Toyota is attempting to push the emissions debate towards embracing local air pollution rather than solely looking at CO2 emissions.
The company’s new fleet boss Neil Broad told BusinessCar that the Japanese company is keen to “do the right thing”, even though there are currently no taxation advantages attached to improving emissions such as NOx and particulates.
“There’s a key difference between doing the right thing, and the thing that is just right for you,” he said.
“If you’re going to have an environmental stance then you have to do the right thing.”
The move to diesel engines in recent years has brought increases in local air pollution, but petrol-electric hybrids, something Toyota is a market leader in, emit less of the pollution that causes issues such as respiratory problems, rather than the wider climate change implications of CO2 emissions.
“We’re increasingly seeing corporate social responsibility on tender documents including CO2 limits, and we would like to push onto NOx and particulates as well,” continued Broad.
“The industry at the moment has got its head round one measurement and I’m not suggesting the tax regime will turn round overnight but this is important for UK, European and global air quality and it’s our responsibility as a manufacturer to put less out there.”
Broad said forthcoming Euro6 and Euro7 emissions standards will help improve air quality by making manufacturers control the amount of harmful gases their vehicles emit, but Broad said: “Not producing it in the first place is better than trapping or hoovering up what comes out.”
