This year's report, which follows environmental reporting guidelines set out by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, cites the development of MMC's 5-year Environmental Sustainability Plan, zero landfill waste practices at all production facilities in Japan, road testing of an experimental electric vehicle prototype, and Design for Environment (DfE) principles.

The report contains sufficient data to satisfy the needs of researchers and experts in the environmental field and is presented in a reader-friendly format, making it equally accessible to general consumers. MMC'S fiscal 2001 achievements are explained in detail, backed up by quantitative data, graphs, illustrations and photos. Two new additions to the report include economic highlights and reports on community involvement.

"Our goal is to produce exciting vehicles that meet the needs of the driving public. And in doing so, we're committed to reducing the environmental impact of our products at every stage of their lifecycle," said Tadayoshi Juge, MMC environmental officer. "We believe transparency is a key issue when it comes to environmental issues. Our environmental sustainability report is one way of providing our stakeholders and the general public with an insight into our recent environmetal initiatives." MMC's corporate website will also provide up-to-date information until next year's report is published.