The independently assured report has been prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards: Core option and references the six goals outlined in the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 and the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Covering the year to 31 March 2018, the Palmerston North based company had record sales of 32,282 new vehicles in 2017, which also marked its 30th year of market leadership, after first setting up business here in 1966.

Toyota New Zealand returned a profit of $21.9 million after tax from a revenue of $1.4 billion.

All of Toyota New Zealand's sites meet the Certified Emissions Measurement and Reduction Scheme (CEMARS) carbon certification to ISO 14064-1:2006 says the report.

Two thirds of the 64 Toyota dealers have reached the top Diamond Enviro-Mark (Environmental Management) standard and the rest on Gold standard, are expected to meet the more rigorous Diamond compliance by the end of this year.

Toyota New Zealand has set itself a goal of reducing the emissions of the new vehicles it sells from the current average of 184g of CO2 per kilometre to an average of 152 g/km per vehicle by 2030. Globally, Toyota is targeting a 90% reduction of vehicle emissions by 2050.

The company expects to offer an 'electrified' option for every vehicle model it sells by around 2025.

Hybrid vehicles make up five per cent of Toyota New Zealand's sales now, but the report forecasts this to rise to 30 per cent by 2030. By the end of the reporting period it had 39 PHEV charging points at dealers and its own sites, and expects to have another 23 available by the end of 2018.

While 99 per cent of a modern vehicle can be recycled, the lack of bespoke recycling infrastructure means this does not occur in New Zealand, an ongoing problem for the whole industry, says the report.

Toyota New Zealand has recycled nearly 400 of the complex end of life electric hybrid batteries. This number is expected to rise as more vehicles with this technology reach the end of their useable life.

On the safety front, Toyota New Zealand and its dealers have replaced 67,000 faulty Takata airbags of the 141,000 Toyota owners it has managed to contact.

The Report is structured according to Toyota's new sustainability framework. Each section presents the context, key areas of impact, progress and objectives to improve its environmental and social performance.

While not implemented within the reporting period, the report includes an explanation of the new business model for the sale of new vehicles introduced in April this year.

Additionally, more focus has been placed in this year's report on Vehicle Life Cycle, and the ambitious global goals Toyota has set to reduce the impact of Toyota vehicles through design, manufacture, distribution and use.

For more information Toyota New Zealand's 2018 Sustainability report can be found here:

https://www.toyota.co.nz/sdr