Anvil Knitwear Joins Growing BICEP Business Coalition, Advocating Strong Energy, Climate Policies

NEW YORK, Feb. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Anvil Knitwear, a century-old apparel brand, today announced that it has joined the fast-growing Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy (BICEP) coalition. Anvil becomes the 20th member of BICEP, a group of major American companies committed to working with businesses and policymakers to enact meaningful energy and climate policies.

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"For a 100-year-old company like Anvil, sustainable growth is a concept that carries special meaning," said President and CEO Anthony Corsano. "How does an organization sustain itself through a century of good and challenging economic times, of great political change and unprecedented technological advances, of soaring global population growth and diminishing natural resources? Anvil looks forward to working with BICEP to advance more responsible, low-carbon, energy efficient business practices and policies so that we can be here, and thriving, another century from now."

For Anvil, joining BICEP is an important next step toward ensuring sustainable global growth.  BICEP's core principles call for reducing greenhouse gases, promoting energy efficiency, and supporting creation of a globally competitive clean energy economy.  Anvil's practices have long been aligned with these principles; the company has taken steps to measure, reduce and report on its own environmental footprint. Its AnvilOrganic® and AnvilSustainable™ brands are among the company's 17 affordable eco styles made from a variety of fibers such as certified organic cotton, transitional cotton, recycled cotton, and recycled PET bottles and blends.

BICEP is coordinated by Ceres, a national network of investors, environmental organizations and other public interest groups working with companies and investors to address sustainability challenges such as global climate change. While Anvil is the newest BICEP member, it joined Ceres and adopted its principles in 2007.

"BICEP welcomes Anvil Knitwear, a company that knows something about being sustainable over the long term," said Ceres President Mindy Lubber. "More importantly, in our current economic and political climate it's more vital than ever to have business voices stepping forward in support of progressive energy and climate policy. These policies are a win-win for our environment, our businesses, our health and for American workers."

Anvil expects that BICEP will become an important partner for its already-robust public engagement initiatives, which thus far have focused on consumer education via interactive platforms, including TrackMyT.com, which chronicles the life cycle of a t-shirt from seed to store. Anvil also produced a digital short, "A Message From Earth: Organic Matters", as part of its commitment to doubling the production of organic cotton in the U.S.

Current BICEP members also include Levi Strauss & Co., Nike, Starbucks Inc., Aspen Skiing Company, Ben and Jerry's, Best Buy Co., Clif Bar & Company, eBay, Eileen Fisher, Gap Inc., Jones Lang LaSalle, The North Face, Seventh Generation, Stonyfield Farm Inc., Symantec, Target Corp., The Timberland Company, New Belgium Brewing and Outdoor Industry Association.

Within months of its founding with just five charter members BICEP became a leading business voice for comprehensive energy and climate policy in the last Congress, where such legislation came closer than ever to becoming a reality. The U.S. House passed comprehensive legislation in June 2009, and a Senate coalition headed by Democrat John Kerry of Massachusetts and Independent Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut sponsored similar legislation for the Senate. The Obama administration has also been active in pushing for comprehensive energy and climate action.

About Anvil Knitwear

Anvil Knitwear, Inc., a century old apparel brand, is a leader in the sustainable apparel industry with its AnvilOrganic® and AnvilSustainable™ brands. Anvil has been ranked by the Organic Exchange as the world's sixth-largest organic program for two years and it is the largest domestic purchaser of U.S.-grown certified organic cotton. Anvil offers 17 affordable eco styles made from a variety of fibers such as certified organic cotton, transitional cotton, recycled cotton, and recycled PET bottles and blends in addition to over 70 traditional styles.  For more information, please visit www.anvilknitwear.com, www.anvilcsr.com, www.shirtscan.com and www.trackmyt.com.

About BICEP

The BICEP coalition is coordinated by Ceres, which also directs the Investor Network on Climate Risk, a network of more than 90 institutional investors with nearly $10 trillion under management focused on addressing the financial risks and investment opportunities posed by climate change.

SOURCE Anvil Knitwear, Inc.