DALLAS, April 24, 2007 Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB) today released its 2006 Sustainability Report, which describes the company's recent achievements and future plans for improving environmental, economic and social responsibility. The complete report and an executive summary are available online at http://www.kimberly-clark.com/aboutus/sustainability.aspx.
The report illustrates how K-C integrates sustainability into its overall approach to business. As an example, in 2006 Kimberly-Clark launched Vision 2010, the third, five-year phase of a 15-year sustainability effort that has yielded significant reductions in energy consumption, fresh water usage, manufacturing waste landfilled and air emissions benefiting the environment while reducing the company's operating costs. Among key achievements over the past year, K-C:
- Reduced its energy use by 2 percent and increased efficiency by approximately 3 percent.
- Decreased greenhouse gas emissions per ton of production at its manufacturing operations by 2 percent.
- Increased the use of certified fiber in its products for the fourth consecutive year, and updated its fiber procurement policy to maximize the use of environmentally responsible wood fiber and provide that K-C will not knowingly use fiber from forest areas requiring protection.
The company's sustainable business practices go beyond environmental performance to involve all aspects of its business. In 2006, K-C:
- Reinforced its commitment to progressive corporate governance through by-law changes providing stockholders with a stronger voice in electing company directors.
- Began developing sustainability guidelines for suppliers and increased U.S. spending with minority-and women-owned businesses by 10 percent to further increase diversity in its supply chain.
- Decreased work-related injuries or illnesses resulting in days away from work by 22 percent.
- Donated $24.3 million in cash and product, including employee giving, to support partner charities and causes local to our global operations.
In 2006, K-C received recognition from several organizations as a leader in corporate citizenship and sustainability. For the second straight year, K-C ranked No. 1 among personal products companies in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes, which identify the leading sustainability-driven companies in their sectors. K-C ranked in the top 1 percent of 3,800 global companies in a corporate governance survey conducted by GovernanceMetrics International. The United Way of America named K-C as a Summit Award recipient for its commitment to improving lives in local communities, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center cited the company for its international work with UNICEF to help children orphaned by AIDS.
More recently, the company was placed among the top 15 companies in the inaugural LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health & Sustainability) Index of 50 socially responsible companies based on a nationwide consumer survey. In addition, CRO magazine ranked K-C 23rd on its list of "100 Best Corporate Citizens" for 2007.
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 peoplenearly a quarter of the world's populationtrust 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 the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the company's 135-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com.