Greenpeace has slammed Toyota’s Australian arm in its submission to the government’s greenwashing inquiry.
The climate charity said that it believes the automaker engages in a wide range of deceptive greenwashing practices as it “vastly” overstates the sustainability of its cars and its commitment to clean transport.
In particular, Greenpeace said that Toyota’s net zero carbon plans could be misleading and contradict the company’s actions, given that it intends to continue producing cars.
It also said that Toyota has “actively lobbied to halt, weaken or delay emissions standards around the world. ”
What’s more, Greenpeace said that while Toyota touts its Hybrid Prius models and hydrogen-powered Mirai models as eco-friendly, they are far from green. The Prius relies on petrol and the Mirai’s hydrogen comes from non-green sources, making claims of sustainability moot.
A Toyota spokesperson told B&T:
“Toyota Australia has a long track record in helping customers reduce their vehicle CO2 tailpipe emissions, including through the supply of over 340,000 hybrid-electric vehicles in Australia and global and local investment in reduced CO2 tailpipe emissions vehicles and carbon neutral technologies. We are committed to achieving a sustainable future and reject any claims to the contrary.”
The climate activist group also took aim at Woodside Energy. As with Toyota, Greenpeace said that the company overstates its commitment to addressing climate change given that it continues to build new gas fields.
What’s more, while Woodside had previously claimed that gas power was compatible with maintaining global heating to 1.5 degrees, Greenpeace said this claim was based on a superseded International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) AR6 report scenario from 2018.
When contacted for comment by B&T, Woodside Energy directed us to its climate report.
It said both companies should “be heavily regulated” and receive “substantial” fines for breaches of any regulation.
Finally, Greenpeace called for an overhaul of the Australian Carbon Credit Unit offset program. The charity said that they are purchased by businesses to make claims of “net zero,” “climate neutral” and “carbon neutral” where the businesses could not otherwise meet the claims made in their marketing.
It said the problem was becoming particularly acute in “sectors where there are existing technological solutions enabling rapid decarbonisation” such as the energy and fossil fuel sectors.
It said Ampol, for example, has “carbon neutral” petrol and diesel
certified by Climate Active. Greenpeace said it believes “Climate Active risks further eroding public confidence and trust in the overall offset market already beset with integrity problems.”
This isn’t the first time that Greenpeace has taken a potshot at Toyota. In March, the group filed a complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), claiming the automaker misled drivers in its marketing by giving a “false impression” that it is leading the charge to eco-friendly cars.
