Toyota has announced plans to reduce its worldwide carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent by 2010, using a mixture of advanced technologies and new working practices to effect change.

The fourth environmental action plan from the company focuses on four major issues: energy/global warming; recycling of resources; management of substances of concern; and atmospheric quality.

One of the goals includes a requirement that by 2006 cars launched in Europe and Japan will not use mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium or lead.