DALTON—As part of its commitment to be an industry leader in environmental stewardship, Shaw Industries announced two new initiatives undertaken by the company in conjunction with governmental and non-government agencies.

The first has to do with Shaw joining a select group of just over 200 entities to be a Founding Reporter of The Climate Registry.

The non-profit organization was established by 39 U.S. states, eight Canadian provinces, six Mexican states, three Native American tribes and the District of Columbia to measure and publicly report greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The Climate Registry’s goal is “to provide an accurate, complete, consistent, transparent and verified set of greenhouse gas emissions data supported by a robust reporting and verification infrastructure.”

In addition to Shaw, some of theother notable companies among the 200-plus founding reporters include Ford, Kodak, Shell, Qwest and Pacific, Gas & Electric.

Rick Ramirez, Shaw’s vice president of sustainability and environmental affairs, noted the success of The Climate Registry will provide proof that companies like Shaw “stand ready today to report their greenhouse gas emissions within a rigorous framework and to take actions to reduce their total carbon footprints.”

As part of The Climate Registry, Shaw will calculate, verify and publicly report GHG emissions annually. “We are in good company,” he noted, “and the only carpet manufacturer that has signed on for its entire company.”

The second initiative involves a partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Under this, Shaw has pledged to reduce the company’s energy intensity by 25% in 10 years.

Ramirez explained that energy intensity reduction means Shaw will reduce its energy per unit. “We will define our unit to DOE, such as BTUs per pound of product so we can track and report our progress over time.” The manufacturer will also define the baseline year against which it will set the 10-year goal.

To help kick off the partnership, Shaw officials attended the DOE’s Industrial Energy Efficiency Summit, which is part of an initiative to “energize” a Southeast regional partnership with the goal of improving industrial energy efficiency and productivity throughout the region. Along with Shaw, companies such as Alcoa, Lockheed Martin and Southern Co. attended the event.

“Energy reduction is top of mind for the nation and, more specifically, for large manufacturers like Shaw,” Ramirez said. “Shaw has already made great strides in energy efficiency, but we can do more. Saving energy not only makes better business sense, but it’s the right thing to do for our environment and future.”

For more on these initiatives, please call 800.441.7429.