Examples of our sustainability-related public policy activity in 2008 include:

Climate change

• Participating in the consultation process for the U.K. Climate Change Bill, and its potential impact on municipal waste reduction projects and on families using diapers and incontinence products.
• Taking part in the consultation for the development of British Standard PAS 2050 – a standard methodology for calculating a product’s carbon footprint which was published in October 2008.
• Participation in the annual Disclosure Project request for information on our global climate change emissions and strategy.
• Meeting with officials from the Australian Department of Climate Change to discuss the Australian Pulp and Paper Producers and Australian Food and Grocery Council Green Paper submissions for the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS).

Energy

• Briefing members of the U.K. Parliament on the implications of rising energy prices for Kimberly-Clark.

Recovered paper

• Working with the U.K. Government's Waste Resources Action Program (WRAP) and the Welsh Assembly to initiate new collections of quality used paper for use in our mills.
• Briefing the U.K. Environment Minister on our environmental policies and issues important to K-C, such as the shipping of recovered paper to China.

Waste permitting

• Briefing the U.K. Environment Minister on our concerns regarding proposed changes to waste-permitting rules.
• Working with the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment to incorporate details of Kimberly-Clark's sustainable hygiene papers for the Government Paper Buyers Guide.

Life-cycle analysis

• Through the UK Absorbent Hygiene Products Manufacturers Association (AHPMA), we contributed to the update of the 2005 life-cycle analysis of disposable and reusable nappies (diapers) sponsored by the U.K. Environment Agency, WRAP and the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs. See Life-cycle thinking.

Taxation

• The French government planned to introduce a tax on disposable products such as tissues, where reusable alternatives existed. Successful lobbying by French Trade Association Groupe Hygiene contributed to the cancellation of the proposed law.
• Lobbying for reduced taxes on diapers in the 27 E.U. member states. Discussions are taking place to clarify whether absorbent hygiene products are eligible for a reduced VAT rate.

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