The Ethisphere Institute, a leading US think-tank, has named the Kao Corporation one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. Kao is the sole Asian company to have made the list every year since Ethisphere began its ranking in 2007.
The World’s Most Ethical Companies list recognizes companies which have demonstrated outstanding performance in transparency, integrity, ethics, and compliance. The Institute surveys and evaluates companies worldwide across five categories, covering Ethics & Compliance; Environmental & Social Impact; Culture of Ethics; Governance; and Third-Party Management. “We are honoured to have been selected as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for 18 consecutive years,” said Yoshihiro Hasebe, Representative Director, President, and Chief Executive Officer at Kao Corporation.
“Walking the right path’ is our core value, and external evaluations such as this are very important to us,” he continues. “We have reaffirmed our determination to continue taking on challenges as we work toward ambitious goals; we will continue applying the principle ‘We act with courage’ to become an industry-leading company in an ever-changing society and fulfil our purpose, which is ‘to realize a Kirei world in which all life lives in harmony.”
In April 2019, the Kao Group established the Kirei Lifestyle Plan, an ESG strategy. The Japanese word ‘kirei’ describes something that is both clean and beautiful. For Kao, Kirei not only encapsulates appearance, but also attitude—to create beauty for oneself, other people, and for the world around us. Since its start in 2021, the Kao Group Mid-term Plan has proclaimed “protecting future lives” and promoting “sustainability as the only path” as its vision. The Kao Group will continue to integrate its ESG strategy into its management practices, and by maintaining and practicing a high level of ethical awareness, aims to develop its business, provide better products and services for consumers and society, and work toward its purpose, “to realize a Kirei world in which all life lives in harmony.”