Burton Snowboards Joins BICEP

BOSTON, September 19, 2013 /3BL Media/– BICEP (Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy) announced today that Burton Snowboards, the world’s leading snowboard company, has joined the BICEP coalition to advocate for innovative climate and clean energy policies.

"Burton has a deep responsibility to the sport we helped pioneer and to the people and environment that sustain it,” said Burton President Donna Carpenter. “We are riders, and we take climate change and clean energy action personally because snowboarding is our life, our livelihood and our passion. We are excited to become a BICEP member because joining forces with leading brands and increasing our engagement on a policy level is one of the most important ways we can combat climate change. We hope our efforts help inspire others all over the world to join in the fight to protect the natural world that we love."

Burton Snowboards is committed to improving their environmental and social impact. One of their key initiatives is a sustainable manufacturing partnership with industry-leading bluesign®. In 2011, Burton engaged bluesign® to dive deeper into making their products and supply chain friendlier for people and the environment. One of the most important benefits of the partnership is a commitment to use less natural resources throughout the supply chain, in addition to ensuring clean air and water discharge in production. Currently, Burton is working hard to get as many bluesign-approved fabrics as possible into future outerwear, apparel and bag lines. The company has also expanded its sustainable offerings with the Green Mountain Process in their new Winter 2014 collection.

Additional Burton initiatives include energy reduction targets organic garden plots for employees, and alternative transportation efforts such as providing free employee bus passes, offering carpoolers preferred parking spaces, and implementing programs like its Critical Mass Bike Ride – a Friday commuter program supported by free bagels, showers and loaner bikes. Burton has also partnered with Protect Our Winters to build awareness and take action against climate change in the snowboard community through social media campaigns, global team rider activation and events.

By joining BICEP, Burton Snowboards has committed to expanding its global sustainability efforts by working with businesses and policymakers to enact meaningful energy and climate policies. BICEP, a project of Ceres, was launched in 2008 with a core group of five companies, including Starbucks, Nike and Levi Strauss. & Co. It has since expanded to include leading companies representing the personal products, sports and real estate sectors such as eBay, Inc., Symantec and Jones Lang LaSalle. BICEP members have been vocal proponents of renewable energy, greener transportation and stricter pollution controls on power plants.

“The outdoor industry plays a critical role in the lives of many, and Burton Snowboards has shown that it can be done sustainably. We are proud to have them as the newest member of BICEP and are certain they will be an active voice for smart policies,” said Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres. “With their commitment to social and environmental impact of their products and practices, we’re sure that Burton will have an impact beyond the snowboarding world, and will inspire many other company leaders to follow their stead.”

Burton Snowboards was one of the first signatories of Ceres’ Climate Declaration in 2013, which calls upon U.S. policymakers to capture the American economic opportunity of addressing climate change. The company has set ambitious goals on waste production, as well as with its supply chain and energy use. Burton Snowboards is committed to a 5% Annual Energy Reduction at their Burlington, Vermont Global headquarters through a collaboration with Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility.

More information on Burton Snowboard’s sustainability stance and initiatives is available on the company’s website.

About Burton
In 1977, Jake Burton Carpenter founded Burton Snowboards out of his Vermont barn and has dedicated his life to snowboarding ever since. Burton has played a pivotal role in growing snowboarding from a backyard hobby to a world-class sport by creating ground-breaking products, supporting a team of top snowboarders and pushing resorts to allow snowboarding. Today, Burton designs and manufactures industry-leading products for snowboarding and the snowboard lifestyle, including snowboards, boots, bindings, outerwear and layering as well as year-round apparel, packs/bags and accessories. Privately held and owned by Jake and his wife, Burton President Donna Carpenter, Burton’s headquarters are in Burlington, Vermont with offices in Austria, Japan, Australia, California, Canada and China. For more information, visit www.burton.com. Follow our line at facebook.com/burtonsnowboards and twitter.com/burtonsnowboard.

About Ceres
Ceres is an advocate for sustainability leadership.  Ceres mobilizes a powerful coalition of investors, companies and public interest groups to accelerate and expand the adoption of sustainable business practices and solutions to build a healthy global economy. Ceres also directs the Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), a network of 100 institutional investors with collective assets totaling more than $11 trillion.  For more information, visit http://www.ceres.org

About BICEP
BICEP (Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy) is an advocacy coalition of businesses committed to working with policy makers to pass meaningful energy and climate legislation enabling a rapid transition to a low-carbon, 21st century economy – an economy that will create new jobs and stimulate economic growth while stabilizing our planet’s fragile climate. BICEP is a project of Ceres.

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