Armstrong World Industries wins Greenhouse Challenge Plus Award

Armstrong World Industries recently won the federal government’s Greenhouse Challenge Plus Award in Canberra.

The Greenhouse Challenge was established by the federal government as a voluntary partnership program for businesses to contract to reduce greenhouse emissions with an overall target reduction of 15 million tones of greenhouse gas reduction each year by 2012.

Mike Jenkins, Armstrong's vice-president Southern Asia/Pacific, said that the company was thrilled to win the award.

“The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is a crucial part of the lifecycle approach we take in the manufacture of our products,” Mr. Jenkins said. “Armstrong was introduced to the Greenhouse Challenge Plus Program in 2000. We recognised that the program fitted our strategic intent to ensure we leave the smallest environmental footprint as a result of our operations, while complementing our process optimisation initiatives.”

Armstrong engaged an independent firm to conduct an energy audit, which was completed in 2001 and ratified by the Commonwealth in 2002. The action plan was completed in April 2007.

“These initiatives resulted in 3100 tonnes per year less greenhouse gas emission since the year 2000, a 21% reduction, as a first phase plan,” Mr Jenkins said.

“We are currently generating a second-phase plan that aims at another 1000 tonnes reductions in emissions by 2010.”

The independent firm has again been retained to conduct a second energy audit that will determine Armstrong’s energy improvement plan for the next five years.