Dec 1 2015
For exemplifying sustainability leadership in the evolution of green manufacturing, Colgate-Palmolive Company has been honored with the 2015 Ray Anderson Radical Industrialism Award.
(Graphic: Business Wire)
A leading global consumer products company, Colgate-Palmolive was celebrated at the U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild Leadership Awards Luncheon held in Washington, D.C.
While acknowledging Colgate-Palmolive’s many sustainability accomplishments, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) described the awardee’s commitment to LEED as particularly noteworthy in raising the bar for sustainable operations. The company currently has 11 certified facilities and eight more in the pipeline, generating significant savings in energy and water as well as reducing waste and carbon emissions.
The USGBC began awarding the Radical Industrialism Award in 2013 in honor of Ray Anderson, the late founder and chairman of sustainable minded carpet manufacturer, Interface, Inc. Anderson was a corporate sustainability pioneer who was influential in the development of LEED green building certification.
Sponsored by the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, USGBC presents his namesake award each year to a leader in the manufacturing sector whose commitment to and achievements in sustainability exemplify Ray’s vision, integrating sustainability into the very heart of their company.
“Colgate-Palmolive deserves every accolade it gets for the exceptional work it is doing,” said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and Founding Chair, USGBC. “It is exactly the kind of company Ray Anderson sought to encourage, and it makes Colgate-Palmolive a terrific choice to receive the USGBC Leadership Award named for him. Also, at the company's heart is a culture of care for the planet, and the awareness-building and education it does around water conservation says a great deal about its end-to-end commitment to leadership."
Recognizing businesses have a vital role to play in addressing global environmental issues such as climate change, carbon emissions and water security, Colgate-Palmolive has made its commitment to the planet an important part of the company’s robust sustainability strategy. In addition to its ongoing commitment to sustainably built and run facilities, the company’s global strategy also includes a commitment to “Reducing Our Impact on Climate and the Environment” through planet-related 2020 goals to:
- Responsibly source forest commodities to reach zero net deforestation
- Promote use of renewable energy and reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing by 25% compared to 2002
- Reduce our manufacturing energy intensity by one third compared to 2002
- Halve our manufacturing waste sent to landfill per ton of product compared to 2010, working toward our goal of “Zero Waste”
- Partner with key suppliers, customers and consumers to reduce energy, greenhouse gas emissions