K-C, WWF Launch Global Commitment to Responsible Forestry
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Kimberly-Clark, Dallas, Texas, USA, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Washington, D.C., this week announced the expansion of K-C's membership in the Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN), a WWF initiative to eliminate illegal logging and conserve the world's most valuable and threatened forests. K-C will now include its worldwide operations in the initiative, building on its existing GFTN membership in select countries. The participation scope now includes all wood fibers sourced for all of the company's products sold globally in the Personal Care, Consumer Tissue, and Kimberly-Clark Professional businesses.
As part of its participation in GFTN, WWF and K-C will collaborate to realize K-C's commitment to have 100% of its virgin wood fiber sourced from certified suppliers by 2015. This commitment includes a preference for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, which best meets WWF key requirements for protecting environmental, social, and economic values essential to maintaining priority forests.
By the end of 2011, K-C has committed to achieving a combined FSC/recycled content target of 50% for all of its products covered within the GFTN participation. Together WWF and K-C will train and educate staff and suppliers on responsible fiber sourcing, encourage certification of small, non-industrial private landowners, pursue FSC Chain-of-Custody certification for all K-C facilities, and promote FSC-labeled products in key markets.
"Deforestation and forest degradation contribute up to 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the leading contributor to climate change, and decimate critical habitat for several species, notably primates, tigers, and elephants," said Kerry Cesareo, WWF's managing director of Forests. "WWF's Living Planet Report estimates that more than one billion people living in poverty rely directly on forests for their livelihoods, while about 32 million acres have been lost globally each year between 2000 and 2010, an area that is equal in size to the state of Mississippi."
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