Knoll, Inc. Joins Chicago Climate Exchange Greenhouse Gas Reduction Project

Knoll, Inc., a leading designer and manufacturer of branded furniture for the office and home based in East Greenville, PA, has announced a greenhouse gas reduction commitment through its membership in the Chicago Climate Exchange, Inc.

The project is the result of the Company's participation in the 2006 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting, a non-partisan forum that includes discussions about Energy and Climate Change.

The Meeting brings together a community of global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges. The resulting "commitments," like the Knoll-CCX partnership, leverage the unique capacities of individuals, corporations, organizations and governments.

Knoll will be the first contract furniture manufacturer to become a member of CCX. CCX facilitates the trading of "credits" (known as Carbon Financial Instruments) that companies earn for achieving reductions of emissions measured against baseline calculations.

"Joining CCX through the Clinton Global Initiative complements an already ambitious environmental program at Knoll," said Andrew Cogan, CEO. "For well over 25 years, we have been a quiet leader in policies and practices designed to protect the biosphere, conserve natural resources and reduce waste," he added.

Dr. Richard L. Sandor, Chairman and CEO of CCX said, "We welcome Knoll with pride and excitement to the CCX family. They are not only the first member of the furniture industry to take on a legally binding commitment to tackle climate change through CCX membership but also widely recognized for their design and materials excellence. We look forward to working with the Knoll team and moving together to address climate change through emissions trading, the highest standards of energy efficiency and a commitment to environmental innovation."

Knoll has made a "commitment" to the Clinton Global Initiative to work with CCX on the reduction of its greenhouse gas emissions in North America by 10 percent by the end of 2007, from a baseline average of the years 1998 through 2001. The Company expects additional reductions from this baseline by the end of 2010 and has targeted an additional 10 percent reduction.

In addition to its partnership with CCX, and as part of its overall commitment to the Clinton Global Initiative, Knoll will pursue other projects to improve energy efficiency across its North American manufacturing facilities. These opportunities will be explored by a full-time "energy czar," who will be hired in 2007, to conceive and implement additional measures to reduce the Company's environmental footprint. Knoll values its total commitment through the Clinton Global Initiative to be $1,000,000 over five years.

Knoll also partners with third party certification organizations, including GREENGUARD, the Forest Stewardship Council, the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the International Standards Organization. These organizations share the Company's commitment to sustainability.

Knoll served as an in-kind donor for the 2006 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting, which took place in New York on September 20 and 21. The Initiative selected the Knoll Life chair because of the environmental aspects that were incorporated into its design. Some 62 percent of the aluminum version of the chair, which was used at the Meeting, is made of recycled materials, and 70 to 80 percent of its components are readily recyclable.

Headquartered in East Greenville, Pennsylvania, Knoll, founding sponsor of the World Monuments Fund Modernism at Risk program, serves clients worldwide. The Company operates four manufacturing sites in North America: East Greenville, Pennsylvania; Grand Rapids and Muskegon, Michigan; and Toronto, Ontario. In addition, Knoll has plants in Foligno and Graffignana, Italy. The Knoll commitment to high environmental standards is mandated by a comprehensive Environmental, Health & Safety Management Plan.


11/3/2006

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