Tokyo - TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today the opening of the 21st Century Greater Beijing Afforestation Center in Fengning Man Autonomous County, Hebei Province, China.

The center, set up jointly by the China-Japan Scientific Technology & Economic Exchange Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Hebei Province Forestry Bureau, the Tokyo-based NPO Green Earth Center and TMC, has been established to solidify afforestation activities in the region, to be functional in creating a system able to spread these activities to other regions, to assist in the cultivation of experts in afforestation and to disseminate information on combating desertification.

With a completed panel display room, seminar rooms and other facilities, the center will function as a base for conducting research and surveys, helping to deepen the specialist knowledge of afforestation experts and researchers.  It will also accept afforestation volunteers and serve as a forum for students and the general public to receive environmental education on afforestation programs.

Representatives from the parties involved attended an opening ceremony today at which volunteers from TMC and Toyota's affiliates in China carried out a tree-planting event.

The center forms part of the third-term joint activities laid out under the 21st Century Greater Beijing Reforestation Model.  The model, a Sino-Japanese afforestation initiative that has been underway since April 2001, is an effort to prevent the expansion of desertification that is encroaching upon Beijing and other areas around the Chinese capital.  TMC is supporting these joint initiatives through such ways as the provision of 450 million yen, including the cost of building the afforestation center.

Toyota is committed to carrying out social contribution activities throughout the world, with a focus on environmental protection, human-resource development and traffic safety.  In China, in addition to implementing afforestation programs to combat desertification, TMC has also created the Toyota Environmental Protection Aid Program for China's Youth, providing support for local environmental protection activities.  Meanwhile, to promote human-resource development, TMC established the Toyota Study Assistance Fund and a research center in collaboration with the School of Public Policy & Management at Tsinghua University.  In the area of traffic safety, TMC is conducting safe-driving events for the general public in collaboration with the Chinese Ministry of Public Security.  Through such social contribution activities, Toyota aims to be a good corporate citizen and plans to continue actively contributing to Chinese society.

Courtesy: Toyota Motor Corporation, Japan

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Posted by Jigar Gondalia on 31 May, 2008 11:55:02 AM IST #