Era of record big four profits coming to close says PwC boss

News Article - 08 August 2008
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Interface Inc recently announced intentions to obtain global third-party validated environmental product declarations (EPDs) on all InterfaceFLOR products by 2012. This commitment forms part of Mission Zero, the company's pledge to eliminate negative environmental impact by 2020.

The announcement was made at a global web seminar held on Tuesday 9th November by the leading commercial flooring manufacturer. Dan Hendrix, president and CEO of Interface, also emphasised the company would not be easing pressure on itself to revolutionise manufacturing and business with its approach to end-to-end sustainability.

Mr Hendrix also used the conference to call for action from both large and small businesses to follow the Interface example, particularly the decision to implement EPDs.

 "Environmental Product Declarations require full transparency, create new standards of accountability, and will ultimately spur new levels of innovation as customers begin to understand the impacts of their purchasing decisions and demand more from business and industry."

Ray Anderson, company founder, first laid out the firm's radical environmental and sustainability targets 16 years ago. The plans were a turn-around for an industry that had previously been dominated by oil-driven approaches and strategies. InterfaceFLOR now follow rigorous improvement regimes consisting of key performance indicators (KPIs) and targets which demonstrate a leading approach to environmental excellence.

The reputational and PR advantages of setting environmental impact targets cannot be overstated, and as more and more companies do so, firms that lack the resources and stability to invest may find themselves losing market share as a result.

Access software can help in two main ways: Accounting for Carbon Emissions can help firms discover the most carbon-intensive activity with regard to electricity, travel and other key business areas. This data can help drive carbon-reduction policies and ensure projects yield the best ROI.

At the same time, the manufacturing and production software helps companies identify financial inefficiencies and address these, improving overall profitability. This extra money can then be used to fund eco-friendly projects without a significant effect to the bottom line.

For more information, please call Access on 0845 345 3300.

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