Claude Ouimet, senior vice-president and general manager of InterfaceFLOR Canada and Latin America, has been appointed to the David Suzuki Foundation’s National Business Advisory Council. In his role, Ouimet will advise the Suzuki Foundation on how it can best bring its environmental policy expertise and creativity to the private sector.
“It is both a privilege and honour to be part of the David Suzuki Foundation,” says Ouimet. “I welcome the opportunity to join this incredible organization and help with the important work being done to provide innovative solutions that will help build a clean, competitive economy that does not threaten the natural services that support all life.”
Ouimet’s appointment continues InterfaceFLOR’s industry leadership position on environmental sustainability and is the latest development in the company’s efforts to reduce environmental impacts, push the envelope on innovation and to introduce other companies to the business case for sustainability.
This past March, InterfaceFLOR was confirmed as the first North American carpet manufacturer to receive a third party verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). EPDs address consistent factors based on full lifecycle assessment (LCA) that InterfaceFLOR has used in its own product measurement, such as progress on reducing dependence on virgin raw materials, reducing fossil fuel dependence and using renewable energy, and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. An EPD is the next step in the disclosure of consistent and verifiable product characteristics and represents a significant move forward for the carpet industry. A manufacturer can no longer claim a product is “green” when its overall footprint is anything but. Claims and notable accomplishments can now be seen, communicated, and compared by customers through EPDs.
In April, Interface was again ranked number one in the GlobeScan Survey of Sustainability Experts for 2008, a global poll that asks sustainability experts to name companies that merit attention for their commitment to sustainability. The most recent survey, dated November 2008, notes that “Interface maintains its position at the top of the list … Interface has clearly maintained its long-standing reputation for sustainability.”
