Kao the Sole Asian Company Included in the
World’s Most Ethical Companies® List for a Record 18th Consecutive Year

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 Ethisphere Institute develops and shares best practices in business ethics and corporate social responsibility. 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.
 
Commenting on the accolade, Yoshihiro Hasebe, Representative Director, President, and Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are honored to have been selected as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for 18 consecutive years. ‘Walking the right path’ is our core value, and external evaluations such as this are very important to us. 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.’”
 
Ethisphere’s Chief Executive Officer, Erica Salmon Byrne, said: “We are, once again, delighted to honor Kao as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. Kao is one of only six companies to have received this
recognition from its inception—18 times. This achievement is a testament to Kao’s dedication to continually advancing best practices for ethics, compliance, and governance. We look forward to seeing Kao’s continued leadership in furthering business integrity across the industry and globally.”
 
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.”
 
The Kao Group upholds the founder’s value of “walking the right path” at the core of all corporate activity. As such, this is the first item in the fundamental values that form the basis of its corporate philosophy, the Kao Way. This signifies acting in accordance with the law and ethics and conducting honest and sound business activities. To implement the Kao Way, the Kao Group worldwide shares the Kao Business Conduct  Guidelines. The company bases its activities on these Guidelines, which serve as a lodestar when there is
uncertainty about the path to follow, as the guiding principle in daily work and as the fundamentals to help achieve sustainability for the company and for society.
 
* “World’s Most Ethical Companies” and “Ethisphere” names and marks are
registered trademarks of Ethisphere LLC.