At Kimberly-Clark, we take concern for the environment and conservation of natural
resources seriously. As a major user of forest resources and water, we support organizations
that help manage these resources in a responsible and sustainable way.
In 2008, Kimberly-Clark donated more than $1.6 million to environmental causes.
K-C has donated $300,000 over two years to Conservation International (CI) for a
new biodiversity conservation project. The project will have environmental benefits
for the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, a major global pulp producing region that provides
around 30 percent of our fiber. It will help preserve and restore habitats for endangered
species, conserve some of the most affected areas of the Atlantic Forest, and protect
streams and fragile slopes. The project will also help us bring together regional
pulp producers and local non-governmental organizations in a coordinated effort
to make plantations throughout the region more sustainable.
The Forests Dialogue:
During 2008 we donated $20,000 to The Forests Dialogue (TFD), an independent group
that brings together environmental groups and industry to explore sustainable forestry
management issues. Attendees include K-C suppliers Aracruz, International Paper,
Weyerhaeuser, Stora Enso and Mondi, as well as prominent non-governmental organizations
such as WWF, Conservation International, the World Conservation Union, the Forests
Peoples Program, Nature Conservancy, the World Resources Institute, the World Bank
and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
We support TFD’s work to engage other stakeholders to address forestry related topics
such as illegal logging, plantation forestry, sustainable forestry management and
climate change, and tropical rainforest protection.
The National Environmental Education Foundation:
The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), the American Meteorological
Society and the Weather Channel have partnered on an initiative called Earth Gauge.
K-C has helped fund this initiative. This program provides television weather programs
with basic environmental information for their viewers.
Our donation of $30,000 in 2008 will help NEEF develop a second program designed
to grow educational materials on sustainability and key environmental issues for
use in both large and small businesses.
World Resources Institute:
World Resources Institute (WRI) is an environmental think tank that goes beyond
research to find practical ways to protect the earth and improve people’s lives.
The WRI mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment
and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future
generations.
In 2008, we donated $50,000 which includes support for the U.S. Climate Business
Group and the GHG Protocol supply chain standard that is being developed in partnership
with WRI. WRI’s work on developing standard accounting methods and protocols for
product life cycle accounting will be designed to support multiple business objectives
that may include tracking performance, public reporting, and product comparison.
K-C is leading the Methodology Technical Working group.
Other regions of the world also contributed to environmental causes. Below are a
few examples.
The Urban Forest Project, Brazil
K-C Brazil’s Urban Forest Project is an environmental education program, developed
with teachers. It is designed to raise environmental awareness in schools and involve
local communities in environmental protection. We provide financial awards to the
schools involved. These can be used to improve the school infrastructure, for maintenance
or to provide new games and sport facilities. Since 2005, 17 schools have taken
part, involving over 260 teachers and 7,200 students.
El Salvador Verde
In 2008, K-C Centroamerica joined the El Salvador Verde program, a partnership between
ten national and multinational companies committed to educating the El Salvadorian
people about protecting the environment.
The program focuses on improving quality of life while benefiting the environment
by working with schools and communities. K-C employees have already visited more
than 90 schools, teaching and training more than 200,000 students about the importance
of recycling, especially paper.
Keep Korea Green
Yuhan-Kimberly in Korea has run the Keep Korea Green campaign for 25 years. More
than 36 million trees have been planted as part of the campaign. Over 60 percent
of Yuhan-Kimberly employees volunteer their time for civic and environmental programs.
The company has been widely praised for its efforts with Keep Korea Green and it
is one big reason Y-K has been recognized as one of the most admired companies in
Korea for the past five years.
During the last 25 years, Keep Korea Green has:
Established Green Camp, which provides environmental training to students so they
understand the importance of conservation. More than 150 high schools participate
in the program each year.
Started Planting Forests for Schools. This campaign aims to help school children
recognize the importance of nature by replacing concrete school walls with trees.
This has become a nationwide campaign, with more than 3,500 schools participating
– around 30 percent of all schools in Korea.
Provided newlyweds with the opportunity to plant trees. So far about 7,500 couples
have taken part and planted more than 123,000 trees.
Worked with local environmental organizations to allow more Koreans to participate
in forest preservation activities.
Community
Environment
Conservation International:
