Believing in Better
Design is a powerful tool. It invites us to imagine and create new, better ways of living—with one another and our planet. As a leader in innovative design, Kohler has always recognized its role and responsibility to move the world forward not only by bringing beautiful products to life, but by having a positive social and environmental impact globally.
As President & CEO David Kohler said, “Business success doesn’t mean much if we don’t leave the world a better place than we found it.”
For us, the impact we know we can have is intimately tied to what we value as a company: the natural world as limited resource and welcome respite, people connecting globally and acting locally, and purposeful innovation.
It comes back to Kohler’s long-standing mission of gracious living, which goes well beyond designing stylish and efficient products to using our expertise and passion to improve the quality of life for everyone. And we recognize how much further our impact will carry if we work together with likeminded partners toward giving back.
We focus our environmental sustainability and social impact efforts on reducing manufacturing footprint including GHG emissions, water, and waste to landfill; providing access to clean water and sanitation, education and community health and wellbeing.
And because gracious living naturally embraces the creative impulses that make our world a more beautiful place to live, Kohler nurtures art too by providing opportunities for artists to express their talents and demonstrating that art and industry can work hand-in-hand.
Business success doesn’t mean much if we don’t leave the world a better place than we found it
_____President & CEO David Kohler
Environmental Impact: Making A Difference For The Planet
Climate change poses the single biggest risk to our lives and livelihoods. Immediate and sustained action needs to happen in order to avoid serious consequences.
Kohler is committed to doing its part in addressing this global challenge. The company established its Net Zero goals in 2035 for GHG emissions across Kohler operations and Zero waste to landfill. Kohler is also committed to net zero water draw at highest risk facilities and 100% renewable electricity by 2035.
A culture of sustainability is firmly embedded in Kohler's DNA, touching all aspects of life - from encouraging associates to lead more environmentally aware lives to tapping into them to design innovative solutions to solve some of the world's most challenging issues.
In real-world terms, that means ever cleaner production facilities and smart product designs which save water and adhere to LEED V4 Building Standards.
An innovative KOHLER WasteLAB™ project has also found ways to turn pottery cull, foundry sand and other “waste” products into ceramic tiles, tabletops and decorative accessories. The result is a product range as elegant as it is kind to the environment. The ANN SACKS® Crackle Collection tile exemplifies Kohler’s belief that beautiful products can and should be sustainable. You don’t have to choose between on-trend colorful design and what’s good for the world.
Social Impact: Making A Difference In Our Communities
Kohler’s stewardship initiatives begin at the community level. Many of the Kohler’s 38,000 associates around the globe voluntarily invest their passion, time, and knowledge to help others in their communities.
We believe empowering our associates to take action is the surest way to help make a difference. Whether they’re joining relief efforts following a natural disaster (like the recent hurricanes in Puerto Rico and Haiti), mentoring a new generation of aspiring engineers or engaging with local artists, our associates are harnessing their passions for good.
Included is Safe Water for All, the signature initiative in our commitment to perpetuating change globally. Through partnerships, advocacy, and impact projects, associates are helping to bridge the gap in water access, primarily in greater communities where they live and work. Aligning with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, the basic human right of safe water for all is an issue Kohler is passionate about solving.
Learn more about KOHLER's commitment to Safe Water For All
And as a company, we have a long history of supporting the arts in our communities. We know that art inspires creativity and emboldens thinking. It energizes public spaces and enriches communities. At Kohler, it is indispensable to who we are as people, our quality of life and our success in business.
Giving Back Through Innovation
As climate change threatens already underserved communities in the world, it has become clear that business will be a vital force in driving meaningful change, for both the environment and the billions of people affected by global issues defined in United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
To this end, Kohler created Innovation for Good, an internal incubator focused on developing and implementing sustainable business solutions to address safe water and sanitation, responsible production and consumption, and reliable power.
One innovation in particular is the KOHLER Relief Showering Trailer. From coast to coast, this seven-stall shower, sink, and faucet trailer provides relief to volunteers and unhoused individuals with much needed showers and access to safe hygiene. In New York at the height of COVID-19, it helped healthcare workers recharge and refresh at a temporary field hospital.
We know the power that purposeful, innovative design has to change the way we live. At Kohler, we pair it with our expertise, our passion, and our gracious living, and we work to improve the quality of life for everyone for generations to come.
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Please select your project location to browse our global product catalog and specify your next project.
