Erin Meezan, Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Interface, will deliver the opening speech at the first ever Birmingham Sustainability Leadership Summit.

The 2014 Sustainability Leaders Report ranked Interface 3rd among companies leading the way on sustainability – right after Patagonia. For a traditional carpet company to make this list is testament to the inspiring vision of Founder and Chairman Ray Anderson. Since his change in vision in 1994, Interface has reduced waste to landfill by 91%, cut down water intake by 86% and greenhouse gas emissions by 73%. Currently, 50% of Interface's total raw materials are recycled or bio-based and 45% of their energy use comes from renewable sources. Mission Zero, their visionary goal, is to source 100% of energy needs from renewable sources by 2020.