Atlanta-based Commercial Interiors Company Makes Carbon Neutral Commitment as
Part of Mission Zero(TM) Pledge
NEW YORK, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Interface, Inc. Chairman and
Founder Ray Anderson today outlined the company's plan to become a carbon
neutral enterprise by the year 2020, a commitment that was announced during a
working session of the second annual Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) in New
York. CGI is a non-partisan event bringing together global leaders from
business, politics, academia, science, religion and non-governmental
associations to focus on solutions to world challenges including energy and
climate change, religious and ethnic conflicts, poverty alleviation and global
health. Interface, Inc. is a recognized leader in industrial ecology committed
to the concept of Mission Zero(TM), a promise to eliminate any negative impact
its companies may have on the environment by 2020. Interface has reduced
greenhouse gas emissions by 56% in absolute tonnage since 1996. Ray Anderson
served as the chair of the President's Council on Sustainable Development
during President Clinton's second administration.
"The industrialized world creates more harmful emissions than solid
waste," said Ray Anderson. "The Clinton Foundation and CGI provide a platform
for companies like Interface to demonstrate a better way; a better way to what
we believe will ultimately be a bigger profit, for us and for mankind.
Eliminating or offsetting greenhouse gas emissions is essential to our effort
to reduce our carbon footprint. We make this commitment and invite the
industrial world to join us on Mission Zero(TM)."
Interface Climate Initiatives/Background
Interface is reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by minimizing the
impacts of its manufacturing and office operations, minimizing transportation
of people and products, and "greening" its supply chain through support and
development of those raw materials, projects and processes that keep CO2 out
of the atmosphere. This, combined with energy efficiency projects and
investments in renewable energy sources and carbon offset projects, will get
Interface to its goal of being a carbon neutral company by the year 2020.
Interface is believed to be the largest corporate purchaser of voluntary
carbon offsets in the U.S.
Interface initiatives aimed at greenhouse gas emission reduction include:
- Interface measures its GHG emissions using the Greenhouse Gas Protocol
Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard and tracks annual emissions
of manufacturing businesses across the globe.
- These measurements show that since 1996, Interface has reduced its
total carbon dioxide emissions by 56% on an absolute basis through
improved energy efficiency, increased use of renewable energy, and
utilizing carbon dioxide offsets from a landfill gas project near the
company's LaGrange, Georgia facility.
- Five Interface facilities operate with 100% renewable electricity from
a range of solar, biomass and wind resources.
- Renewable energy purchasing initiatives are in place at two more
locations.
- 28% of the company's electricity comes from renewables, while 13% of
all global energy consumption comes from renewable sources.
Interface Makes Climate Neutral COOL.
Ultimately, reducing greenhouse gas emissions will slow global warming, an
effect Interface calls COOL. Via its Cool Carpet(TM) program, Interface helps
customers offset the emissions associated with the carpet or fabric they have
purchased. Via Cool Fuel(TM), Interface uses corporate fuel rebates to
neutralize the climate affects of day-to-day travel by its associates and the
Interface fleet. Cool Blue(TM) is the company's process by which carpet is
recycled into new carpet backing. For more on these and other Interface
initiatives, visit www.interfacesustainability.com.
About Interface, Inc.
Atlanta-based Interface, Inc. (Nasdaq: IFSIA), is a global leader in the
manufacture of environmentally-responsible floorcoverings and other textiles,
through business units including Bentley Prince Street, InterfaceFABRIC,
InterfaceFLOR Commercial, and FLOR. The company is committed to giving the
marketplace a wide range of choices for specifying Earth-friendly and
Environmentally Preferable Product-certified products, with the industry's
first climate neutral carpet, Cool Carpet(TM), and the only carpet product to
be designed using biomimicry, the i2(TM) collection from InterfaceFLOR
Commercial. FLOR offers residential carpet products created from a rapidly
renewable, corn-based polymer (polylactic acid - PLA) and InterfaceFABRIC's
Terratex(R) commercial panel and upholstery fabric is made from fibers
containing 100% post-consumer recycled polyester or 100% rapidly renewable
PLA.
SOURCE Interface, Inc.
CONTACT:
Lisa Lilienthal,
+1-404-661-3679,
or
lisalilienthal@earthlink.net,
for Interface, Inc.
Web site: http://www.interfacesustainability.com
http://www.interfaceglobal.com
(IFSIA)