Company Reports Continued Progress in Sustainable Business Practices;
Vision 2010 Program Drives Improved Environmental Performance
DALLAS, April 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 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 environmental and social challenges society will face in the
coming decades -- from climate change and tighter regulations to growth in
developing markets -- are real issues that will require changes in
behavior, new ways of operating and broader cooperation among individuals,
companies and governments," said Thomas J. Falk, Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer. "We are prepared to do our part to meet these
challenges."
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 addition, Kimberly-Clark announced plans to create an external
Sustainability Advisory Board to provide an independent perspective and to
advise the company on its sustainability programs.
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
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 135-year history of innovation, visit
http://www.kimberly-clark.com .
SOURCE Kimberly-Clark Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.kimberly-clark.com
http://www.kimberly-clark.com/aboutus/sustainability.aspx
Photo Notes:
NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991117/KMBLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
media, Dave Dickson, +1-972-281-1481, or
ddickson@kcc.com , or investors, Mike Masseth, +1-972-271-1478,
or mmasseth@kcc.com , both of Kimberly-Clark Corporation
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