• • Climate
  • Reduced Emissions
  • Full Transparency of Progress
  • Designing Products with Climate in Mind
  • Recognized Leaders on Climate

A History of Protection

Interface has a long history of leadership in climate protection. Our success can be attributed to the variety of climate solutions we incorporate into our Mission Zero strategy. See the Climate Timeline

• The planet is getting warmer and we’re all feeling the heat. Research suggests that global warming is a significant issue with already evident impacts. Global warming is attributable to greenhouse gases accumulating in the atmosphere, keeping heat in and warming the overall temperature of the planet. Interface agrees with scientists who cite increased CO₂ levels as a major contributor to global warming – and the CO₂ is coming from businesses and other organizations and people – people like us.
  
  Many companies are now putting in place long- term plans for changes to engineering and operations with a goal of reducing their impact on the climate. Interface chose to make climate change mitigation a priority at every level of engagement in our business more than a decade ago. Climate change is a key component of Interface’s business strategy in keeping with its commitment to Mission Zero™, our promise to eliminate any negative impact our companies may have on the environment by 2020.
  
  The Copenhagen Communiqué on Climate Change is a statement from the international business community that sets out the business case for an ambitious, robust, effective and equitable UN climate framework. It offers a progressive global consensus on the shape of an agreement and warns that business will suffer if a credible deal is not reached at the United Nations (UN) climate change conference in Copenhagen this December.
  The Communique has already secured the support of over 500 companies, from the US, EU, Japan, and Australia, to Brazil, India, China and South Africa; ranging from the world’s largest companies and best known brands, to small and medium sized enterprises.
  Click here to read more and see why Interface signed the Communique.
   

• Reduced Emissions

  On a global basis, greenhouse gas emissions from our businesses are down a remarkable 44 percent from our 1996 baseline, through improved efficiencies and use of renewable energy.
  
  At the operations level, we continually improve our processes to reduce energy use and take advantage of renewable energy. Our GHG emission reductions are the result of diverse strategies including process efficiencies, energy efficiencies (such as lighting and equipment replacement), fuel switching, use of renewable energy and innovative offset projects.
  
  On the corporate side of our business, Interface was one of the first companies to measure emissions from business-related travel and commuting. In 1997, Interface partnered with its travel agency to measure air miles traveled and has planted more than 106,000 trees in its Trees for Travel™ program to offset CO₂ emissions associated with those trips. Our Cool Fuel™ program uses corporate fuel card rebates to purchase certified carbon offsets to offset the CO₂ emissions associated with its corporate fleet. Interface has purchased nearly 1.9 million gallons of Cool Fuel and retired over 21,000 metric tonnes of certified carbon offsets as a result.
  
  Interface’s Cool Co₂mmute™ program provides a way for associates to offset emissions related to their commutes and personal travel. Interface matches associate contributions to purchase tree plantings to sequester CO₂. Nearly 39,000 trees have been planted through Cool Co₂mmute since 2002.
  
   

• Full Transparency of Progress

  Interface tracks its global GHG emissions using the WRI/WBCSD Greenhouse Gas Protocol and we report our progress toward achieving GHG reductions annually and share it on this website. We have also submitted our GHG inventory for third party review and verification under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Climate Leaders Program and the Chicago Climate Exchange.
  
  In 2004, Interface joined the Chicago Climate Exchange, the only U.S.-based trading market for GHG emissions. As a member, Interface committed to reduce its absolute GHG emissions by 4 percent over a four-year period. Interface met its 2003 through 2007 reduction targets, and we are now engaged in our second four-year phase, committing us to reduce our emissions an additional 2 percent, for a total of 6 percent by 2010.
  
  As a founding partner in the U.S. EPA’s Climate Leaders Program, we pledged to reduce our U.S. GHG emissions by 15 percent per unit of production from 2001 to 2010 – and we are well on our way to meeting and exceeding this goal.
  
   

• Designing Products with Climate in Mind

  Interface was the first product manufacturer to offer climate neutral products to its customers. We offset the CO₂ emissions for the full life cycle of our carpet products through our third-party certified Cool Carpet™ program. Cool Carpet comes standard on all InterfaceFLOR and Bentley Prince Street products sold in North America.
  
   

• Recognized Leaders on Climate

  Interface’s climate-related work has been recognized around the world. Here are a few examples of the recognition and awards we have received:
  

  U.S. EPA’s Climate Protection Award 2004 (For Cool Carpet and Internal Climate programs)

  

  U.S. EPA’s Green Power Purchasing Award 2004

  

  U.S. EPA’s Climate Wise Special Recognition Award 1997

  

  Interface Europe, 2006 Business Commitment to the Environment (BCE) Award

  

  Interface Europe, Business in the Community(BITC), Environmental Impact Award 2006

  

  Bentley Prince Street, 2006 Climate Action Champion Award, California Climate Action Registry

  

  Bentley Prince Street is First Climate Action Leader™ of 2004, California Climate Action Registry

  

  InterfaceFLOR Receives U.S. EPA’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) Energy Partner of the Year Award-2006