Parents and kids ask world’s biggest carmaker to change course

–Parents’ video has 136,000 views on Facebook 

–The world’s biggest and highest-emissions carmaker, Toyota, has its annual shareholders meeting today (Wednesday June 14th).

–Toyota says it is planning to increase sales of fossil-fuel burning combustion engine vehicles to a new record high of over 11 million this financial year.

–Climate-concerned parents and kids have different ideas of what needs to happen to secure a better future for all families. 

London, June 14th, 2023: In response to an open-ended question of how would you like your city to be in the future, parents and their children submitted video clips from countries around the world, including many of Toyota’s top markets by sales.

The highlights of seven speakers from six countries have been combined into a video message to Toyota and its investors that already has 136,000 views and counting.

Instead of ever-rising car sales, rising CO2 emissions, and worsening air pollution with its associated public health crisis, parents and kids imagined safe futures. Futures in which walking, cycling and public transport were prioritised, traffic jams were a thing of the past, petrol engines were no more, and diverse e-mobility solutions were accessible for all.

Over 90 percent of children worldwide are breathing dirty air because of the burning of fossil fuels, with combustion engine vehicles a key contributor to these emissions. Our Kids’ Climate – a global network of parents who helped bring together the voices in the video – is calling for a rapid transition to clean renewable energy for the sake of children’s health and futures.

Toyota is lobbying against climate action worldwide, and ranked the 3rd worst climate lobbyist in the world in 2021 by InfluenceMap – behind only Exxon and Chevron.

At 379.9 million tons of CO2 in 2021, Toyota is one of the world’s highest emitters, emitting more than a large industrial economy like France.

QUOTES

Bhavreen Kandhari from Warrior Moms in India said:

“Children have a right to clean air, a healthy environment and a safe planet. In Delhi, our air is polluted because of the burning of fossil fuels. Every child is a smoker as soon as they’re born. We need Toyota to stop putting the brakes on the transition to clean energy. All children everywhere need to breathe clean air. ”

Ruth Fitzharris from Mums for Lungs said:

“Pollution from car exhaust pipes is highly toxic – and children face some of the worst health impacts. By continuing to put millions of dirty cars on our streets, and by lobbying against climate action, Toyota is fuelling the climate crisis and endangering the health, well-being and future of our children. We need urgent action to reclaim our cities from being engulfed by air pollution, and Toyota needs to start playing a positive role in driving change.”

Leanne Brummell from Australian Parents for Climate Action said:

“Children need to play and grow in a healthy environment. Fossil fuels are making our kids sick and stealing their futures. It is devastating to know that Toyota has been lobbying against progressive climate action worldwide. Our kids deserve so much better. Those with the power to drive forward the transition to a climate-resilient future need to do all they can.”

Participating speakers/groups: 

Australian Parents for Climate Action (Australia)

Rodzice dla Klimatu – Parents For Future Poland

Mums for Lungs (UK)

XR Families (UK)

The Parents’ Climate Community (Austin, TX, USA)

Warrior Moms (India)

Parents for Future Kenya

About Our Kids Climate: 

We are a network of parent groups from across the world who are uniting for climate action to protect the kids we love from the climate crisis. Currently we are supporting parent leaders and groups in 39 countries. We believe all children today and tomorrow should inherit a healthy planet and just world, rooted in renewable energy and built through intergenerational solidarity.  

Our Kids Climate has been active in calling for fossil fuel phase down and a transition to clean, renewable energy for the sake of children’s health and futures.  The network made this call at COP27 and COP26, calling on world leader’s to put children first. 

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