Kao, L’Oréal and Natura & Co have been recognised for their ethical efforts in corporate ethical organisation in Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies® list 2022.
The Ethisphere Institute develops and shares best practices in business ethics and corporate social responsibility. The list recognises companies which have demonstrated outstanding performance in transparency, integrity, ethics, and compliance.
The Institute surveys and evaluates companies worldwide across five categories covering: ethics and compliance programs, corporate citizenship and responsibility, culture of ethics, governance, and leadership and reputation.
This year, 136 organisations were among the honorees, which span 45 industries across 22 countries, and include 14 first-time honorees and six organisations that have been named to the honoree list 16 times, marking every year since its inception.
Kao Corporation, parent company of professional salon brands Goldwell, Oribe & KMS, is the only Asian company to have made the list every year since Ethisphere began its ranking in 2007.
Commenting on the accolade, Kao's president and CEO, Yoshihiro Hasebe, said: "We are honoured to have been recognised as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for 16 consecutive years. Our business has always been based on walking the right path – a core value of our founder.
External evaluations are therefore an important indication we are indeed going in the right direction. While we continue to walk on the right path, we should never be satisfied with the status quo. With our drive towards improvement, we renewed our corporate philosophy – The Kao Way – in 2021, which includes principles such as ‘We act with courage.’ As CEO, I am determined we continue to aim higher in this ever-changing world."
L’Oréal, on the other hand, owns brands such as L’Oréal Paris, Lancôme, Kiehl’s, Giorgio Armani, YSL, Garnier, and Maybelline New York, while Natura & Co is known for its hugely successful brands The Body Shop, Avon, Natura and Aesop.