Kimberly-Clark announced that it received a 2021 Climate Leadership Award for ‘Goal Achievement in Greenhouse Gas Management’ from the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions and The Climate Registry. The national award recognizes companies that set and achieve aggressive greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals.

“We are honored to receive this prestigious award for reducing greenhouse gas emissions across our operations, especially since we were recognized for ‘Excellence in Greenhouse Gas Management & Goal Setting’ as part of the Climate Leadership Awards in 2018,” says Juan Marin, Global Energy and Climate Leader at Kimberly-Clark. “Our work to minimize the carbon footprint of our brands and businesses and do our part in the fight against climate change is part of how we deliver our purpose to provide better care for a better world.”

Kimberly-Clark’s ambitious sustainability strategy includes a 2030 target of a 50% reduction in its Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions and a 20% reduction in GHG emissions in two Scope 3 categories (purchased goods and services and end of life treatment of sold products) – both from a 2015 base year.

The company is advancing a comprehensive approach to achieve its climate goals, which includes energy conservation, switching to lower-carbon fuels, and increased use of renewable energy.

Among recent achievements recognized by the Climate Leadership Award, Kimberly-Clark has:

• Entered long-term agreements to annually purchase 1.67 million megawatt hours of renewable electricity from three Texas wind power projects, which is equivalent to 75% of all of the electricity needs of its North America manufacturing operations.
• Installed solar panels at three manufacturing facilities, generating nearly 6,100 megawatt hours of on-site electricity for the production of products such as diapers, wipes and toilet paper.
• Switched to low-carbon alternatives for steam and power generation at two manufacturing facilities, eliminating 167,000 metric tons of CO2 per year, which is equivalent to a 4% reduction of the company’s total GHG emissions.
• Implemented over 120 energy conservation projects across its global manufacturing operations in 2020, leveraging energy best practices to realize emissions reductions of 42,000 metric tons of CO2 annually.

“Being a climate leader and advocate for ambitious action means taking the steps today that set up opportunity for the future,” says Nathaniel Keohane, president of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES). “The Climate Leadership Awards recognizes only those that aim high and have plans in place to achieve their goals. Kimberly-Clark has shown exactly that kind of foresight and sets an example among its peers.”

The 2021 Climate Leadership awardees represent a wide array of sectors, including transportation, technology, state and local government, financial services, pharmaceuticals, utilities, and consumer goods.