The Audemat group said it will take steps to be a more responsible environmental citizen.

The French company already has ISO 14001 certification and has tried to offset production of greenhouse gasses including construction of an “eco building” and design of products with low energy consumption.

“Despite these efforts, and as with many industrial activities, the Audemat group produces several hundred tons of CO2 each year (650 tons in 2007),” it stated; so it also has decided to compensate by working with a nonprofit, GoodPlanet, which promotes sustainable development.

It said its staff elected to support three programs including reforestation of small properties belonging to indigenous communities in Chile; production of green charcoal in Senegal; and reforestation in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia. These programs seek to reduce CO2 emissions and enable natural regeneration of land where forest has been burned or cut down, among other aims.