In March 2020 Ethical Consumer viewed Kao Corporation's website and downloaded it Sustainability Data Book 2019. The report talked about reducing its carbon emissions through looking at the life cycle of its products. It also talked about environmental issues such waste; CO2 emissions of manufacuring sites; reducing electricity used including switching to LED light bulbs; using renewable energy and CO2 emissions of transportation. It also included chapters on packaging and biodiversity in relation to materials used and chemicals released into the environment.
However the company did not appear to include any discussions about toxic chemicals found in cosmetics and therefore was not considered to have demostrated a reasonable understanding of its environmental impacts.
Its report included future dated and quantified environmental reduction targets for water use and decarbonisations. It also provided detailed updates on the progress towards the following targets:
certified paper products
traceability to small oil palm farm
absolute full lifecycle co2 emissions
absolute scope 1 & 2 emissions
zero waste
water use
disclosure of air and water pollution emissions
responsible chemicals mangement
The report was independently verified by KPMG.
Overall the Kao Corporation received Ethical Consumer's middle rating for Environmental Reporting and lost half a mark in this category.
Reference:
Sustainability Data Book 2019 (4 March 2020)