Interface, a leading flooring firm known for its sustainable practices, has announced a bold new strategy to accelerate its carbon reduction efforts. The company has pledged to move away from the use of carbon offsets and instead focus on direct carbon reductions and storage to achieve its net zero goals.
By repurposing former offset investments from 2025 onwards, Interface aims to drive innovation projects that will result in significant carbon reductions both internally and throughout its supply chain. This shift in strategy is part of the company’s overarching goal to become carbon negative by 2040, without relying on offsets.
CEO Laurel Hurd expressed the company’s commitment to solving the climate crisis, stating, “We’ve made incredible progress in our 30-year sustainability journey, and we’re committed to achieving our ambitious environmental sustainability goals without carbon offsets.” She highlighted the success of Interface’s carbon negative carpet tile and expressed confidence in extending this achievement across their entire product portfolio.
Interface’s head of global sustainability strategy, Liz Minné, outlined the company’s carbon plan, which focuses on avoiding, reducing, storing, and inspiring others to follow suit. The company is also dedicated to reducing the carbon footprint of resilient products through various initiatives, including increasing recycled content and driving the adoption of circular models.
The decision to discontinue carbon neutral programs in favor of increasing project budget reflects Interface’s dedication to finding alternative decarbonization opportunities. This move comes amidst a broader debate over the use of carbon offsets in corporate net zero goals, with Interface setting an example by prioritizing direct emissions reductions.
As Interface leads the way in sustainable business practices, the company hopes to inspire others to join them in achieving carbon negativity without the use of offsets. Their commitment to innovation and environmental stewardship serves as a model for the industry as a whole.