- A new Interbrand study says Toyota is "a leading example of making the environment a core management priority, while also engaging in a meaningful way with audiences around the world."
- Global brands 3M and Siemens finished 2nd and 3rd.
- Results of the Best Global Green Brands survey were published this week.
LONDON — A new study by Interbrand has acclaimed Toyota as the world's greenest brand, ahead of multinational industrial giants 3M and Siemens.
Results of the first-ever Best Global Green Brands survey were published this week by the international brand consultancy, which just last September said Toyota's massive recalls had caused it to drop from 8th to 11th place in Interbrand's better known Best Global Brands study. At the time, Interbrand said Toyota had lost 16 percent of its brand value.
Earlier this year, a different survey, the annual BrandZ Top 100 study released in May by media giant WPP's research subsidiary Millward Brown, said Toyota had overtaken BMW as the world's top automotive brand. That study valued the Toyota brand at $24.1 billion and said, "Toyota has successfully proven that having a brand that consumers trust and are loyal to can help companies survive crises."
Interbrand's new Best Global Green Brands survey, in contrast, was designed to measure environmental performance, based on public records, coupled with public perception of a brand's environmental sustainability.
Based in part on interviews with more than 10,000 consumers in such global markets as the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Brazil and India, the study gave Toyota a Green Performance Score of 64.19 points.
Citing the automaker's pioneering development and commercialization of hybrid vehicles, spearheaded by the Prius Interbrand singled out Toyota as "a leading example of making the environment a core management priority, while also engaging in a meaningful way with audiences around the world."
Interbrand added that "the strongest green brands consistently differentiate themselves and engage in green activities that consumers find relevant, as well as implement profitable green practices across their organization, from setting and executing environmental programs to effectively measuring and reporting their performance to the public."
Inside Line says: Despite wrestling with a plethora of daunting issues, ranging from Japan's earthquake and tsunami to the global recall of millions of vehicles, the Toyota brand continues to show remarkable resilience.
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autojunkie2 says:
06:14 AM, 08/01/2011
Perception is everything I guess...
- Toyota still opposes the upcoming changes in CAFE, whilst the US automoakers are embracing it.
- Toyota has had the single largest decline in CAFE, over the last 10 years, over any other automaker.
- Toyota is the largest purchaser, in the auto industry, of rare earth materials (let's not get into the effects of mining)
- Toyota, in a bid to become the world's largest automaker, created more pollution from mining, shipping, manufacturing, etc. than any other car maker on this earth.
Again... Perception is everything...
smallfield says:
09:40 AM, 07/30/2011
"ah yes, the procurement of lithium batteries is a definitely a very "green" activity. I hear that >95% of the world's rare earths are sourced from China and the pollution and contamination of air and water is far from green. More than 20 pounds of these rare earths/lithium go into each hybrid/EV so call me a cynic, but the term "hybrid" should not be synonymous with "green" imo"
Toyota still uses NiMH for the Prius - NOT lithium. They vow to change, maybe 2012? The base products come from Canada and are shipped to China. Most argue the mining in Canada is the most environmentally damaging point. When Toyota upgrades to Lithium it'll probably be cleaner to procure and process than NiMH batteries. Furthermore, the decreased mass will make them more energy saving.
alex38 says:
12:26 AM, 07/30/2011
ah yes, the procurement of lithium batteries is a definitely a very "green" activity. I hear that >95% of the world's rare earths are sourced from China and the pollution and contamination of air and water is far from green. More than 20 pounds of these rare earths/lithium go into each hybrid/EV so call me a cynic, but the term "hybrid" should not be synonymous with "green" imo
isend2c says:
12:26 PM, 07/29/2011
Of course they are. They make the PRIUS. OMG PRIUS! I luv my priuz. It's like, the most bestest thing evar. like, it's totally helping the world, definitely not wasting so many resourcez to make it!
awhen says:
09:33 AM, 07/29/2011
Here we go again with that "green" term. Toyota does deserve this award though, seeing that Toyota was arguably the brand that sparked hybrids.
j84ustin says:
08:19 AM, 07/29/2011
Laughable. Buying a new car is never a green option, and I find it difficult to believe a car company can be the "greenest."