TOKYO — In response to Toyota Motor Corporation’s announcement today of Kenta Kon as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective April 1, to succeed Koji Sato, Mariko Shiohata, Climate and Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace Japan, said:
“Toyota’s leadership change follows its impressive achievement of surpassing 11 million unit sales globally in 2025, setting a new record and solidifying its status as the world’s top-selling automaker for the sixth consecutive year. At Greenpeace East Asia, we expect this transition to accelerate Toyota’s electrification and sustainability efforts while enhancing its ability to navigate profit challenges amid escalating US tariffs.
While Mr. Sato has guided the company through significant industry transformation, Toyota’s current decarbonization efforts remain inadequate. Last year featured some progress in battery electric vehicles (BEVs)—a crucial part of Toyota’s multipathway strategy—with new EV models launched in China and the US, and the bZ4X becoming Japan’s top-selling EV. However, urgent action is needed to build on this momentum.
Toyota has made significant investments in software-defined vehicles and autonomous driving technology, demonstrating its financial capacity. Therefore, it must prioritize investing in decarbonization technologies. The current promotion of hydrogen and synthetic fuels as decarbonization solutions is premature, as these options will only become viable when renewable energy sources are abundant. Additionally, the biofuels championed by Toyota raise serious environmental concerns due to land-use changes. In this context, investing in BEVs represents the fastest and most technically viable route to decarbonization.
We urge the new CEO to pursue decarbonization with the same ambition shown in autonomous driving technology. Greenpeace will continue to call on Toyota to set bold greenhouse gas emission reduction targets aligned with the Paris Agreement and to implement effective strategies that meaningfully reduce its overall emissions.”
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Media Contact:
Yujie Xue, International Communications Officer, Greenpeace East Asia, +852 5127 3416, [email protected]
