Akio Toyoda, grandson of Toyota founder, wins shareholders’ approval to stay in leadership

TOKYO — Toyota shareholders voted Tuesday in support of all the company’s proposals, including keeping Akio Toyoda, grandson of the Japanese automaker’s founder, as chairman on the board. “The group considers climate change measures to be one of its important management tasks and is fully concentrated on realizing carbon neutrality by 2050,” Toyota said in explaining its recommendation on the shareholders’ vote. The improper checks on vehicles, including collision tests, started surfacing last year and were found at Toyota group companies Daihatsu Motor Co., which makes small models, truckmaker Hino Motors and Toyota Industries, a manufacturer of forklifts and other machinery. The violations were also at Japanese automakers that aren’t part of the Toyota group, such as Honda Motor Co., Mazda Motor Corp. and Suzuki Motor Corp. “The issues we are facing today, including carbon neutrality, are challenges that everyone on earth needs to join forces in mind and spirit to tackle together,” Toyoda said ahead of the meeting.