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  • Overall approach
    6/10
    • Overarching commitment on deforestation
      3/4
      Overall commitment
      Zero deforestation/Deforestation-free commitment or, for timber, pulp & paper companies only, commitment to well implemented harvest and no deforestation of HCV & HCS areas
      3/4
      "Kimberly-Clark is committed to eliminating deforestation and forest degradation. To protect forest biodiversity, we are working toward two key goals."
    • Signatory to an initiative tackling deforestation
      1/1
      Signatory
      Yes
      1/1
      "MEMBERSHIPS Our list of sustainability memberships relate to associations and national or international organizations in which we hold a position on the governance body, participate in projects or committees, fund or view as strategic to our sustainability strategy[...]– The Consumer Goods Forum[...]World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN)" ; "Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB) today announced that it has become a participant of the United Nations Global Compact" [...] "Support the Consumer Goods Forum commitment to zero net deforestation by 2020."
    • Awareness of the value of forests
      1/1
      Awareness
      Yes
      1/1
      "Forest Footprint Reducing our products’ forest carbon footprint, while protecting forest biodiversity and supporting forestdependent communities." [...] "We are also currently exploring new ways of leveraging our fiber procurement policy to further reduce forest carbon and land use emissions, protect biodiversity, and support the rights and economies of forest-dependent communities."
    • Deforestation as a business risk
      0/1
    • High-level management of deforestion
      1/1
      High-level management
      Yes
      1/1
      Which commodities does it apply to?: Pulp & paper

      How often does the committee or board meet to assess company's progress on addressing deforestation-related issues?: Not specified
      "Board Oversight and Governance. Our Board has established and approved the framework for our sustainability-related policies and procedures, including environmental stewardship, energy and climate, fiber sourcing [...] Each year we meet with investors on corporate governance matters, including executive compensation, board composition and refreshment and corporate social responsibility and sustainability. [...] Our Board oversees risk management, including risks related to environmental and social issues. The Board is focused on our long-term business strategy, including fostering sustainability-driven innovations, and incorporates our sustainability risks and opportunities into its overall strategic decision-making. Sustainability risk areas for our company include shifting consumer preferences toward sustainable choices, supply chain risks related to water security and deforestation."
    • Executive compensation linked to deforestation
      Executive compensation
      No
      0/0
      Does it disclose the percentage of pay at risk?: No
    • Target to reduce emissions from land-use change
      0/1
    • Reporting on emissions from land-use change
      0/1
    • Disclosure of conservation activity
    • Disclosure of reforestation activity
    • Target to reduce emissions in scope 1/2
      Reduce emissions
      Yes
      0/0
      Type of climate target: Other or unclear

      What is the target date for the company to achieve their climate target?: 2030

      Is this target aligned with/verified by SBTi?: Yes
      "With the establishment of these new 2030 targets (50% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions between 2015 and 2030), our existing 2022 goal becomes a key milestone along the way."
  • Commodity score
    38/90
    • Pulp & Paper
      38/90
      • Commitment Strength
        14/17
        • Commodity-specific deforestation commitment
          7/9.5
          • Commitment details
            Zero-gross deforestation
            4/6
            Commodity-specific deforestation commitment
            Zero-gross deforestation
            4/6
            Does the company have a commitment to the protection of other specific named ecosystems?: HCS

            Which certification schemes are used?: FSC

            When was this commitment set?: 2020

            What paper/pulp product does their commitment apply to?: Paper products; Pulp; Packaging

            Type of sustainability commitment: Reduce the volume of virgin wood fibre used in paper and packaging products through usage of recycled content
            "Kimberly-Clark is committed to eliminating deforestation and forest degradation. To protect forest biodiversity, we are working toward two key goals."[...]"Kimberly-Clark will support programs for the identification and mapping of potential Endangered Forests and High Conservation Value Forests to ensure that these forests are designated for appropriate protection"[...]By the third quarter of each year, Kimberly-Clark will report its progress toward achieving the two stated goals that (i) 100% of its wood fiber be certified by one of the certification systems recognized in its Fiber Procurement Policy by 2015, (ii) 90% of its global tissue products be comprised of Environmentally-Preferred Fiber by 2025. • Kimberly-Clark has announced an aspirational goal that by 2025 it will reduce by fifty percent (50%) the quantity of wood fiber it sources from natural forests using 2011 as the base year. Kimberly-Clark expects to publicly report from time to time its emerging implementation plans for achieving this aspirational goal.
          • Commitment applies to all regions, suppliers and operation
            Yes
            2/2
            Commitment applies to all regions, suppliers and operation
            Yes
            2/2
            "Kimberly-Clark is committed to eliminating deforestation and forest degradation. To protect forest biodiversity, we are working toward two key goals."
          • Target date
            Post 2050 or no target date
            0/1
            Target date
            Post 2050 or no target date
            0/1
            What actions or steps are identified for time-bound implementation?: Development of tools for identifying, mapping, and monitoring high conservation values in priority regions.
            "Kimberly-Clark is committed to eliminating deforestation and forest degradation. To protect forest biodiversity, we are working toward two key goals. Reduce by 50% our use of natural forest fibers, which for Kimberly-Clark are primarily fibers from northern boreal and temperate forests."
          • Interim target date
            Yes
            0.5/0.5
            Interim target date
            Yes
            0.5/0.5
            What date is given for the interim milestone?: 2025
            "That's why we're committed to reducing our natural forest fiber footprint by 50% by 2025."[...]"90% of our tissue sourced from environmentally preferred fiber (EPF) source by 2025"
        • Commitment to a traceable supply chain
          8/7.5
          • Commitment details
            Traces to Point of production
            4/4
            Commitment to a traceable supply chain
            Traces to Point of production
            4/4
            When was this commitment set?: NA
            "Kimberly-Clark will track and report annually the amount of wood fiber it purchases from suppliers certified under each of the forest certification systems [...] As part of its verification system, Kimberly-Clark will work with suppliers and others to develop methods of effectively tracing wood fiber to its forest source"
          • Commitment applies to all regions, suppliers and operation
            Yes
            2/2
            Commitment applies to all regions, suppliers and operation
            Yes
            2/2
            "Kimberly-Clark commits to purchase 100% of its wood fiber from suppliers that have had their forestry operations or wood fiber procurement activities certified to one of the following third-party verified forest certification systems. Kimberly-Clark will give preference to wood fiber certified under Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) standards [...] Kimberly-Clark will track and report annually the amount of wood fiber it purchases from suppliers certified under each of the forest certification systems [...] As part of its verification system, Kimberly-Clark will work with suppliers and others to develop methods of effectively tracing wood fiber to its forest source"
          • Target date
            Current/achieved
            1/1
            Target date
            Current/achieved
            1/1
            What actions or steps are identified for time-bound implementation?: NA
            "Kimberly-Clark will track and report annually the amount of wood fiber it purchases from suppliers certified under each of the forest certification systems [...] As part of its verification system, Kimberly-Clark will work with suppliers and others to develop methods of effectively tracing wood fiber to its forest source"
          • Interim target date
            NA (target date current or achieved or 2023)
            0.5/0.5
            Interim target date
            NA (target date current or achieved or 2023)
            0.5/0.5
            What date is given for the interim milestone?: NA
            "K-C will track and report annually the amount of wood fiber it purchases from suppliers certified under each of the forest certification systems. [...] As part of its verification system, K-C will work with suppliers and others to develop methods of effectively tracing wood fiber to its forest source"
      • Associated Human Rights Abuses
        6/17
        • Labour rights in the supply chain
          Yes
          3/3
          Labour rights in the supply chain
          Yes
          3/3
          Details of commitment: ILO; Discrimination; Forced labour; Child labour; Freedom of association

          Other workers' rights commitments: Guaranteed safe and healthy workspaces

          How far back in the supply chain does this commitment apply?: Tier 1
          "Our policies align with the goals of several international standards, including the International Labor Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. [...] We expect our suppliers to follow these standards and requirements: Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining [...] Protection Against Child Labor [...] Prohibit Forced Labor and Abuse of Labor [...] Prohibit Discrimination"
        • Inclusion of small-scale farmers
          No
          0/2
        • Gender equality in the supply chain
          No commitment
          0/2
        • Commitment to remediation
          Yes
          1/1
          Commitment to remediation
          Yes
          0.5/1
          What does the commitment cover?: Social harm
          "K-C will review the integrity of environmental and social responsibility practices and human rights in employment followed by our wood fiber suppliers and consider the supplier’s practices as part of the initial supplier selection process and when supply agreements are renewed[...]Where documented human rights issues are identified in such situations, K-C will work with its suppliers to find a constructive resolution of such issues"
        • Commitment to test Free, Prior and Informed Consent
          Yes, the company commits to test for FPIC prior to acquiring new interests, developments, or expansions
          2/3
          Commitment to test Free, Prior and Informed Consent
          Yes, the company commits to test for FPIC prior to acquiring new interests, developments, or expansions
          2/3
          How far back in the supply chain does this commitment apply?: NA
          "We have partnered with Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) for a decade, using the power of the marketplace to help end deforestation and safeguard forest ecosystems. We are committed to a 100 percent certified fiber supply [...] Our preference for FSC®-certified fiber supply and commitment to zero deforestation; free, prior and informed consent (FPIC); and protection of high conservation value forest ecosystems, including peat lands, helps us protect forests."
        • Commitment to respect customary rights to land, resources, and territory
          No
          0/3
        • Zero-tolerance approach to violence and threats
          No
          0/3
      • Implementation and Reporting
        18/56
        • Reporting proportion of compliant volumes
          0/0
        • Reporting is independently verified
          Yes, using a third-party verification scheme or certification scheme
          2/2
          Reporting is independently verified
          Yes, using a third-party verification scheme or certification scheme
          2/2
          Is the performance of compliance of some suppliers, sources, or origins not verified, and if so why not?: NA

          Which tools, approaches, third-party verification, including certification, schemes are used?: NA

          Which processes or groups does the company use for third party verification?: NA

          What methods are used for verification?: NA

          For what percent of the company's supply volume is third-party verification of performance relative to commitments conducted?: NA

          What percent of the company's supply volume is verified using company verification systems?: NA
          "K-C commits to purchase 100% of its wood fiber from suppliers that have had their forestry operations or wood fiber procurement activities certified to one of the following third-party verified forest certification systems. K-C will give preference to wood fiber certified under Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) standards."
        • Suppliers aligned with deforestation commitments across supply chain
          Yes, required
          3/3
          Suppliers aligned with deforestation commitments across supply chain
          Yes, required
          3/3
          "K-C commits to purchase 100% of its wood fiber from suppliers that have had their forestry operations or wood fiber procurement activities certified to one of the following third-party verified forest certification systems. K-C will give preference to wood fiber certified under Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) standards.[...]Kimberly-Clark hereby sets the goal that by the year 2025, 90% of its fiber supply for its global tissue products will consist of Environmentally-Preferred Fiber. In the spirit of continuous improvement, Kimberly-Clark intends to achieve its 90% goal by targeting an increase in the quantity of Environmentally-Preferred Fiber from wood and/or alternative fiber supply at a rate of 5% every three years: Environmentally-Preferred Fiber will consist of the following sources: (i) Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC)-certified fiber; (ii) recycled fiber (RF); and (iii) sustainable alternative natural fiber1."
        • Deforestation cut off date
          Yes, for partial sourcing regions/operations
          1/2
          Deforestation cut off date
          Yes, for partial sourcing regions/operations
          1/2
          What cut-off date is specified?: 2007
          "Kimberly-Clark may use wood fiber harvested from forest lands that are converted after March 15, 2007 to tree plantations only if the supplier can demonstrate, through certification by FSC or another forest certification system recognized under this policy, that the pre- existing forest lands were not Special Forest Areas and only if the use of such wood fiber meets all of the other requirements of these Instructions."
        • Collaborative actions
          No
          0/2
        • Jurisdictional approach focused on sustainable land use
          No
          0/2
        • Risk assessments for forest risk
          No
          0/2
        • Operations assessed to comply with law
          No
          0/2
        • Accessible grievance mechanism
          Yes, publicly accessible grievance mechanism
          2/4
          Accessible grievance mechanism
          Yes, publicly accessible grievance mechanism
          2/4
          What is the nature of the grievance mechanism used by the company?: Own mechanism

          Which issues does the grievance mechanism cover?: Social; Environmental
          "When to Ask a Question or Raise a Concern Each of us has an obligation to ask questions or raise concerns if we suspect that misconduct has occurred, or if a K-C employee or third party acting on behalf of K-C has violated the K-C Code, K-C policies, or laws. You do not need to be certain that a violation has occurred before speaking up."[...]"The K-C HelpLine is available 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, in native languages where K-C’s facilities are located. A professional company that is independent of K-C will take your information and then promptly report it to the Global Ethics & Compliance team for review. You may contact the K-C HelpLine directly by telephone, e-mail, or web: – Telephone:  1-844-KC-HELP1 or 1-844-524-3571 (United States)  For local or toll-free HelpLine numbers in other countries, see www.KCHelpLine.com – E-mail: KCHelpLine@kcc.com – Web: www.KCHelpLine.com We encourage you to ask your questions and raise your concerns directly to K-C so we can take appropriate actions. But, nothing in this policy prevents you from reporting potential violations of law to relevant government authorities."
        • Report volumes of commodity sourced/used
          Reporting total volume
          3/3
          Report volumes of commodity sourced/used
          Reporting total volume
          3/3
          Total volume: 2.4 MT

          Reporting certified/compliant volume: 100%

          Reporting non-certified/non-compliant volume: 0%

          What is the non-DCF commodity volume sourced from known production areas, and proportion of total supply chain volume this represents?: NA

          What product types/sectors is this in?: Paper
          "Fibre Use (million MT)1: 2020 2.4"
        • Monitor compliance for labour rights and FPIC
          Yes, and publishes evidence of actions taken to implement its commitment on labour rights in the production or primary processing operations that it owns, manages or otherwise controls or its supply chains
          3/5
          Monitor compliance for labour rights and FPIC
          Yes, and publishes evidence of actions taken to implement its commitment on labour rights in the production or primary processing operations that it owns, manages or otherwise controls or its supply chains
          2.5/5
          What percentage/number of new interests, developments, or expansions has the company used FPIC to secure consent of indigenous peoples/local communities?: NA

          What is the status of those FPIC processes?: NA

          What steps has the company taken to implement their labour rights commitment?: Corrective Action Plans and Assessments via confidential interviews
          "Kimberly-Clark routinely utilizes independent third-parties to assess suppliers’ compliance with the SSCS. The assessments generally include confidential interviews with employees and on-site contract workers. The supplier is expected to work with Kimberly-Clark to implement any corrective actions needed. In the event the supplier fails to fully comply with the SSCS, Kimberly-Clark reserves the right to issue corrective action and/or remedies including but not limited to possible termination of supplier’s agreement(s) with Kimberly-Clark."
        • Monitor compliance for zero tolerance approach and customary rights
          No
          0/5
        • Downstream: Reporting suppliers
          No
          0/4
        • Downstream: Monitor compliance in supply chain
          Yes, for its suppliers
          2/4
          Downstream: Monitor compliance in supply chain
          Yes, for its suppliers
          2/4
          How is compliance monitored?: Internal monitoring and verification systems

          What percentage of the company's supply chain volume does that represent?: 100%

          How frequently is compliance assessed?: Annually

          For what percentage of the commodity sourced by the company is deforestation/conversion monitored at the farm level on production units known to be in the company's supply chain?: NA

          For what percent of suppliers does the company directly monitor compliance of production or processing operations?: NA

          For what percentage of suppliers does the company use/rely on external mechanisms to monitor compliance?: NA
          "Kimberly-Clark has implemented a verification system for our wood fiber procurement activities thatis global in scope, sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that our systems and controls meet the objective of using environmentally responsible fiber and applies our stated preferences in accordance with this policy. • As part of its verification system, Kimberly-Clark will work with suppliers and others to develop methods of effectively tracing wood fiber to its forest source"
        • Downstream: Reporting hectares of deforestation
          No
          0/4
        • Downstream: Engagement with non-compliant suppliers
          Engage with suppliers but with no time-bound threat of exclusion
          1/2
          Downstream: Engagement with non-compliant suppliers
          Engage with suppliers but with no time-bound threat of exclusion
          1/2
          What type of support does the company offer to its suppliers to help them achieve compliance with commitments?: Action plan for compliance

          Does the company commit to engage with rightsholders, Indigenous peoples and local communities when developing the implementation plan?: No

          What criteria does the policy specify for blacklisting or exclusion?: Non-compliance with Fiber Procurement Policy

          Does the company work with the non-compliant supplier to develop an implementation plan to remedy associated harms or non-compliance?: Yes

          Does the company engage non-compliant indirect suppliers in order to address and remedy non-compliance?: Yes
          "Supplier Fiber CertificationIn the event that a supplier to Kimberly-Clark does not have certification of its forest lands or wood fiber procurement activities, the supplier will be given reasonable time to achieve certification. If a supplier is not in compliance with any applicable provisions of this policy, we will take appropriate action to address such non-compliance, which may include (i) an action plan for compliance or (ii) termination or non-renewal of the supply contract. Upon request, supplier must provide data demonstrating compliance."
        • Downstream: Disclosure of non-compliant suppliers
          No disclosure
          0/2
          Downstream: Disclosure of non-compliant suppliers
          No disclosure
          0/2
          Does the company have a list of blacklisted or otherwise excluded suppliers or producers?: No
  • Commitment strength
    14/17
    Avg. score
  • Implementation and Reporting
    18/56
    Avg. score
  • Associated Human Rights Abuses
    6/17
    Avg. score

Profile

Kimberly-Clark is a leading personal care, health and hygiene company. The company manufactures a wide range of paper and pulp based products under well-known brand names such as Huggies, Kleenex, Scott and Pull-ups. Operating across the globe, Kimberly-Clark supplies over 175 country markets and has a large market share in its field. Kimberly-Clark Group is selected as a powerbroker for pulp & paper and paper packaging.

Sector
Industry sector 
Paper Packaging, Personal Products
Segments
Trader, Manufacturer
HQ
HQ 
United States
Company Type
Company type 
CO
Collective Commitments
Consumer Goods Forum member
New York Declaration on Forests signatory

Top Brands

Depend, Poise, Plenitud, Huggies, Pull-Ups, DryNites, Little Swimemrs, Kleen Bebe, Green Finger, Kotex, Intimus, Camelia, Kleenex, Andrex, Cottonelle, Scottex, Page, Neve, Wondersoft, Viva

How we assess the Forest 500

To ensure deforestation free supply chains, companies need to adopt and implement timebound and measurable policies for forest risk commodities.

All assessments use policies published on company websites, some links may have changed or been removed since the time of assessment.

Disclaimer

This assessment has been carried out following the methodology developed for the Forest 500 project, available here. Please see our disclaimer applicable to all information contained within this site and our terms and conditions for use of data presented on this site.

All assessments use policies published on company and financial institution websites, and while we endeavor to keep them updated some links may have changed or been removed since the time of assessment.

Please contact us with any concerns or feedback about this or other assessments included in the Forest 500.