Nov. 07, 2005

Toyota Announces Winners of FY2005 Environmental Activities Grant Program

 

Tokyo ― TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today the 25 winners of the FY2005 Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program, which will each receive a total of 170 million yen.  In the six years between FY2000 and FY2005, the cumulative total of grants given by the Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program has amounted to approximately 1.08 billion yen, supporting 89 projects in 33 countries.

The Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program was launched in commemoration of TMC's receipt of the Global 500 Award*, in 1999, from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).  Since then, the program has been supporting practical projects concerning environmental education and environmentally sound technology implemented by non-profit/non-governmental organizations and groups.  This year, a new grant category, "small-scale grants", was established, in addition to the original category of "general grants".  With simpler application forms and procedures, the small-scale grant category allows TMC to support a number of smaller organizations and groups, thereby promoting public outreach and supporting community-based grassroots activities.  During the application period between May and July 2005, 556 applications were received, with 418 coming in under the general grants category (a two-fold gain from 196 in FY2004), and 138 coming in under the small-scale grants category.

The program's selection committee, consisting of a group of experts from Japan and elsewhere around the world and chaired by Dr. Keiko Nakamura, director general of the JT Biohistory Research Hall, deliberated intensely while selecting the 2005 grantees.  The entries were judged on criteria such as: appropriateness of the projects; continuity and future development; clear demonstration of the necessity of funding; and the level of collaboration with local communities.  The grant program will support the chosen projects for up to three years for "general grants", and up to one year for "small-scale grants".

*An award program (1987 to 2003) established by the UNEP to recognize individuals or organizations that contribute to greater environmental protection or improvement in terms of sustainable development.  TMC received the award for being the world's first to development and mass produce hybrid vehicles.
1. Grant Project Statistics by Year and Region
Project
Implementation
Sites		 Total
sum		 FY2005 FY2004 FY2003 FY2002 FY2001 FY2000
Sub total Field Sub total Field Sub total Field Sub total Field Sub total Field Sub total Field
General Small-scale Tech Edu. Tech Edu. Tech Edu. Tech Edu. Tech Edu.
Japan 24 13 - 13 1 1 - 1 1 - 3 - 3 3 - 3 3 - 3
The Americas 10 1 1 - 1 - 1 2 1 1 1 1 - 4 1 3 1 - 1
Asia 39 8 8 - 10 5 5 3 1 2 9 2 7 5 3 2 4 3 1
Europe 7 2 2 - 0 - - 2 - 2 1 - 1 1 - 1 1 - 1
Africa 7 1 1 - 4 - 4 2 - 2 0 - - 0 - - 0 - -
Others 2 0 - - 0 - - 0 - - 1 - 1 1 1 - 0 - -
Total 89 25 12 13 16 6 10 10 3 7 15 3 12 14 5 9 9 3 6
2. FY2005 Awardees of the Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program
Category Project Title Organization (Country) Implementation Sites
General Grants Asia ESD Promotion Projects―Establishing a website for the exchange of information on exemplary ESD promotion projects and the development of a handbook for project implementation practices Japan Council on the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD-J) (Japan) Japan,
Asian region
Environment Conservation and Cooperation with Residents in the Surrounding Areas of the Nature Reserves Nihon Aye―Aye Fund (Japan) Madagascar
Sustainable Energy from Rural Landscape in the White Carpathians (Czech Republic) Veronica―Czech Union of Nature Conservationists (Czech Republic) Czech Republic
Agriculture and Housing in An Environmentally Friendly Design of Settlement ArTUR―Architecture for Sustainable Development (Slovak Republic) Slovak Republic
Promoting Environmental Education through the Ethical Value of Conservation Care-Centre for Environment and Rural Poor (C-CERP) (India) India
Establishing the Fisherfolk School towards Community Based Coastal Resource Management in the Tañon Straits, Philippines Tambuyog Development Center, Inc. (Philippines) Philippines
Environmental Orientation to School Education and Development of Community Based Environmental Technologies Voluntary Health Association of Tripura (VHAT) (India) India
Sustainable Environment through People's Participation Socio-Economic Development Programme (India) India
Arab-Jewish Partnership in Shared Environmental Problems Masar Institute for Education (Israel) Israel
Building Local Capacities for Community Based Watershed Management in Apolobamba Protected Area, Bolivia SAVIA (Bolivia) Bolivia
Sustainable Environmental Action through Participatory Learning in Chilika Lagoon, Orissa, India PALLISHREE (India) India
Sustaining Community Livelihood through Management of Water Logged Land, Biodiversity Conservation and Community Capacity Building Society for Women Action Development (SWAD) (India) India
Small-scale Grants Pumpkin Heaven―Yamamba Farm Yamambano Kai Japan
Learning about the Tideland Environment at the Mouth of the Tama River and Developing Human Resources NPO Regional Partnership Support Center
Satoumi Meguri no Rakko NPO Banzu Satouminokai
Environmental Award for A Person Working Closely with the Community NPO ECOPLUS
Development of A Sense of Home for Children by Hunting Treasures of Minami Daito Shima Marugotokan
Kurukuru Eco Project NPO Chiikizukuri Kobo
Development of A Teacher Training Program for Environmental Education Japan Nature Game Association
Environmental Education Project for Asiatic Black Bears Inhabiting the Foothills of Hakusan Environmental Education Project Committee for Asiatic Black Bears Inhabiting the Foothills of Hakusan
Natural Environment Rehabilitation Project in An Urban Area Oyajino Kai
"Kyozon no Mori" Network "Kyozon no Mori" Network
Improved Habitat for the Japanese Crested Ibis in Sado NPO Japanese Crested Ibis Island
Seminar for Leaders to Establish "Umi no Terakoya" NPO Amakusa Sea Fort
Development of Teaching Materials for Environmental Education to Establish A Society that Can Learn from River Activities River Activities Council
3. Selection Committee Members
Dr. Keiko Nakamura (Chair) Director General, JT Biohistory Research Hall (Japan)
Dr. Motoyuki Suzuki Professor, University of the Air (Japan)
Dr. Eiji Hosoda Dean, 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, Energy and Environmental Committee, Royal Academy of Engineering (Sweden)
Mr. Yoshio Shirai Senior Managing Director, Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan)

Further information on the grant program can be obtained from:

Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program Secretariat
Phone: +81-3-3272-1925 (Mon-Fri: 09:30-17:30, Japan Standard Time)
Fax: +81-3-3272-1926