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Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)

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Environmental Stewardship

Our journey to more sustainable business began in 1994 with founder, Ray Anderson’s, “spear in the chest” moment that changed his perspective on business. Now, 30 years later, we’ve established ourselves as a leader across the flooring industry in the areas of design, innovation, and sustainability. Interface has worked tirelessly to address our carbon impacts across every aspect of our business, and we’ve achieved incredible milestones along the way, but we’re not done yet. We will continue to transform our factories, products, and supply chain as we work to reverse global warming.

In the early '90s one of our customers asked, “What's your company doing for the environment?” When our founder, Ray Anderson, realized he didn’t have an answer to this question, he created a company task force to solve it. As he prepared a speech to the task force kick-off meeting, he read Paul Hawken’s “The Ecology of Commerce” and was deeply moved. He described the experience as an epiphany, his “spear in the chest” moment that changed his perspective on business and sustainability.

Ray Anderson was awakened to the urgent need to set a new course for Interface. He shook the foundations of the petroleum-intensive carpet manufacturing industry by declaring that Interface was committed to becoming the world’s first environmentally sustainable—and, ultimately, restorative—company.

Ray later described the Interface sustainability journey as a climb up “a mountain higher than Everest.” Mount Sustainability, as we call it, became a symbol of both the size and scope of our mission.

Learn more about Ray Anderson and our sustainability story here.

For three decades, we’ve focused on transforming our business to become restorative. We have set ambitious science-based targets and a goal to become carbon negative by 2040. We continue to accelerate progress toward our goals and drive carbon emission reductions across our products, operations, and supply chain.

Our commitment to environmental stewardship is described in our Environmental Policy Statement which can be found here:

Environmental Policy Statement

Our Climate Goals

Our carbon negative carpet tile, launched in 2020, changed everything for Interface. We now know it’s possible to store more carbon than we emit. Now we are challenging ourselves and others to become carbon negative, enterprise-wide, without offsets, exceeding net zero requirements.

As we have in the past, we have set an incredibly bold and aggressive ambition, and we’re charting a new path as we work to achieve it. While we will build upon our past successes and lessons learned over the past three decades, we are still defining new pathways, exploring new innovative approaches and ideas, and will continue to collaborate and share with others to accelerate our mutual progress.

2030 Science Based Targets

In 2021, Interface became the first flooring manufacturer to have a third-party validated target from the SBTi. Our emission reduction targets are in line with the ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement, ensuring Interface is helping to keep the planet at a safe global temperature.

We aim to achieve the following by 2030 from a 2019 base year:

  • Reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions 50% on an absolute basis
  • Reduce absolute Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services 50%
  • Reduce absolute business travel and employee commuting emissions 30%

2040 Carbon Negative Enterprise

By 2040, Interface aims to become carbon negative and, ultimately, restorative. Our science-based targets represent an important halfway milestone toward this goal.

Reducing Carbon Emissions

Interface is ‘all in’ on solving the climate crisis - with carbon reductions, not offsets. Our carbon reduction plan is simple: Avoid, Reduce, Store, Inspire. We continue to avoid, reduce, and store as much carbon as we can in the manufacture of our products, our business operations, and our supply chain. We continue to work on addressing the entire lifecycle of our products – from the sourcing of raw materials through the end of life, and back again. We also continue to inspire industry and partner with others to create a ripple effect, accelerating collective action and positive impacts. It’s time for us all to back up our words with investment in solutions that accelerate carbon reduction and storage.

Climate Ambition Summary

Detailed climate and emissions disclosures can be found in our latest annual CDP Climate response at the link below.

CDP Climate

Interface previously used carbon offsets to support our Carbon Neutral Floors program (2018 – April 2024) and Carbon Neutral Enterprise certification (2021 – April 2024). You can find detailed disclosures on those offsets here.


Our Operational Footprint

We remain focused on reducing our operational footprint across the following areas: water, waste, energy, and greenhouse gas emissions. We have made significant strides in reducing the environmental impacts of our manufacturing operations and we remain committed to maximizing efficiency and increasing our use of renewable energy. In addition, all Interface and nora manufacturing facilities worldwide are certified to ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems and ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems.

79% of energy used at owned manufacturing sites is renewable

96% reduction of market-based GHG emissions at carpet manufacturing sites since 1996

51% of materials in the flooring products we sell are recycled or biobased

86% reduction in water use at carpet manufacturing facilities since 1996

81% less waste sent to landfills from carpet manufacturing sites since 1996

Find our detailed environmental metrics, including GHG emissions, Energy, Water and Waste here:

Environmental Metrics

Our greenhouse gas inventory was prepared in accordance with the WRI/WBCSD Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard (Scope 1 and 2) and the WRI/WBCSD Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Standard (Scope 3). Our Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions data were verified by WAP Sustainability in accordance with ISO 14064-3:2019 Part 3

GHG Inventory Verification

We use market-based instruments like renewable energy credits (RECs) and biogas certificates to support our renewable energy goals and reduce our Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions. Detailed disclosures on our RECs and biogas certificates can be found here:

Environmental Attribute Certificates

Our Products

Interface is committed to product responsibility and innovation including product transparency, responsible sourcing and developing a circular economy. We have made significant progress in decreasing the carbon footprint of our products through investments in innovation and new material technologies.

We created the ReEntry™ Reclamation and Recycling program (available in select markets) to take back products for repurpose and recycling. We also use recycled and bio-based materials in our carpet tile, resilient and rubber flooring products and have established responsible sourcing practices for our bio-based materials. In addition, we have a global program dedicated to eliminating “materials of concern” across our supply chain.

Learn more about our Recycling program here.

Interface has led the way in product transparency, disclosing product ingredients through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). Today, all of our standard flooring products have a product-specific EPD. We also provide ingredient details on our products through certification programs including Cradle to Cradle® and Health Product Declarations (HPDs). In addition, all Interface flooring and adhesives are certified to meet stringent indoor air quality standards for low VOC emissions.


Learn more about our commitment to environmental sustainability in our Impact Report.

2023 Impact Report

SASB Logo

Interface supports the mission of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) disclosing material sustainability data according to SASB's industry specific standards.

SASB Disclosure