An Open Letter to Kenta Kon, Toyota’s New CEO
2026 Open Letter to Kenta Kon, Toyota's New CEO
Dear Mr. Kenta Kon:
Congratulations on your appointment as CEO of Toyota Motor Corp.
You now have the opportunity to leave behind Toyota’s troubling environmental record and to address serious human rights and environmental issues in the company’s supply chain. You have a crucial choice to make.
You can choose to cling to the outdated technologies of the past, leading Toyota towards irrelevance as the industry accelerates rapidly towards electric vehicles. Or you can forge a new path, marshalling Toyota’s resources to become a leader in innovative, affordable electric vehicles with equitable, sustainable supply chains.
On behalf of the 36 organizations in over 15 countries, we urge you to use your new platform as CEO to:
- Rapidly accelerate efforts to phase out internal combustion engines globally, providing
affordable and accessible electric vehicles in all countries where Toyotas are sold, not just in a select few;
- Stop lobbying, political spending, and litigation that delay progress on mitigating climate change;
- Create sustainable, equitable, fossil-free supply chains that protect the rights of workers and communities up and down Toyota’s supply chain.
Act boldly on climate change – from day one.
Move quickly to take Toyota from laggard to leader.
Forge your own legacy.
We look forward to hearing from you and meeting to discuss your vision.
Sincerely,
| Public Citizen | United States |
| Federal Association for Sustainable Mobility Austria | Austria |
| 350 Tacoma | United States |
| ABRAVEI | Brazil |
| ACOMOVES | Colombia |
| Adfree Cities | UK |
| Asociación Costarricense de Movilidad Eléctrica | Costa Rica |
| Asociación de Vehículos Eléctricos de Chile – AVEC | Chile |
| Asociación Nacional de Vehículos Eléctricos y Sustentables A.C. (ANVES) | Mexico |
| Asociacion Paraguaya de Vehiculos Electricos | Paraguay |
| ASOMOEDO | Dominican Republic |
| ASOMOVES | El Salvador |
| Center for Biological Diversity | United States |
| Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice (CCAEJ) | United States |
| CERAH | Indonesia |
| Earthworks | Global |
| Ekō | Global |
| Enter Nusantara | Indonesia |
| Environmental Working Group (EWG) | United States |
| GreenLatinos | United States |
| Industrious Labs | United States |
| Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities | Philippines |
| Institute for National and Democracy Studies (INDIES) | Indonesia |
| Labor Network for Sustainability | United States |
| League of Conservation Voters (LCV) | United States |
| Mighty Earth | Global |
| Movilizatorio | Colombia and Mexico |
| New Weather Institute | United Kingdom |
| Project Green Home | United States |
| Rainforest Foundation Norway | Norway and Global |
| SanDiego350 | United States |
| Satya Bumi | Indonesia |
| Sierra Club | United States |
| STAND.earth | United States, Canada |
| SteelWatch | International |
| The YEARS Project | United States |