Kao Unveils their New Way, "Kirei – Making Life Beautiful"

Kao Industrial (Thailand) Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer of consumer products and chemicals, recently announced a major rebranding to uphold their new concept of "Kirei-Making Life Beautiful" through the innovative production of high value-added products and brands. This coincided with the unveiling of their Vision 2025, which is focused on ESG strategies in three dimensions, Environmental, Social, and Governance, along with transparent management, ensuring their business is conducted with responsibility to create a sustainable society.

Mr. Yuji Shimizu, President of Kao Industrial (Thailand) Co., Ltd., said, "For over 58 years, Kao Thailand has existed side by side enriching the lives of Thai consumers through our portfolio featuring more than 10 leading value-added brands such as Attack, Magiclean, Haiter, Laurier, Merries, MegRhythm Feather, Liese, Biore and Curel, collectively offering premium quality products to meet the highest level of consumer satisfaction according to 'The Kao Way.' Kao has recently undergone a major rebranding under the concept of 'Kirei—Making Life Beautiful' conveying a new aspiration to create a bright and sustainable future for all through the concept of 'Kirei' which provides a cleaner, more beautiful, and healthier life for people, society, and our planet through innovations that deliver value to consumers. Additionally, this concept is being adopted in every workflow at Kao, both now and in the future."

Throughout the years, Kao Thailand has been involved in helping society and improving the livelihoods of Thais through the implementation of five socially responsible activities:

1. Reducing the Impacts of Global Warming
• Kao is focused on offering sustainable products to consumers and reducing pollution to benefit society and the environment by reducing our CO₂ emissions to zero by 2040 and becoming carbon negative by 2050.

2. Reducing the Amount of Plastic Waste
• Currently, Kao Thailand's manufacturing has achieved our zero waste to landfill goals as all waste is almost 100% recyclable since 2020.
• To play a pivotal role in accelerating Thailand's efforts to reduce the amount of plastic waste, Kao, therefore, set a goal that all plastic packaging being sold will be 100% recyclable by 2025.

3. The "Don't Let Your Guard Down" Project
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kao donated more than 7.36 million baht in cleaning and sanitation products to support over 80 organizations, such as provincial public health offices, hospitals, field hospitals, community isolation centers, and foundations across the country.

4. The "Jang Wan Clean Jang Wan Khar" Project
• Kao participated in the "Jang Wan Clean Jang Wan Khar" project to help solve social problems and the issue of homelessness with "The Mirror Foundation" by providing hygiene products under several brands, including Magiclean, Attack, and Haiter, to support the project throughout the year. This support aims to boost the project's working team with products which can be used to clean public areas throughout Bangkok and also includes the hiring and use of personal cleaning services. Additionally, the homeless population is a socially and economically vulnerable group, representing the unfortunate inequality that still exists in Thai society. Therefore, this effort can help create jobs and bring about solutions for the homeless so they can start earning an income while helping alleviating the financial burden to the Mirror Foundation through the hiring of more target groups. In the end, this can help support society by promoting a sustainable solution to this pressing problem.

5. The Collaboration Project to Reduce the Spread of Dengue Fever
• Thailand has experienced the epidemic of dengue fever for a long time. With an average infection rate of 90,000 people per year, Kao partnered with Amata Corporation PCL, the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT), National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC) and The Division of Vector-Borne Diseases (DVBD), Ministry of Public Health to implement the "Collaboration Project to Reduce the Spread of Dengue Fever" in Nong Mai Daeng Sub-District, Don Hua Lo Subdistrict, and Amata City Chonburi Industrial Estate, Chonburi to promote and build a better understanding among people of the need to eliminate the dengue vector, aedes aegypti, accelerating a reporting system for
dengue fever patients through each company's human resources department, in addition to setting goals to reduce the number of afflicted patients. With a target of zero dengue fever cases in the target areas by 2024, Kao donated 80,000 items of Biore GUARD Mos Block Serum (mosquito repellent) and provided funding to support the project's research and development, totaling 6,500,000 baht to Department of Disease Control, the Ministry of Public Health (inclusive of product value). Kao, in collaboration, with the Department of Disease Control, also promoted the use of the "Rootan" application, developed by NECTEC
and NSTDA or NECTEC-NSTDA, as another effective way to use an innovation to raise awareness about dengue fever. "Rootan" is a communications app that features health risks, provides updates on the spread of dengue fever, PM 2.5 conditions, the heat index, and a summary report on the total number of Covid-19 infections.

"With the Way of "Kirei—Making Life Beautiful," Kao Thailand will strive to provide good things to create a beautiful life for people, the environment, and improve the quality of life of Thais in society so we can all live together in a perfect and sustainable world," concluded Mr. Shimizu.

Kao Thailand achieved revenue in 2021 of over 13,307 million baht from its four business segments: Hygiene and Living Care; Health and Beauty; Cosmetics; and Chemicals. The Covid-19 pandemic is significantly transforming consumer behavior as people adopt a sense of cleanliness and an increased consciousness about hygiene in their 'new normal' lifestyle. Therefore, we aim to become a familiar household product brand that promotes a better and sustainable quality of life for Thais.