The CDP, an international non-governmental organization (NGO), recently announced the results of a global survey of companies in the three areas of climate change, forests, and water security, and Kao Corporation (President: Yoshihiro Hasebe) received the highest "A" rating in all three categories. Of the more than 21,000 companies that responded to the CDP questionnaire, CDP selected 10 "Triple A" companies based on their responses. This is the fourth consecutive year that Kao has received a "Triple A" rating, and it is also the fifth consecutive title in the "Climate Change" category, the fourth consecutive title in the "Forests" category, and the seventh consecutive title in the "Water Security" category.
As a company that provides daily necessities to people, the Kao Group is taking responsibility for reducing the environmental impact of its products throughout their life cycles. In April 2019, the Kao Group established the "Kirei Lifestyle Plan," an ESG strategy, and since 2021, it has been promoting a medium-term management plan with the vision of "Sustainability as the only path."
Kao's inclusion in the "Triple A" list in the areas of "climate change", "forests" and "water security" is the result of Kao's efforts along the entire value chain. In order to achieve its goal of decarbonization, Kao has set a goal of achieving zero carbon emissions by 2040 and negative carbon emissions by 2050. In order to achieve this goal, Kao has built a plant to generate heat from biomass at a chemical plant in Spain. In the case of dishwashing detergent, for example, Kao has modified its containers to make the bottles thinner, thereby reducing the amount of containers used in this product by about 40%*1 compared to the conventional version, and the introduction of bottle-shaped refills has also contributed to the reduction of CO2 in the production and disposal of containers. In the field of forests, palm oil is one of the most important natural assets for Kao, and the Group has set up a dedicated page on its website, "Palm Oil Dashboard," which introduces palm oil procurement, including the policy on sustainable procurement, the mid- to long-term plan to address the root causes, the status of confirmation of the raw material tracking system, and the latest palm oil mill map. In addition, the website discloses information on the "SMILE" (Smallholder Inclusion for Better Livelihood & Empowerment Program), the Kao Grievance Mechanism, the progress of the procurement of RSPO*2 certified products, and the purchase of independent small-scale palm garden certification points. In the field of water safety, Kao has improved its existing technology and launched the "Attack Zero Perfect Stick", a stick laundry detergent that can be rinsed once. The key to driving these actions is to analyze climate, forest, and water-related scenarios and make the most of the results. More importantly, it is necessary to accurately control risks and opportunities on this basis, and then implement plans and actions into business strategies.
1 Comparison with the original container quality.
2 Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil: A roundtable to promote sustainable palm oil production and utilization.
April 2023.
The Kao Group is accelerating its efforts to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2040 and negative carbon emissions by 2050.
July 2023.
With the goal of "zero carbon emissions", Kao Spain and ENGIE built a new biomass heating plant at the Kao chemical plant in Barcelona.
Japanese, British version) August 2023.
Kao Cucute Dish Soap Eco-Friendly Refills are a new refill container that can be compressed and reduced in size with a single tap, making it easy to dispose of.
July 2023.
Attack Zero Perfect Stick" is a new release.
palm oil dashboard
Commenting on the selection, Kao Director and Executive Officer, and ESG Division Leader, D**e Muenz, said that Kao is honored to be recognized as a Class A company in the fields of climate change, forests, and water security for four consecutive years. Over the years, Kao has been working with its stakeholders to promote the resolution of environmental and social issues related to the entire life cycle of its products through various initiatives. Kao's activities continue to be highly evaluated by focusing not only on the "present" but also on the "future" of people and society that are closely related to the company, and the resilience of its own business. Kao will live up to the expectations placed on it as a "Triple A" and will continue to implement various initiatives that are ahead of the times in a wide range of areas of its business.
Sherry Madera, CEO of CDP, said, "Congratulations to the companies that have received CDP's '3A' rating in 2023 for their actions to accelerate the disclosure and transparency of environmental information. The most gratifying thing in 2023 is that the number of companies submitting responses has increased by 24%. Even by building a basic framework for information disclosure, it shows that companies are taking proactive steps to achieve a net-zero carbon future and a nature-positive future. The significance of being recognized as a Class A company goes far beyond the score itself, and it also means that the company has a comprehensive grasp of its own impact on the environment, discloses the basic route of the plan, and combines its own ambition to achieve its goals, and presents it with high-quality and comprehensive data. In the "Decade of Action" period, CDP continues to improve the leading level in the environmental field, and the activities of Class A enterprises will definitely not stop there. We look forward to all businesses continuing to drive their mission through more meaningful and effective actions. ”
The Kao Group will continue to strive for the vision of "realizing a rich and diverse coexistence" by actively striving to respond to climate change, forest resources, and water resources conservation in the areas of climate change, forest resources, and water resources conservation by introducing an ESG perspective into its management, and actively providing better products and services to consumers and society while pursuing its business development.
CDPCDP is an international non-profit organization that manages environmental information disclosure by companies and local governments through the operation of a global information disclosure system. Since its inception in 2000, CDP has used capital markets and corporate procurement to drive companies to disclose their environmental impacts and take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect water resources and protect forests. In 2023, about 24,000 organizations around the world, including more than 1,100 cities, states and regions, will disclose their data through CDP's questionnaire, including more than 23,000 companies that account for the total global capital market2 3. CDP has the world's largest database that is fully compliant with TCFD standards, and its metrics are widely adopted as a benchmark for investment and procurement decisions specifically designed to build a zero-carbon, sustainable, and resilient economy. CDP is also a founding member of SBTI (Science Based Targets), the We Mean Business Alliance, The Investor Agenda, and NZAMI (Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative).
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