Brussels, Belgium — Lower vehicle production and sales volume helped cut greenhouse gas emissions in the operations of Toyota’s European arm by 17 percent in fiscal year 2008, the company said Tuesday.

But the emissions generated on a per-vehicle basis, as well as the amount of water and energy used in each unit’s manufacture, rose for the same reason: Efficiency declined as its production volumes dropped.

Toyota Motors Europe, however, had other reasons to celebrate in its latest Social Responsibility report released Tuesday: Its European manufacturing companies achieved zero-waste, 14 facilities run on 100 percent renewable energy, and the company reduced volatile organic compound levels in its vehicle assembly facilities by 5 percent. Meanwhile, it moved ahead on an internal goal of trimming the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions produced by its fleet. A voluntary agreement with the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association calls for the company to reduce its CO2 emissions to 140 grams/kilometer by 2009; it reduced its fleet carbon dioxide average to 145.3 g/km in 2008.

This meshes with the European Commission’s strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from passenger vehicles. The rules call for automakers to achieve a fleet-wide average of 130 g/km by 2015, with a phased-in approach that requires 65 percent of fleets to be compliant in 2012, 75 percent in 2013, 80 percent in 2014, and all by 2015. The EU has a long-term target of reducing fleet emissions to 95 g/km by 2020.

The company is confident it will meet its 2009 goal since about 60 percent of its European sales by the end of 2009 are forecast to emit fewer than 140 g/km. The company highlighted three vehicles in its Social Responsibility Report that will help it reach this goal: The iQ, a three-seater equipped with an Eco-Driving Indicator that tells the driver if it is being operated in the most environmentally friendly manner; the Prius, the top-selling hybrid vehicle on the market that has boosted public perception of Toyota as being a green company; and the Avensis, a European model that produces 9 percent fewer emissions when compared to its previous iteration.