Paper route

Global health and hygiene company Kimberly-Clark says it not only looks for business growth in China, but increasingly emphasizes corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects to support public health and education as well as protect the environment and saving energy.

"Kimberly-Clark is striving to act as a responsible corporate citizen - CSR is a key part of our strategy in the country," says Errol Plowman, vice-president of the world's largest manufacturer of consumer paper products.

As part of its societal efforts Kimberly-Clark China has for years sponsored the children's and younger women's chorus of the China National Symphony Orchestra.

It also organized the "Curious Baby's Journey for Musical Discovery" since 2006 for infants, in which orphan and disabled children are invited to share in the music and compassion from society.

The company has also sponsored baby-crawling contests. It says this activity can help raise Chinese parental awareness of healthcare and foster participation in sports.

"We are very proud of the CSR programs we have initiated in the country. Our 'care culture' has helped families improve their living standards," says Plowman.

"We have also striven to protect the environment and promote sustainable development," Plowman adds.

Since 1999, Kimberly-Clark China has given over 300,000 yuan to the country's Panda program. Two pandas, named "Kimberly-Clark" and "Kleenex", have become members of corporate family.

"There's an emotional connection for us with our adopted pandas. Every year our top employees are rewarded with a visit to our two pandas in Chengdu," says Tong Mei, director of Kimberly-Clark's development and strategic projects in China.

The company has since 2006 held a children's drawing contest called "protect the environment, embrace the future", which enrolls over 1,000 elementary and middle school students every year.

Selected student works are printed on calendars and greeting cards, then distributed to consumers nationwide to draw attention to environmental protection.

Kimberly-Clark has also organized a forestation effort called the "Century Forest" to encourage its employees to make contributions to plant trees every year since 2005.

"Charity activities are an integral part of Kimberly-Clark's sustainable development strategy," Plowman says, admitting a good social environment can facilitate the development of the company and the awareness of environmental protection protects the community's interests and encourages healthy lives.

Since 1995 the company has been carrying out a sustainable development "vision plan."

It renews the plan every five years, imposing requirements that are higher than the standard industry level in energy saving and emission reductions.

In its latest vision 2010, Kimberly-Clark put forward requirements on the implementation of environmental management systems, energy and water saving, waste reduction and green suppliers.

The company doesn't use locally produced wood fibers in China for its products to ensure compliance to its higher global environmental standards.

It manages and monitors the practices of its virgin pulp suppliers to ensure that suppliers follow sustainable forestry practices.

The company's efforts in production, quality and environmental commitment are subject to auditing.

It has global teams to comment on its compliance on environmental protection, product safety and overall use of materials.

Kimberly-Clark's notion of sustainable development has been acknowledged in China. The company was recently awarded "Best Corporate Citizenship Practitioner In China, 2007 " by the Citizens' Committee, China Association of Social Workers.

"CSR is the foundation of our success," Plowman says, noting Kimberly-Clark is confident its efforts will help Chinese families archive higher and healthier living standards in the future.

(China Daily 01/21/2008 page8)