been implemented every year since 2000, as part of TMC's environmental philanthropic activities.  This year marks the eighth year of its implementation.

The program will support practical projects in the areas of environmental education and environmental technology conducted by NPOs (excluding schools) and other non-profit private groups.  The program has two categories of grants: general grants, with no restriction on the implementation sites or on the grant amount per project, and small-scale grants, with a limit on the grant amount per project and with simpler application procedures (targeting activities in Japan).  In total, approximately 200 million Japanese yen is to be awarded in grants for 2007.

For application guidelines and an overview of 2006 recipients, please see the attached, "Toyota Environmental Activities Grant: Program Summary".

*1 From April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008.
*2 Global 500 Award (1987-2003): Presented by UNEP to recognize the outstanding achievements of individuals and organizations in protecting and improving the environment.  In recognition of its various achievements in environmental protection and improvement, such as being the world's first to mass-produce and sell hybrid vehicles, and for its various corporate philanthropic activities, TMC became, in 1999, the first Japanese corporation to receive the award.



Toyota Environmental Activities Grant: Program Summary

Grant Categories
Basic Theme: "Environmental Technology and Human Resource Development Contributing to Environmental Revitalization and Conservation"

1. General Grants
There is no restriction regarding project implementation site(s) and the limit of the grant amount per project.  This grant targets projects aimed at environmental education activities and experience-based learning, or creating/providing the opportunities for such activities, and projects aimed at the localization of experiment-based environmental technology at the community level.

2. Small-scale Grants
Projects should be implemented in Japan, with the maximum grant amount of two million Japanese yen (approx. 18,000 U.S. dollars) per project.  This grant targets practical, community-based grassroots activities aimed at protecting the local environment.

Grant Period
Up to three years for general grants, and up to two years for small-scale grants, beginning in December 2007.

Application Period
From Friday, April 27 to Friday, June 8, 2007. Applications must arrive by June 8, 2007.

Notification of Decision
The Selection Committee, consisting of seven experts from Japan and overseas, will review the applications and select grantees.  Applicants will be notified in writing by mid-October 2007.

Contact Information
Inquiries on application procedures and further details about the program should be addressed to:

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

Detailed information is available online at:
http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/environment/ecogrant/(English)
http://www.toyota.co.jp/jp/environment/ecogrant/(Japanese)
Selection Committee Members    (as of 2007/04/27)
Name Title/Organization
Dr. Keiko Nakamura (Chair) Director General, JT Biohistory Research Hall (Japan)
Dr. Motoyuki Suzuki Professor, University of the Air (Japan)
Dr. Eiji Hosoda Professor, Faculty of Economics, Keio University (Japan)
Dr. Ashok Khosla President, Development Alternatives (India)
Dr. Peterson Myers CEO, Environmental Health Sciences and Board Chair, National Environmental Trust (U.S.A.)
Dr. Göran A. Persson Chairman, Euro-CASE Platform on-Energy and Environment (Sweden)
Mr. Yasumori Ihara Managing Officer, Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan)
Previous Grantees and Projects
1. Grant Project Statistics by Year and Region
2. General Grant Recipients for FY2006
Category Project Title Organization (Country) Implementation Sites
General Grants Ground Water Recharge and Water & Soil Conservation Technology for Poor Farmers in Rajasthan Humana People to People India (India) India
Clean Water for Rural Communities in West Kalimantan Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia Kalimantan Barat (Indonesia) Indonesia
The Maya Nut Program; Finding Balance between People, Food and Forests The Equilibrium Fund (U.S.A.) Honduras
Conservation and Sustainable Management of the Fishing Resource in Lake Izabal and Bocas del Polochic Wildlife Refuge, Guatemala Fundacion Defensores de la Naturaleza (Guatemala) Guatemala
The Power of Participation: Bringing Environmentally-Friendly Electricity to Remote River Basins in the Peruvian Amazon MEDA (Mennonite Economic Development Associates) (Peru) Peru
Environmental Education and Economic Empowerment For Today's Youths: A Strategy for Sustaining Our Tomorrow CENCOMDEV - Centre for Community Development (Nigeria) Nigeria
Integrated Strategies and Communities to Protect and Restore Water Quality of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal Development Centre Nepal (DC Nepal) (Nepal) Nepal
Sustainable Waste Management through Environmental Education for Manure Recovery and Natural Resource Management through Self Help Groups and Student Communities Non-conventional Energy and Rural Development (NERD) Society (India) India
Dissemination of Environmental Information and Its Utilization in Environmental Conservation in Mongolia Mongol Eco Forum - Mongolia (Mongolia) Mongolia
Sustainable Rural development in Tibet Global Environmental Institute (China) China
Community Based Environmental Restoration and Conservation Project in Critically Damaged Areas of Puerto Princesa, Palawan Palawan Conservation Corps (Philippines) Philippines
Wild Silk and Honey Bee Farming for Income Generation and Biodiversity Conservation through Value Chain Approach International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) (Kenya) Kenya
Sustainable Management and Conservation of Drylands Natural Resources and Watersheds (Surface Water) in the Western Coastal Desert of Egypt Environment and Human Development Association (EHDA) (Egypt) Egypt
Small-scale Grants Eco-Green Tourism to Vitalize People and the Area Ikoma Rice Terrace Club Japan
Project to Support Environmental Education in the Downstream Area of Tama River NPO Community and Partnership Support Center (Japan)
Maintenance of a Permanent Nesting Place for Little Terns and a Survey on Little Terns' Nesting Environments Little Tern Project
Matagi Nature School NPO Institute for Environmental Planning and Exchange between Rural and Urban Areas
Practice of Outdoor Nursing NPO Kodomo-no Hiroba Mominoki ("fir tree" forum for children)
Development of a Children's Program "Physical Checkup of Forests" Forestry Volunteer Committee Along the Yahagi River
Restoration of Amamo (zostera) Beds and Network of Mountains, Rivers, Villages, Lakes and the Sea Amamo Supporters
"Satoyama (natural woodlands near local populated area)" Volunteer Leader Training Project Sanson Jyuku
Misayamagoudo "Iyashinosato (Healing Village)" Project Step Up Seminar
Environmental Internship Project NPO Technical Research Institute of the Forest & Waterside
Education to Develop People with Environmental Consciousness - Social Knowledge/Blessing of Time - Science School S&I Japan
Urayatsu Restoration Project Urayatsu Restoration Committee