[Cohoes, NY] — As a part of its continued commitment to sustainable practices, Mohawk Fine Papers Inc. announced today its participation in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Climate Leaders program. By participating in Climate Leaders, Mohawk Fine Papers has pledged to reduce its corporate-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. About Climate Leaders - Launched in 2002, Climate Leaders is an industry-government partnership that works with companies to develop long-term comprehensive climate change strategies. Partners set a corporate-wide greenhouse gas reduction goal and inventory their emissions to measure progress. By reporting inventory data to EPA, Partners create a lasting record of their accomplishments. Partners also identify themselves as corporate environmental leaders and strategically position themselves as climate change policy continues to unfold. The Partnership - “Because paper manufacturing depends heavily on energy, water, and other natural resources, we long ago embraced the concept of extended stewardship,” said Mohawk’s George W. Milner, Senior Vice President, Energy, Environmental and Government Affairs. “We continually examine every aspect of our business with the objective of making our environmental footprint as small as possible.” “We believe that the cause-effect relationship between human induced greenhouse gas emissions and climate change is well established and based on sound science. Mohawk’s decision to participate in the Climate Leaders program was guided by our belief that the best environmental protection policies are those that rely on the limitless capacity of industry to innovate,” Milner added. Mohawk’s Environmental Approach - By examining voluntary programs, such as those that were evolving within organizations such as the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economics (CERES), Mohawk began to understand that environmental innovation creates competitive advantage. This led to an approach that integrates environmental strategies at all levels of business, from risk management, to procurement, to production, to worker training, to corporate policy development, and to product design and marketing. - Embraced renewable energy when it became economically viable - The first paper mill, and one of the first large-scale production facilities in the U.S. to use non-polluting, wind-generated electricity for manufacturing - Today a national leader in the use of wind energy, which provides 60% of its electricity for manufacturing, converting and distribution - Windpower products certified by Green E - Certified by SmartWood to manufacture paper to Forest Stewardship Council standards (FSC); this enables Mohawk to produce a wide range of products that carry either the FSC label. “Our Climate Leaders partners are demonstrating corporate climate change leadership by embracing energy efficiency, green power, and technological innovation as sound business investments,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Marcus Peacock. “Many of the nation's leading companies are working aggressively with EPA to lower their greenhouse gas emissions in ways that advance President Bush's climate change strategy.” For more information about Climate Leaders, visit http://www.epa.gov/climateleaders.