Yamaha's green dream: Japanese giant aims for factories to be carbon neutral by 2035

The world’s second largest motorcycle manufacturer, Yamaha, has announced that its green goal to make its factories around the world carbon neutral it being accelerated by a full 15 years.

The Japanese giant announced a year ago in a programme called ‘Yamaha Motor Group Environmental Plan 2050’ that its target was to achieve carbon neutrality for its factories, including those overseas, by 2050.

But then in June 2022, Yamaha Motor’s global HQ in Iwata, Japan, announced that this plan was being accelerated to 2035.

To achieve the new goal, Yamaha says it will be stepping up initiatives to both minimise its energy consumption and also to use cleaner energy.

Some of the ideas already being considered to achieve these goals are: minimising energy use by better targeting requirements; meticulous equipment auto-shutdowns when not required; introducing minimised but highly productive equipment; switching to hydro-electric power wherever possible; installing more solar panels and targeting the use of carbon-free electricity globally by 2030.

“The projected result of these moves by 2035 is a 92% reduction in CO2 emissions (compared to 2010) from production operations at domestic and international Yamaha Motor factories,” it said, adding: “Furthermore, remaining CO2 emissions will be offset by internationally recognised methods to carry out the Company’s plan to achieve carbon neutrality at all its factories.”