Protecting Our Business While Safeguarding Forests
DALLAS, February 15, 2017, /3BL Media/ – As one of the world’s largest buyers of market pulp, Kimberly-Clark knows that protecting forests is critical to addressing climate change, conserving terrestrial biodiversity and ensuring a resilient, healthy supply chain, so sustaining this natural resource through responsible forestry is just one of the ways we care for the planet.
One pivotal area is in the southern region of the United States, where 78 percent of the households in the region have a Kimberly-Clark product in them. Further, this region provides 20 percent of the virgin fiber used by the company globally, which reinforces the importance of safeguarding forest ecosystems in this part of the country.
Enter the Appalachian Woodlands Alliance (AWA), a partnership between Rainforest Alliance and forest products leaders like Kimberly-Clark, including Avery Dennison, Columbia Forest Products, Domtar, Evergreen Packaging, Staples, and the U.S. Forest Service. The partnership eliminates the need for each company to engage with individual landowners in sustainable forestry management, and to help economically source the fiber required to make our products.
“We know our business has a significant impact on the world, and we’re determined to make sure that our customers and consumers know that it’s a positive one,” said Peggy Murphy, Family Care NA Sustainability Strategy Leader. “Building key partnerships with the AWA, Forest Stewardship Council and World Wildlife Fund into our Sustainability 2022 strategy is critical to ensuring our long term business success.”
Launched in 2015, this three-year project educates woodland landowners in the southern U.S. about forest management practices, so landowners can continue to efficiently supply products while applying the best stewardship principles to the natural resource, and ultimately expand the market for sustainably produced wood and paper products.
“The Appalachian Woodlands Alliance is proud to work with forest products industry leaders like Kimberly-Clark to support private woodland owners,” said Andrew Goldberg, AWA project manager. “The decision of thousands of private woodlands owner to responsibly manage their lands is critical to supporting our local economy, beauty, and the globally significant conservation values across the region.”
“By working with AWA, we are improving management practices that create economic benefits across the supply chain, and ultimately, demonstrate the value to landowners in certifying their lands to the FSC standard” adds Skip Krasny, manager of Kimberly-Clark’s Sustainable Forestry Programs. “And by investing in the region and its natural resources right now, we can protect both the ecosystem and the livelihoods of these landowners for generations to come.”
For more information about Kimberly-Clark's commitment to forests and fiber, or to read more about the company’s commitment to sustainability, please visit http://www.kimberly-clark.com/sustainability/.
About Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Every day, nearly a quarter of the world's population trust Kimberly-Clark's brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in 80 countries. To keep up with the latest news and to learn more about the company's 145-year history of innovation, visit http://www.kimberly-clark.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
About the Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance is a growing network of people who are inspired and committed to working together to achieve our mission of conserving biodiversity and ensuring sustainable livelihoods. Through creative, pragmatic collaboration, we aim to rebalance the planet by building strong forests and healthy communities around the world.
