Kimberly-Clark Reports Progress to Sustainability 2022 Goals

Kimberly-Clark Corp., Dallas., Texas, USA, this week reported progress toward achieving its Sustainability 2022 strategy to create social, environmental, and business value.

"We continue to make strides in our efforts to create positive social and environmental change," said Thomas J. Falk, Kimberly-Clark's chairman and CEO. "That's why we are committed to an ambitious set of sustainability goals that will have a lasting impact on the people we serve around the world and the communities we touch."

Kimberly-Clark's 2017 Global Sustainability Report outlines the company's strategies and results in greater detail, and is organized and presented in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Standards, Core level. Key outcomes include:

• Social Impact – In the first two years, the lives of 4.3 million people in need worldwide have benefited through programs that increase access to sanitation, help children thrive, and empower women and girls. 
• Forests & Fiber – Sourced 89% of the fiber used in tissue products from environmentally preferred sources, including FSC® certified virgin fiber and recycled fiber. 
• Waste & Recycling – Further increased the amount of waste diverted from landfills (includes both manufacturing and non-manufacturing facilities) to 95%. 
• Energy & Climate – Lowered our absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 18% (from 2005 baseline) through improved energy efficiency and increased use of alternative energy sources. 
• Supply Chain – Invested in watershed analyses, as well as water treatment and recycling technologies, to further reduce our water consumption in water stressed areas.

In addition, Kimberly-Clark also announced expanded programming in several key areas.

 

The company began measuring and reporting on Scope 3 GHG emissions – the indirect emissions that occur both upstream and downstream in the value chain – and will establish reduction targets later this year. The company worked with the World Resources Institute and World Wildlife Fund to identify the company's primary sources of Scope 3 emissions.

This work comes on the heels of a major commitment in 2017 to annually purchase approximately 1,000,000 megawatt hours of renewable wind energy, equivalent to about one-third of the electricity needs of Kimberly-Clark's North American manufacturing operations. 

"While our work in 2017 has put us ahead of schedule on our GHG emissions goals, we see continued opportunities to unlock business value from our Energy and Climate strategy," said Lisa Morden, Kimberly-Clark's VP of safety and sustainability. "The focus on Scope 3 emissions will help us work with our suppliers and customers to identify opportunities for greater efficiencies across our supply chain."

The company also plans to drive further gains toward its goal of diverting at least 150,000 metric tons of waste through programs that reduce waste through design, or divert it from low value disposal outlets to higher value, beneficial uses.

"Our challenge is to eliminate waste in our processes, products, and packaging, while also exceeding customers' expectations with safe and effective products that can be properly managed after use," added Morden. "By adopting a systems based approach with key partners, we can play a role in enabling the circular economy, one which is restorative and creates value."

Earlier this year, Kimberly-Clark joined the Closed Loop Ocean initiative to help prevent plastic leaking into the world's oceans, and it will continue to promote critical labelling programs like the On-Pack Recycling Label (U.K.), How2Recycle™ (U.S.), 'Love NZ' Soft Plastic Recycling (New Zealand), and REDCycle (Australia) to provide simple, consistent recycling or disposal instructions for consumers. Further, K-C Professional's RightCycle Program has reclaimed and recycled more than 600 metric tons of non-hazardous lab, cleanroom, and industrial waste including apparel, gloves, and safety eyewear since 2013.

"I am proud of our dedicated employees around the world – and our many partners, suppliers, and customers – who are part of achieving these goals," added Morden. "Through sustainable practices that support a healthy planet, we can build stronger communities and ensure our business thrives for decades to come."

Learn more about K-C’s Sustainability 2022 strategy, and read stories from its employees and teams around the world.