Raising the Bar on Sustainability

Kimberly-Clark Unveils Sustainability 2015 Goals That Engages Company's Global Businesses and Brands

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Jun 07, 2011, 07:00 ET

WASHINGTON, June 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Kimberly-Clark announced today its Sustainability 2015 goals, and the company's most ambitious and comprehensive sustainability strategy to date. Sustainability 2015 engages Kimberly-Clark's global businesses, brands and employees and is built on a framework of People, Planet and Products. The announcement was made from the Corporate EcoForum (CEF) annual meeting in Washington, D.C., an invitation-only membership organization for Fortune 500 companies that demonstrate a serious commitment to sustainability as a strategic business issue.

K-C first set environmental improvement goals with a five-year time horizon in 1994 (VISION 2000 program), and the company has been raising the bar on environmental goals every five years. These programs were primarily focused on environmental performance at K-C's operations. The framework of People, Planet and Products now expands that focus and integrates elements that will sustain and build healthy working environments; develop programs to address broader global commitments such as the United Nations Millennium Development goals; innovate products and business models to reach new consumers globally; focus our social programs on global issues and in K-C communities; and implement programs to reduce our environmental footprint (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions, water and waste).

"Kimberly-Clark's Sustainability 2015 is a holistic way of weaving sustainable business practice and mind set into everything we do as an integral component of our Global Business Plan," said Suhas Apte, Vice President, Global Sustainability. "Sustainability 2015 allows opportunities for all global employees and businesses within the company to take an active role to achieve Kimberly-Clark's vision of leading the world in essentials for a better life. "

Sustainability 2015 includes clear metrics under each pillar that the company will measure and track progress. These include:

PEOPLE:

Zero workplace fatalities
Socially focused programs in all K-C communities
100% compliance to K-C social standards for contract manufacturers and top-tier suppliers

PLANET:

25% reduction in water use and maintain quality of discharge
100% certified fiber
5% absolute reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
Zero manufacturing waste to landfill

PRODUCTS:

250 million new consumers touched
25% of 2015 net sales from environmentally innovative products
20% reduction in packaging environmental impact

"In addition to the Sustainability 2015 goals, Kimberly-Clark is establishing global focus areas to ensure long-term success and access to essential resources for our businesses and our communities around the world for generations to come," Apte said.

Examples of existing K-C programs consistent with these focus areas include the Huggies brand Every Little Bottom program that donates disposable diapers to diaper and food banks in North America, and Kimberly-Clark Professional's Reduce Today, Respect Tomorrow program that adopts a holistic product lifecycle approach by focusing on reducing consumption in addition to using recycled production materials.

"We believe our Sustainability 2015 goals and focus areas will continue to be a point of differentiation for Kimberly-Clark and help deliver tangible value in social, environmental and financial benefits for our businesses and our planet," Apte said.

About Kimberly-Clark

Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people - nearly a quarter of the world's population - trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the company's 139-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com.

SOURCE Kimberly-Clark