Australia’s 2030 and 2050 targets, as pledged at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (Cop26), lean heavily on private sector ingenuity to reduce Australia’s carbon footprint. The good news is that some industries are already moving independently towards a more sustainable future.

Many of the real-world day-to-day impacts on individuals may be overwhelmingly positive – where they’re noticed at all. The cars we drive are a case in point.

“From Toyota’s perspective, we’re still engaging (with stakeholders) but not waiting for specific mandates to be introduced, we’re progressively introducing more low and zero emissions products that continue to meet the needs of our customers,” says Matt MacLeod, manager, future technologies and mobility, with Toyota Australia.

Toyota is committed to being part of the solution. The world’s biggest-selling auto brand has been investing heavily in greener technology since before the launch of the Prius into the Japanese market in 1997.

The company persevered with the first mass-produced hybrid electric car for four years, and about 75,000 global sales, before it started to make a profit on each Prius sold.

Across the world, Toyota customers choosing hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) over internal-combustion-only models in the years since have saved an estimated more than 120m tonnes of CO2.

Since 1995, investment in greener tech has been a key part of Toyota’s global Six Challenges blueprint to reach net zero by 2050. Stunning progress has been made, with widespread acceptance across the brand’s HEV and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ranges, and the announcement of a range of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), such as the marque’s forthcoming bZ4X, as well as hydrogen fuel cell models. Several examples of the second-generation Mirai, Toyota’s hydrogen-powered electric car, are already being driven on Australian roads by organisations such as the CSIRO, with more deliveries pending.

• Toyota provides a range of low- and zero-emission options to give buyers the widest range of choices – and get the most people into a more sustainable car of any type.

Globally, Toyota has also pledged to develop commercial trucks, including semitrailers, that run on fuel cell tech, and “completely eliminate all CO2 emissions throughout the entire vehicle life cycle” for all its cars.

Unlike some automakers, Toyota hasn’t flagged a move to BEV-only sales over the next decade. It prefers, MacLeod says, to provide a range of low- and zero-emission options to give buyers the widest range of choices – and get the most people into a more sustainable car of any type.

“The second-generation Mirai arrived in April 2021,” MacLeod says. “The bZ4X will be here in the near future. So regardless of what the targets are, Toyota’s got its own philosophy on our contribution, and on our impact on the environment.”

In a nutshell, MacLeod describes the transition to electrification on our roads as seamless: a gradual shift, wherein emissions fall, mileage leaps off the charts (a HEV Camry can conquer more than 1,000km* between top-ups), and choices open up.

Empowering industrial innovation to reduce Australia’s footprint means any transition – as a consumer – should be smooth, with individuals making the jump to cleaner power at their own discretion.

“From Toyota’s perspective, we’re not in a position of telling people what cars they’re going to drive, or what kind of powertrain they’re going to use – the market’s going to decide that,” MacLeod says.

“There’s now basically a minimal price difference between a full internal combustion engine and, say, a hybrid – and no difference in lifestyle, or in function – and the hybrid is essentially more cost-effective.”

As a result, customers are already gravitating towards greener cars. Last year, the lion’s share of all Corolla, Camry and RAV4s sold – some of Australia’s most popular cars – were electrified.

What’s the bottom line? Big business is already set to meet and beat Australia’s commitments – mandated or not.

Discover how Toyota is working towards a cleaner tomorrow, today.

_{*Distance is approximate and may vary depending on driving conditions and style, vehicle condition, load and options and accessories.}