Arc|Com Leads Carbon Neutral Efforts in Fabric Industry
August 27, 2008
CHICAGO, Illinois — Arc|Com, a leading distributor in the contract fabrics industry, has announced that it has launched a carbon neutral program to help offset its footprint. The company celebrated the launch at Chicago's Neocon by offering to offset booth visitors' airfare or lifetime carbon accumulation through random drawings.
"I don't think anyone else in fabric is doing this, and we'd love to bring a bunch of other people on board," Arc|Com president Jeff Layne said of the new program.
Arc|Com has teamed up with GreenLife, a provider of high quality environmental credits, to fund a fuel switch project in Pecs, Hungary. Arc|Com's financial support will back the Pannonpower Company's swap from traditional coal power to sustainable biomass energy.
Mark LaCroix, the executive vice president of business development for GreenLife, said that in projects similar to the Pecs, Hungary venture, the sale of offsets plays a critical role in bringing a project that would likely not happen otherwise to fruition.
"The project did not make sense financially for the power company without sale of these offsets," LaCroix said. "They allowed the switch to happen."
Arc|Com is publicizing their work with GreenLife in the hopes that other companies will step up to the plate and have their carbon impact assessed as well.
"I've become convinced that this is a very important tool in fight against climate change, it's not the only tool, and maybe not the most important tool, but it is one that should be out of the box and be used," LaCroix said.
GreenLife is tapping into the voluntary market in the U.S., as there are not yet compliance standards like there are in other countries — the U.S. is not one of the more than 160 countries globally that have signed the Kyoto Protocol to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. However, LaCroix said that change is expected with both presidential candidates indicating support of a cap and trade system. According to GreenLife, a cap and trade system is designed to manage emissions by limiting the total allowable emissions and sanctioning the trading of allowances between participants to meet a particular goal.
GreenLife has been operating since October of last year and offers a diverse portfolio to earn credits from U.S. based renewable energy certificates to Kyoto Protocol approved carbon credits. The portfolio includes solar, hydro, wind and other projects. LaCroix said the difference between his company and others in the carbon offset business is that GreenLife is able to guarantee delivery.
"Others don't have the depth in their portfolio to back up the claim," LaCroix said. "Underperformance is a major issue in carbon market." The Arc|Com project in Hungary is estimated to produce offsets for seven to 10 years, after which LaCroix said the company will be encouraged to fund another project. Arc|Com is involved in other sustainable efforts, including the production of its environmentally responsible line eco-tex.
"I don't think anyone else in fabric is doing this, and we'd love to bring a bunch of other people on board," Arc|Com president Jeff Layne said of the new program.
Arc|Com has teamed up with GreenLife, a provider of high quality environmental credits, to fund a fuel switch project in Pecs, Hungary. Arc|Com's financial support will back the Pannonpower Company's swap from traditional coal power to sustainable biomass energy.
Mark LaCroix, the executive vice president of business development for GreenLife, said that in projects similar to the Pecs, Hungary venture, the sale of offsets plays a critical role in bringing a project that would likely not happen otherwise to fruition.
"The project did not make sense financially for the power company without sale of these offsets," LaCroix said. "They allowed the switch to happen."
Arc|Com is publicizing their work with GreenLife in the hopes that other companies will step up to the plate and have their carbon impact assessed as well.
"I've become convinced that this is a very important tool in fight against climate change, it's not the only tool, and maybe not the most important tool, but it is one that should be out of the box and be used," LaCroix said.
GreenLife is tapping into the voluntary market in the U.S., as there are not yet compliance standards like there are in other countries — the U.S. is not one of the more than 160 countries globally that have signed the Kyoto Protocol to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. However, LaCroix said that change is expected with both presidential candidates indicating support of a cap and trade system. According to GreenLife, a cap and trade system is designed to manage emissions by limiting the total allowable emissions and sanctioning the trading of allowances between participants to meet a particular goal.
GreenLife has been operating since October of last year and offers a diverse portfolio to earn credits from U.S. based renewable energy certificates to Kyoto Protocol approved carbon credits. The portfolio includes solar, hydro, wind and other projects. LaCroix said the difference between his company and others in the carbon offset business is that GreenLife is able to guarantee delivery.
"Others don't have the depth in their portfolio to back up the claim," LaCroix said. "Underperformance is a major issue in carbon market." The Arc|Com project in Hungary is estimated to produce offsets for seven to 10 years, after which LaCroix said the company will be encouraged to fund another project. Arc|Com is involved in other sustainable efforts, including the production of its environmentally responsible line eco-tex.
