DALLAS, April 25, 2006 Reflecting its ongoing commitment to creating sustainable growth and shareholder value, Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) today released its 2005 Sustainability Report, available on-line at www.kimberly-clark.com/aboutus/Sustainability2005. The report details the company's major achievements in economic, environmental and social areas and outlines plans for continued progress in the future.
Last year, Kimberly-Clark concluded its Vision 2005 environmental program, the second phase of a 10-year sustainability effort. In the process, the company improved energy efficiency by 19 percent and water use efficiency by 29 percent and also reduced the amount of solid waste sent to landfills by 30 percent. This was accomplished while reducing costs by approximately $150 million on an annual basis compared with costs in 2000. The company has established even more ambitious goals for its next phase, called Vision 2010, which will be announced later in 2006.
"Sustainability considerations touch our business on a number of fronts," said Thomas J. Falk, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kimberly-Clark. "In order to achieve our business goals and mission of enhancing the health, hygiene and well-being of people every day, everywhere, we must understand the major economic, environmental and social issues facing our company and the communities in which we live and work."
Kimberly-Clark made significant progress in attaining the goals set forth in its sustainability initiatives. Accomplishments in 2005 led to recognition by several prestigious sustainability organizations and further enhanced Kimberly-Clark's strong positive record in this area. Highlights include:
- Kimberly-Clark being ranked No. 1 among personal care companies in the 2006 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. Of the 2,500 largest companies worldwide, only about 10 percent qualify for inclusion in this prestigious Index.
K-C earned the highest scores in its sector for a number of criteria, including corporate governance, environmental and social reporting, and environmental management systems.
- Kimberly-Clark becoming the first tissue company to commit to using only virgin wood pulp from suppliers that had certified their forestlands or wood fiber procurement activities to an internationally recognized standard. Since only about 7 percent of the world's forests are certified, this means K-C restricts its purchases of virgin fiber to that small portion of the world's woodlands where Sustainable Forestry Management practices have been independently confirmed.
- The company being invited to join the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. This membership broadens Kimberly-Clark's perspective on the many ways it can contribute to global sustainable development solutions, as it opens the door to collaborate and consult with peer companies and many other sectors of society.
- K-C being among only 33 corporations receiving the highest corporate governance score in a survey of 3,200 global companies by Government Metrics International, a corporate governance research and ratings agency.
- Kimberly-Clark and its employees contributing approximately $28 million to global charitable organizations, and donating more than $2.5 million worth of product, primarily to disaster relief for victims of the South Asian Tsunami and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
"I'm proud of the important progress we have shown in improving the sustainability of our products and processes and in supporting our diverse, global team in contributing to communities where we operate," said Falk. "Our future plan is quite simple: Carry forward the momentum we've created in making sustainability a critical component of doing business at Kimberly-Clark."
About Kimberly-Clark's 2005 Sustainability Report
In compiling the report, Kimberly-Clark relied on the Global Reporting Initiative's 2002 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines, feedback from various organizations, as well as internal and external stakeholder insights.
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 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 134-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com.