K-C Receives A+ GRI Rating for Sustainability Report

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Kimberly-Clark Corp., Dallas, Texas, USA, has received an A+ rating from Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) on its 2011 Corporate Sustainability Report, Full Circle, which highlights the company's progress towards its Sustainability 2015 goals. GRI is a non-profit organization promoting economic, environmental, and social sustainability by providing organizations with a comprehensive sustainability reporting framework used worldwide.

"Receiving the A+ GRI rating is a testament to the commitment that our leaders and our employees have to sustainability across our entire value chain involving every function, brand, and business at K-C," said Peggy Ward, director, Sustainability Strategy at K-C. "While we are proud of our 2011 progress and the quality level of our sustainability report, we recognize that sustainability is a journey that we will never complete."

The 2011 Sustainability Report was released in May 2012 and is K-C's ninth such annual report. It is structured around the company's Sustainability 2015 strategy framework of People, Planet, and Products introduced last year. The new framework represents K-C's most ambitious and comprehensive sustainability strategy to date, and embodies the company's commitment to weaving a sustainable business practice and mindset into every facet of the organization and as an integral part of its Global Business Plan.

To secure the A+ rating, K-C fulfilled all 79 indicators established by GRI under the headings of Economic Performance, Labor Practices, Human Rights, Environmental Practices, Society Performance, and Product Responsibilities. Some of the key highlights of K-C’s activities captured in the report include:

• Sourced 99.9% of its fiber from suppliers certified by sustainable forestry practices
• Generated 13% of 2011 net sales from environmentally innovative products
• Accomplished its goal of zero workplace fatalities
• Communicated to all of its key suppliers its Supplier Social Compliance Standards that encourage suppliers to align their operations with K-C's Code of Conduct practices and internationally accepted standards for corporate social responsibility and human rights
• Achieved zero manufacturing waste-to-landfill from all of its European Personal Care business facilities
• Extended the Huggies brand "Every Little Bottom" campaign in the U.S. to assist moms who struggle to provide their babies clean disposable diapers
• Expanded the Huggies diaper composting initiatives by opening a second K-C-sponsored recycling plant in New Zealand
• Kleenex brand became the first U.S. consumer tissue to offer Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified tissue products and extended its Kimberly-Clark Professional business' FSC certification to more than 95% of its tissue and towel lines in North America
• Initiated water-replenishment projects in India, Israel, Colombia, and Spain, anticipating an annualized return of 205 million gal of water to surrounding communities
• Conducted social initiatives in 23 countries, providing cash and product donations totaling more than $32 million.

More information about the report is available online.