No One Said Nature Protection Is Easy

The Blue Heart of Europe includes the Vjosa River as it flows unimpeded through Albania. Photo credit: Thomas Hadinger.

By Ryan Gellert, CEO, Patagonia

Have you ever seen a river? Maybe you think you have, but living, free-flowing river systems are a rarity. One by one, humans have dominated nature for short-term gain, channelizing, damming, rerouting, and dredging rivers until there are very few intact river systems left.

Patagonia’s support for grassroots activism began by working to protect the Ventura River, which flows behind our headquarters in California. Since then, we’ve supported groups and communities advocating for free-flowing rivers at home and all over the world while preventing and removing dams in countries from South Korea to Chile.

Each time I’ve stood on the banks of the Vjosa River, it’s clear how critical it is to protect that largely intact river system. The river springs to life in the Pindus Mountains of Greece where it’s called the Aoos until it meets the border with Albania—thereby becoming the Vjosa—before meandering to the Adriatic Sea.

A year ago this month, our support for the Vjosa River took me back to Albania to join Albanian national leaders, international dignitaries, environmental NGOs, scientists, and community members as Prime Minister Edi Rama designated the Vjosa River as Europe’s first wild river national park.

This was a moment many in the river protection movement feared we would never see. Our NGO partners from the Save the Blue Heart of Europe campaign in the Balkans and across Europe have worked for decades to protect these exceptional ecosystems. They have dedicated their lives to highlighting the destructive impact of hydropower on the last wild rivers of Europe. In doing so, they have reluctantly learned that in nature conservation you often lose more than you win.

As we stood on a hill in Tepelene overlooking the Vjosa River last March, two contrasting thoughts filled my head. First, a deep sense of appreciation for the tireless commitment of all involved. Minister Mirela Kumbaro, Prime Minister Edi Rama, General Director of NAPA Daniel Pirushi, IUCN Associate Director James Hardcastle, and the NGOs who have embodied the mantra of “trust but verify.” This includes Besjana Guri and Olsi Nika from EcoAlbania, Ulrich Eichelmann from Riverwatch, and Gabriel Schwaderer and Annette Spangenberg from EuroNatur. My second thought was that so often in life the reward for solving a problem is an invitation to a bigger problem.

Each of us knew what brought us together that day was both critically important and exceedingly complicated. There were uneasy alliances between NGOs and government leaders who had spent years locked in an adversarial posture. This was in addition to the fact that although we had a framework to guide us provided by the IUCN, in many ways, we were all committing and then figuring it out later. Landscape-level conservation is hard by definition. Far more so when protecting a river system flowing through towns and cities that have existed longer than the US has been a country. Our project would have been ambitious on a normal timeline—it often takes a decade to establish a new national park. We were seeking to move much faster.

So, one year in, what have we learned? It’s been tough. There have been moments when our disagreements felt insurmountable. Even when aligned, we’ve faced challenges that we didn’t anticipate a year ago. The work has been under-resourced on the government side. Each of the core teams within the Albanian government has a full-time job in addition to their work on this project. The rangers who patrol the river have seen their responsibilities increase with few additional resources. Communication across stakeholders—including across government ministries—has created conflicts that risked derailing the project multiple times. We’ve navigated tensions between tourism and conservation. And we’ve developed natural solutions for flood protection, which can be both complicated and time-consuming but also essential for a free-flowing river.

Perhaps our biggest challenge to date is finding a solution to a water-extraction project on the Shushicë River intended to support tourism infrastructure on the Adriatic coast. This important tributary to the Vjosa is currently the focus of intense negotiations between each of the different stakeholders including foreign government funders.

Yet, there have been some meaningful wins this past year. The Albanian government has been actively raising international support for the Vjosa Wild River National Park and the surrounding valley. Working with a team of experts largely funded by Patagonia[CK1] , the project team has drafted both a management plan and governance model. And the Albanian government is finalizing plans for the creation of a visitor center to serve as both a gateway to the park and a resource for protecting the 1,100 species that call it home.

When I reflect on the past eight years we’ve been involved in working to protect the Vjosa River—and the past 12 months since the Vjosa Wild River National Park was created—I start with why we got involved in the first place. To both permanently protect this fragile and largely intact ecosystem, and in doing so create a model for other landscape-level conservation and restoration partnerships between government, civil society, and private companies.

On that first point, permanent protections, one measure of success is that we are still here. Still negotiating. Still fighting like siblings. And still willing to engage when, at times, it would be easier to walk away. On that second goal—creating a new model—our shared impact is starting to scale. Our partners from the Save the Blue Heart of Europe campaign are working to replicate the model to protect other free-flowing rivers, including the Una River in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Morača in Montenegro. The Albanian government is working with Greece to create a trans-boundary national park from source to sea by including the Aoos River. And I often speak to business leaders, environmentalists and government leaders who are inspired by what these strange bedfellows have come together to accomplish.

I still believe we will succeed in creating a Vjosa Wild River National Park that benefits the citizens of Albania, and the flora and fauna that depend upon it. And in doing so, we will help create a new model for partnering to protect and restore nature. One that combines the strengths of government, civil society, and private business.

Onward …

New Report Finds Lower Snake River Dams Create Methane Emissions, Not Clean Energy

Media Contact: patagoniapress@patagonia.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Report Reveals Snake River Dams Annually Spew 1.8M Metric Tons of Carbon Emissions

VENTURA, Calif. — New science on the four Lower Snake River dams is in and it disproves claims that hydropower is clean energy.

A new report finds these dams are not a source of green, zero-carbon energy, but rather a major source of the heat-trapping greenhouse gases causing the climate crisis. Compounding the problem, dams submerge and destroy natural carbon sinks that once grew under their reservoirs.

For decades, politicians and various industry leaders have defended damming rivers by pointing to the climate benefits of allegedly clean hydropower. The new report, titled “Estimate of Greenhouse Gas Emissions for the Lower Snake River Dams and Reservoirs using the All-Res Modeling Tool,” estimates the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, including methane, from the Lower Snake River dams, reservoirs and their hydropower systems. The report finds the four dams in Washington are responsible for emitting approximately 1,800,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year—nearly 10,000 railcars’ worth of coal burned.

“Contrary to popular belief, hydropower is not a carbon-neutral source of energy,” said Mark Easter, chief scientist for Tell The Dam Truth and a former senior research associate at Colorado State University’s Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory. “The concept of how methane gets produced by dams and reservoirs is not widely understood. And that’s the source of the problem here—the Lower Snake River dams and reservoirs are giant methane factories, and the science proves it.”

Easter and Tell The Dam Truth, a nonprofit with a goal of exposing dams as climate catastrophes, used the All-Res Modeling Tool, which estimates emissions using a lifecycle analysis framework and includes the known greenhouse gas emissions emitted by dams and reservoirs through their entire lifespan. Patagonia’s Holdfast Collective provided financial support to develop the All-Res tool, and Patagonia has provided $1.5 million in grant funding to more than 15 grassroots environmental nonprofits working on Snake River dam removal since 2000. Patagonia has also made a feature-length film about dams, DamNation, and is currently running a campaign to raise awareness and spark action on these issues.

Dams and the reservoirs behind them emit methane and other potent greenhouse gases when artificially trapped organic material decomposes underwater. The research shows the dams on the Lower Snake River produce the equivalent carbon emissions of burning 2 billion pounds of coal annually. Dams also destroy carbon-capturing habitats, ruin life-sustaining fisheries and starve coastal communities of the sand and rocks critical to defending against rising seas.

Patagonia, along with a coalition of policymakers, tribal leaders, wild river advocates, anglers and others, is advocating a proven solution: Removing the Lower Snake River dams. In December, the Biden administration announced a 10-year partnership with Tribes and states to restore wild salmon and expand clean-energy production in the Columbia River Basin in the Pacific Northwest.

“Only by removing these dams, can we begin to restore the magnificent Columbia and Snake River watershed, save numerous species from extinction, honor treaty rights and build climate resiliency,” said Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert. “We applaud investments in true clean- energy solutions and programs that recover wild, self-sustaining fish populations that Tribes and other local communities depend on. We’re hopeful Congress will finally recognize that hydropower harms ecosystems and the climate, and that they must authorize removing the dams to free the Snake River.”

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Patagonia to publish ‘Patagonia National Park: Chile’

Published by Patagonia, an expansive new book offers a photographic journey through a former livestock ranch restored to become protected parklands.

Dig more deeply into the conservation story of Douglas Tompkins, the co-founder of The North Face and Esprit, and Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, former CEO of Patagonia, told in the recent NatGeo documentary “Wild Life,” directed by Oscar-winning filmmakers Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (“Free Solo”).

Releasing April 30, 2024, Patagonia National Park: Chile (Patagonia, ISBN 9781952338069, paperback, 11 x 11) will provide an intimate exploration of one of the globally acclaimed conservation and rewilding initiatives led by their nonprofit Tompkins Conservation—the creation of Patagonia National Park.

Highlighting breathtaking photographs and personal narratives from the individuals instrumental in the park’s restoration and establishment, Patagonia National Park: Chile pays homage to the rich history, awe-inspiring landscapes, and vibrant wildlife.

Photographer Linde Waidhofer captured the decades-long restoration journey, documenting the transformation of the land from livestock ranch to a world-class national park, where endemic species once again range wild. Essay contributions include notable figures such as Kris Tompkins, former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, and others. Readers are invited to immerse themselves in a sanctuary dedicated primarily to its wild inhabitants and offering human visitors an opportunity to rediscover their connection with the land.

Patagonia National Park is located in the Aysen region of southern Chile along the Route of Parks, a 1,700-mile scenic route connecting 17 national parks and over 60 communities. The park’s central feature is a renowned east-west valley shaped by the Chacabuco River. Once a vital passage for nomadic peoples and wildlife through the Andes, this valley had experienced significant degradation due to historical livestock grazing.

These protected parklands were conceived for the purpose of ecological restoration—a strategy aimed at combatting climate change, revitalizing ecosystems, and safeguarding wildlife. They are a result of private philanthropy and forged partnerships by local, regional and national governments, especially the support of former President Bachelet, who worked closely with the Tompkins, recognizing that the benefits of a protected planet outweigh the costs.

“In Patagonia the battle for the future of Chile was fought,” says former President Bachelet in the prologue. “At Patagonia National Park we signed our commitment to change its destiny, closing the door to pollution, and opening the door to a sustainable future, in which the protected park can be an example to other developing countries, demonstrating that con­servation doesn’t prevent development and well-being but actually secures these gains for generations to come.”

Inaugurated in 2018, Patagonia National Park is one of the fifteen national parks across Chile and Argentina that Tompkins Conservation helped create or expand, collectively spanning over 15 million acres. The Tompkins’ contribution is considered the most substantial philanthropic land donation by private individuals in the history of conservation.

The photographs and stories within the book are devoted to Patagonia National Park’s diverse landscapes, encompassing deciduous forests, glaciers, high alpine terrain, rivers, wetlands, and Patagonian steppes, as well as the park’s wild residents and the ongoing efforts to bring back healthy populations of fragile species, such as the highly endangered huemul deer, Darwin's rhea, puma and Andean condor.

“National Parks are the jewels of a country where all are welcome,” says Kris. “Where citizens and foreigners alike can walk the hills, meander along the rivers, and watch Patagonia grasslands slowly, patiently, regenerate forward toward the powerful, plentiful territories they once were. Where visitors can camp beneath the forest canopy that offers shelter from the famous Patagonian winds. Where visitors can sit quietly, watching species interact with one another, and even see glimpses of certain animals—like pumas, ñandú [Darwin's rhea], and Pampas cats—that are more elusive. This park is for native species to return to their rightful places, to roam the grasslands and forests just as they have for millennia. Our work is not yet complete. There are projects to be realized, species to be reintroduced, and ideas to flourish. Perhaps, after all, this will not be the last book we write.”

About the Contributors 

Kristine McDivitt Tompkins is a former CEO of Patagonia and cofounder and president of Tompkins Conservation. She has been a key figure in the creation of Patagonia National Park in Chile and other conservation projects that have so far resulted in 15 million acres protected in new or expanded national parks in Chile and Argentina, in addition to 30 million acres of marine national parks in Argentina. She holds several global leadership positions in conservation, and formerly served as a Patron for Protected Areas for the UN Environment Programme. The organization she created in Chile with Douglas Tompkins is now an independent entity known as Rewilding Chile which continues the Tompkins legacy in the region.

Michelle Bachelet is the first woman to have been elected president of Chile, a position she held for two terms, 2006-2010 and 2014-2018. She studied medicine before entering politics and was Minister of Health and Minister of Defense during the presidency of Ricardo Lagos. An advocate for the rights of women and the oppressed, in 2018 she was appointed United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Yvon Chouinard is the founder and former owner of Patagonia. He is an itinerant adventurer, passionate activist, and iconoclastic businessman. He also cofounded the Fair Labor Association, 1% for the Planet, Textile Exchange, The Conservation Alliance, and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. He is a surfer, mountain climber, gardener, and falconer, and he is particularly fond of tenkara fly fishing.

Linde Waidhofer is a landscape photographer in love with the pristine and mysterious beauty of wild, remote places. In her more than 40 years of professional photography, she has documented little-known landscapes from the deserts and mountains of the western U.S. to the Andes of Patagonia and has published 10 books of landscape photography. Linde is especially proud of her decades-long collaboration with Doug and Kris Tompkins, having contributed photos to their many conservation programs, including the Patagonia Sin Represas campaign to oppose destructive dams on Patagonia’s free-flowing rivers. She considers photographing the creation of Patagonia National Park one of her most exciting and important photographic adventures.

Patagonia National Park: Chile
by Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, Michelle Bachelet, Yvon Chouinard; published by Patagonia
April 30, 2024, Paperback, ISBN 9781952338069
276 pages, 11x11 inches, full-color photography throughout
$50 U.S. Printed on 100% post-consumer waste paper

Visual assets
Images

Press contacts
Stephanie Ridge: Stephanie@wildridgepr.com, 512-810-9238

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Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert Joins The B Team

Today, The B Team announced the addition of Ryan Gellert, CEO of Patagonia, to its group of global business and civil society leaders. 

Gellert has been at the helm of the California-based outdoor apparel company since 2020. He oversaw the transfer of the company’s ownership to two entities in September 2022: The Patagonia Purpose Trust and the Holdfast Collective. The structure legally enshrines the company’s values and purpose and allows for every dollar that’s not reinvested back into the company to be distributed as an annual dividend to help protect nature.

The B Team, co-founded by Richard Branson and Jochen Zeitz in 2013, came together united in the belief that business has both the capacity and the responsibility to become a driving force for social, environmental and economic benefit. Today, while the world grapples with simultaneous challenges — from climate and nature crises to active conflicts and human rights catastrophes — the need for bold leadership, particularly from business leaders, is irrefutable.

“I am thrilled to welcome Ryan Gellert to The B Team,” said B Team CEO Halla Tómasdóttir. “Ryan exemplifies courageous leadership. His unwavering yet humble commitment to the well-being of people and nature sets the gold standard for sustainable business practices. We look forward to collaborating with Ryan to catalyze a world where we can all love where we live and work.”

Gellert joins The B Team alongside leaders including Jesper Brodin (Inkga Group), Ester Baiget (Novonesis), Oliver Bäte (Allianz), Marc Benioff (Salesforce), Emmanuel Faber (ISSB), André Hoffmann (Roche), Ilham Kadri (Syensqo), Andrew Liveris, Juan Carlos Mora (Bancolombia), Jacqueline Novogratz (Acumen), Paul Polman, Mary Robinson (The Elders) and Hamdi Ulukaya (Chobani).

“I’m joining The B Team because they’re redefining business culture and developing better leaders worldwide,” Gellert said. “I look forward to working on this collective effort with leaders I respect and pushing the business community to scale solutions to the environmental crisis and the other pressing challenges of our time.” 

Contact

For more information, please contact Nadine Dobbs at nd@bteam.org.

About The B Team

The B Team is a global collective of business and civil society leaders working to create new norms of corporate leadership today, for a better tomorrow. Together, these leaders strive to hold themselves and their peers accountable for measuring business success not only by financial performance but also for the benefit of future generations. Leaders include: Jesper Brodin (Chair), Ester Baiget (Vice-Chair) Ajay Banga, Oliver Bäte, Marc Benioff, Richard Branson, Sharan Burrow, Kathy Calvin, Emmanuel Faber, Christiana Figueres, Ryan Gellert, Mats Granryd, André Hoffmann, Arianna Huffington, Van Jones, Sir Mo Ibrahim, Ilham Kadri, Joseph D. Kenner, Isabelle Kocher, Guilherme Leal, Andrew Liveris, Hiro Mizuno, Juan Carlos Mora, Jacqueline Novogratz, Paul Polman, Jean Oelwang, Mary Robinson, Hamdi Ulukaya, Zhang Yue, Professor Muhammad Yunus and Jochen Zeitz.

About Patagonia  

We’re in business to save our home planet. Founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, Patagonia is an outdoor apparel company based in Ventura, California. As a certified B Corporation and a founding member of 1% for the Planet, the company is recognized internationally for its product quality and environmental activism, as well as its contributions of more than $230 million to environmental organizations. Its unique ownership structure reflects that Earth is its only shareholder: Profits not reinvested back into the business are paid as dividends to protect the planet.

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Official Comment on the Expansion of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to Include Molok Luyuk

Dear President Biden:

Patagonia is a U.S.-based outdoor apparel brand with a 50-year history of environmental activism. We strongly support the expansion of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include Molok Luyuk (Condor Ridge) in northern California and the proposed co-management of the landscape with federally recognized Tribes in the area.

Protecting and preserving the environment is a core business tenet as reflected in our company’s mission statement: “Patagonia is in business to save our home planet.” In 2012, Patagonia became a California Benefit Corporation, enshrining our blended goals of business and conservation into our articles of incorporation. Patagonia believes deeply in the urgent shared responsibility to protect the environment. The future of our business, along with other companies who depend on the outdoor recreation economy, depends on the health of the wild places that customers explore, which includes Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and Molok Luyuk.

Molok Luyuk is considered ancestral lands by many Indigenous Tribes including the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. The land also offers incredible opportunities for hiking and includes critical wildlife habitat. We encourage your Administration to establish a co-management structure with the federally recognized Tribes in the area to provide for more robust land management, including wildfire prevention. Protecting and better managing this important habitat will help preserve biodiversity and conserve a critical wildlife corridor. Further, the proposed expansion would also help improve access to the outdoors for the region’s residents and help contribute to our nation’s important goal of protecting 30% of land and water by 2030. Expanding the monument is a chance to protect a rare and rugged landscape sacred to the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, and it will be critically important to our nation’s conservation goals.

America’s public lands and outdoor recreation industry can be powerful forces for stimulating the economy in the years ahead. Prior to the pandemic, the outdoor industry was growing faster than the rest of the economy, generating $887 billion in consumer spending annually, as well as supporting 7.6 million jobs that can’t be outsourced or automated, according to the Outdoor Industry Association. Accordingly, in California alone—where Molok Luyuk is located—the outdoor recreation industry supports more than 567,000 jobs and $73.8 billion in state and local revenue.

For all these reasons, we strongly encourage you to use the Antiquities Act to expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include Molok Luyuk. Patagonia joins the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, Tuleyome, the state of California and other stakeholders in supporting the expansion of the national monument and a co-management structure with the federally recognized Tribes in the area to provide for more robust land management.

Sincerely,

Meghan Wolf, Senior Manager of Environmental Campaigns, Patagonia

Cc:
The Honorable Deb Haaland, Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior The Honorable Alex Padilla, U.S. Senator
The Honorable Laphonza Butler, U.S. Senator
The Honorable John Garamendi, U.S. House of Representatives
The Honorable Mike Thompson, U.S. House of Representatives

Official Comment to Bipartisan, Bicameral Congressional Working Group on Paid Leave

Dear Senator Gillibrand, Senator Cassidy, Representative Bice, Representative Houlahan and members of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional working group that’s exploring solutions to expand access to paid leave for all Americans: 

On behalf of Patagonia, I appreciate the opportunity to share input about our experience in providing paid leave to our employees. Patagonia is an outdoor apparel company based in Ventura, CA. We employ more than 3,000 people globally, with 2,200 of those employees residing across the United States.  

We support our people with generous paid family, medical and caregiver leave. These benefits help us attract and retain talent, and retaining employees is crucial because turnover is expensive: It includes lost productivity while the position is vacant, and then the costs of recruiting, hiring and training new personnel. We see nearly 100% of mothers returning to work at Patagonia after taking maternity leave, and because of our paid leave and on-site childcare, women make up about 50% of our workforce—including 50% of upper management positions. In addition to the cost savings of retaining these employees, by offering childcare on-site we see significant productivity increases immediately as the employee returns to work. They can focus on their job knowing their newborn is, at most, a building or two away.

However, paid leave should not be a competitive advantage for Patagonia. Workers, regardless of their company or industry, should be provided with paid time off to use when they need to care for themselves, a newborn child or ill family member. To achieve this, the federal government must create a national paid leave program that builds from the best of what has been learned by state programs. A federal program could follow the social insurance model that has been set out by states rather than policies that rely solely on tax credits or drawing from Social Security—policies that have so far proven ineffective. A national policy should also provide a minimum of 12 weeks of paid leave for all forms of caregiving, and with progressive wage replacement that ensures low-wage workers get the support they need. We must minimize financial burdens on the American workforce.

Thirteen states and Washington D.C. have paid leave programs, and navigating multiple programs across different states is challenging for employers. A national policy would create consistency and simplicity for businesses, and more importantly, ensure equity for employees nationwide. While many companies voluntarily provide paid leave regardless of government regulations, far too many workers in this country lack the paid time off necessary to balance their careers and personal lives. I urge you, as federal lawmakers, to correct this by creating a national paid family and medical leave program.  

Thank you for the opportunity to submit a statement for the record, and please let me know if I can be of further assistance,  

Jenna Johnson

President, Patagonia

Patagonia endorses the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California

VENTURA, Calif. — Patagonia is joining the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California as part of the outdoor apparel brand’s 50-year history of supporting grassroots environmental activists.   

The Holdfast Collective, which receives the money that’s not reinvested back into Patagonia’s business, donated $500,000 today to help keep a law in place to protect Californians from oil and gas drilling. Patagonia’s hometown of Ventura is in one of the largest oil-producing counties in California, and more than 8,000 Ventura County residents live within a half-mile of an oil well.   

“There are many important debates happening about how to address climate change, but we should all be able to agree, at the very least, on community safety—especially when families and children are at risk,” said Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert.   

Nearly 30,000 oil and gas wells in California sit within a few thousand feet of homes, schools, hospitals and other public areas, exposing more than 2 million people, disproportionally communities of color, to emissions that cause birth defects, respiratory illnesses and cancer. An independent scientific advisory panel in 2021 advised California officials that a 3,200-foot setback—one kilometer—between oil wells and sensitive receptors is the minimum distance to protect public health.   

The state legislature and Gov. Gavin Newson passed SB1137 in 2022 to require oil companies to strengthen the health and safety standards of existing oil wells within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, day care centers, parks, healthcare facilities and businesses. The law also prohibits new oil drilling within the same buffer zone. However, oil companies paid people to gather signatures and succeeded in adding a question to California voters’ ballots in the Nov. 5, 2024 general election to decide whether to overturn the public safety measures. The law is on hold until voters have their say.   

“Big Oil’s deceptive campaign to try and undermine a new law protecting communities against toxic oil drilling is shameful, and they will stop at nothing to protect their bottom line,” says Darryl Molina Sarmiento, executive director of Communities for a Better Environment, a co-founding coalition member of STAND L.A. and the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California. “That’s why our broad and diverse coalition, including youth and working families living next to neighborhood oil drilling, will work every day until the election to ensure that Californians vote to keep the law that establishes a 3,200-foot buffer zone from homes, schools and hospitals in place.” 

Patagonia has contributed more than $16 million to support environmental justice work in the last five years alone. The company released the 2020 film District 15 to highlight activists in Wilmington, Calif. working with Communities for a Better Environment to protect residents from oil infrastructure surrounding their neighborhoods. Those activists were instrumental in convincing the state of California to pass the setbacks law. Since 2004, Patagonia has conducted non-partisan environmental campaigns to rally its customers and community to vote for candidates and policies that will protect the planet.   

About Patagonia   

We’re in business to save our home planet. Founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, Patagonia is an outdoor apparel company based in Ventura, California. As a certified B Corporation and a founding member of 1% for the Planet, the company is recognized internationally for its product quality and environmental activism, as well as its contributions of more than $230 million to environmental organizations. Its unique ownership structure reflects that Earth is its only shareholder: Profits not reinvested back into the business are paid as dividends to protect the planet.  

About the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California   

The Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California is a coalition of public health professionals, environmental justice groups, community and faith leaders, and youth joining together to stand up to Big Oil and make sure that no Californians have to endure health hazards from living just steps from dangerous oil wells.  

Press contact: patagoniapress@patagonia.com   

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Official Comment on Ambler Road

Patagonia submitted the following to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

Stacie McIntosh
Bureau of Land Management 222 W. 7th Ave., Stop #13 Anchorage, AK 99513

Re: Comments for the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Ambler Mining District Industrial Access Road

Dear Ms. McIntosh:

Patagonia is a U.S.-based outdoor apparel brand that, for over 30 years, has advocated for the strongest possible protections for the Indigenous people, wildlife, lands, and waters in Alaska. We are submitting comments for the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Ambler Mining District Industrial Access Road and urge the BLM to select the No Action Alternative and revoke the permits for the road.

Throughout our history, Patagonia has provided over $1.3 million in direct grant funding from our 1% for the Planet program to environmental nonprofits working to protect Alaska’s lands and waters, and we have used our brand resources to advocate for protection, including print publications and films, policy campaigns, customer communication, social media, public comments, and lawsuit support. Just this year, the newly established Holdfast Collective, which receives all profits not reinvested back into the Patagonia, donated over $4 million to various climate and conservation priorities across Alaska.

The proposed Ambler Road project would jeopardize one of the last great intact ecosystems in our country and the many local and native communities that rely on its healthy lands, waters and wildlife. The road would disrupt approximately 20 million acres of connected park lands and roadless landscapes, impact nearly 3,000 streams and rivers with pollution and disrupt one of the longest land migrations on Earth – the Western Arctic Caribou Herd – which many local communities rely on to sustain their way of life. Visitors from around the world are drawn to the Brooks Range for its wilderness character and recreational opportunities like rafting, backpacking and dog mushing. Lodges and guiding businesses positively impact Alaska’s economy and depend on this remote landscape for their livelihoods.

We are experiencing a rapidly warming planet, with 2023 being the hottest year on record. Industry proponents claim the mines would procure minerals needed for electrification and national security, but the data does not show large enough deposits of minerals to meaningfully boost the green energy buildout. While the data does indicate large amounts of copper, it is not in short supply elsewhere in the United States, and supply chains have other limiting factors, for example, all copper refining happens outside the U.S.

Meanwhile, the risks of development are significant. The state would subsidize foreign mining companies to the tune of $1.4 billion to build the road with no guarantee of economic return, all while devastating the region’s waters, lands, biodiversity, and Alaska Native ways of life. We know that protecting nature is critical for climate resilience, community resilience, and biodiversity protection. Alaska holds more than half of the country’s carbon stores, serving as a significant natural climate solution. Protecting and restoring public lands and waters can provide approximately 1/3 of the carbon sequestration needed, globally, to solve the climate crisis by way of carbon sequestration and reduced carbon emissions.

This landscape must be protected for its vital importance to Alaska Native communities and as a solution to protecting our planet. Please choose the No Action Alternative in this SEIS and revoke the Ambler industrial mining road permits.

Sincerely,

Hans Cole, VP of Environmental Activism Patagonia

Patagonia and Others React to Biden Administration's National Forest Plans

The following was submitted to the White House today.

Dear President Biden:

On behalf of many of the country’s leading philanthropic institutions, we commend the Biden-Harris Administration on the release of today’s Notice of Intent and National Old Growth Forest Plan Amendment. We are rmly committed to ensuring our treasured Federal forests will continue to provide clean water, clean air, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and recreation benets now and for future generations of Americans. We support the plan amendment’s aims to maintain, develop, and expand the abundance and distribution of old growth forests as a robust beginning to strengthening US Forest Service policies. Moreover, protecting our current old growth forests, while also protecting critical mature forests that will become the next generation of old growth, are key components to a national forest plan that centers climate resilience.

Including the requirement that each National Forest’s strategy employ Indigenous Knowledge is a testament to this Administration’s recognition that this is one of the many important knowledge systems that contribute to the well-being of the United States and to the collective understanding of the natural world. The commitment to requiring co-stewardship opportunities is an important step toward fullling the trust responsibility to Indian Tribes in the stewardship of federal lands and waters—policies that our institutions have supported with our grantmaking over the past several years.

In conclusion, we applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for taking this historic rst step towards protecting our nation’s old growth forests to ensure they endure into the future. Please nd below a selection of supportive quotes from a range of philanthropic institutions.

Fred Ackerman-Munson, Executive Director, 444S Foundation: “It is so critical that we protect not just our remaining old growth forests, but also the mature forests that will become old growth forests soon. We applaud the Administration for recognizing the importance of protecting “future old growth forests” in its rst of a kind National Forest Plan Amendment proposal. And we are heartened that, in the interim, any logging in old growth forests now must be reviewed and approved before proceeding.”

Shoren Brown, Vice President, Public Aairs, Conservation Alliance: “Old growth and mature forests aren’t just good for storing carbon, they provide jobs. Outdoor recreation on national public lands supports 4.6 million jobs in the outdoor industry. The Conservation Alliance and our member companies thank the Biden Administration for valuing our forests and protecting the next generation of old forests yet to come.”

Sam Gill, President and CEO, Doris Duke Foundation: “Safeguarding forest health and resilience in the face of changing climate and conditions, so that they can continue sustaining wildlife, carbon sequestration, water supplies and local economies, is an urgent challenge. We applaud the Biden-Harris Administration’s actions, through the National Old Growth Forest Plan Amendment, to secure our most critical national forest areas and ensure that they are adaptively stewarded for long-term health and resilience through science-based, climate-smart approaches.”

Julia Bator, Executive Director, J.M. Kaplan Fund: “The J.M. Kaplan Fund supports the protection of old growth and mature forests as critical agents for carbon sequestration and mitigating climate change. We applaud the Administration for making a commitment to advance this vital work.”

Al Jubitz, Jubitz Family Foundation: “I am personally excited that President Biden is moving forward with cataloging and preserving old growth and mature forests on our public lands. Forest Service lands supply drinking water for one in ve Americans. Where they remain, old forests protect the headwaters of many streams and rivers. These places provide vital spawning habitat for species like salmon and benet biodiversity overall. Old Growth Forests are the bedrock of a healthy watershed and serve humans and wildlife alike. Thank you President Biden for moving toward protecting these irreplaceable assets.”

Bill Lazar, Lazar Foundation: “We have dedicated our family Foundation’s assets for decades to protect our prized forests here in the Pacic Northwest. Mature forests are tomorrow’s old growth. To meet our climate goals and to enhance biological diversity, we need to protect these forests so they can benet humanity in the years to come. I look forward to working with the Administration to protect our mature and old growth forests across the U.S.”

Ryan Gellert, CEO, Patagonia: "We applaud the Biden administration for recognizing the importance of mature and old-growth forests and taking steps to inventory and protect them. Much of Patagonia’s business depends on the health of wild places that our customers explore, including national forests. Trees are also a key solution to the climate crisis because they store most of the above-ground carbon in a forest and preserve biodiversity. We look forward to working with the administration to ensure strong protections for mature and old-growth trees."

Marcia Argust, Director, The Pew Charitable Trusts: “The Pew Charitable Trusts supports the Forest Service’s pursuit of this generational opportunity to improve our treasured national forests,” said Marcia Argust, a director with The Pew Charitable Trusts’ U.S. conservation project. “This proposal adopts a climate-informed approach that will sustain forest health and resilience into the future by aligning management with a modern scientic understanding of forest dynamics and the benets derived from a robust network of healthy old-growth forests.”

Eric Artz, President and CEO, REI Co-op: “REI Co-op has advocated for the stewardship of our public lands for over eight decades. Protecting our national forests allows our natural spaces to sequester carbon, improves nearby watersheds and strengthens local economies. Old growth forests provide essential benets like carbon sequestration, clean water, wildlife habitat, and biodiversity. We thank the Biden Administration for preserving these spaces, which will keep our forests and communities healthy for generations to come.”

Avi Garbow, President, Resources Legacy Fund: “Resources Legacy Fund supports President Biden’s executive order advancing “climate smart” protection of America’s forests. The Administration’s new plan to implement this EO strategically expands the nation’s arsenal in the ongoing battle against climate change and biodiversity loss by conserving mature and old growth trees on US federal lands in California and across the country. This will sequester carbon and protect wildlife, watersheds, and communities. In California, we must pursue this eort through a robust collaboration that includes the state, Tribes, and other stakeholders, to develop science-based forest conservation and restoration strategies that reduce the risks of climate-driven wildres. RLF looks forward to working with the Biden Administration—including the Interior and Agricultural departments, the US Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management—to bring this historic presidential action to fruition.”

Birch Beaudet, Executive Director, Wilburforce Foundation: We applaud the Biden Administration’s recognition of the irreplaceable value of current and future old growth forests to both wild and human communities: clean water, clean air, carbon storage, biodiversity, and essential sh and wildlife habitat, as well as healthy and robust local economies. We are highly supportive of the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge systems alongside western science as a means to ensure the highest standards of stewardship of our shared natural systems. We look forward to working with the Administration to advance forest and wildlife habitat protections and resilience throughout the West.

Statement About Snake River Announcement

Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert released the following statement in response to today’s announcement from the White House about the 10-year partnership with Tribes and states to restore wild salmon and expand clean-energy production in the Columbia River Basin in the Northwestern United States.

“We’re hopeful the partnership that the White House announced today between Tribes, states and the federal government will lay the foundation for removing the four dams on the Lower Snake River and for restoring the Columbia River Basin ecosystem. We applaud the investments in true clean-energy solutions and programs that help restore rivers and wild, self-sustaining fish populations that Tribes and other local communities depend on. Now, it’s up to Congress to authorize breaching the dams, and it's time to finally free the Snake River.” 

Letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan About Dams and Reservoirs

EARTHJUSTICE PATAGONIA SAVE THE WORLD’S RIVERS

Michael Regan
Administrator
United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Administrator, Mail Code 1101A 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington DC 20460

Re: Patagonia et al. Petition for Rulemaking to add dams and reservoirs as a source category under the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program

Dear Administrator Regan:

On March 21, 2022, Patagonia, Save the World’s Rivers (formerly Save the Colorado), and over 130 other organizations and businesses submitted a Petition for Rulemaking requesting that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency add dams and reservoirs as a source category that must report emissions under the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting Program. Patagonia and Save the World’s Rivers respectfully submit the following comments regarding recent updates that are relevant to the Petition and GHG emissions from dams and reservoirs.

First, Patagonia and Save the World’s Rivers appreciate your recent comments at COP28 regarding the importance of addressing methane as a planet-warming greenhouse gas. We strongly agree with your statement that “[s]harp cuts in methane emissions are among the most critical actions the United States can take in the short term to slow the rate of climate change.” Your team at EPA, and the Biden Administration in general, deserve significant credit for launching the effort to “tackle super-polluting methane emissions,” and for extending that work with the new regulatory announcement at COP28.

Second, EPA’s focus on reducing methane emissions underscores why the agency should grant Patagonia’s Petition for Rulemaking and add dam and reservoir systems to the GHG Reporting Program. As the Petition explains, methane emissions from dam and reservoir systems across the planet have been estimated to be between 20%–80% of that of fossil fuels, as depicted in the graph below. Further, U.S. dam and reservoirs systems similarly emit large amounts of methane, both individually and collectively.

Moreover, as Patagonia and Save the World’s Rivers previously highlighted in supplemental comments submitted to EPA on December 12, 2022, EPA has taken additional actions since the Petition was filed regarding GHG emissions from dams and reservoirs. For example, in April 2022, EPA included methane emissions from reservoirs for the first time in its Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks. In addition, EPA announced last year that it was in the process of completing a four-year study of GHG emissions from reservoirs, which the agency was planning to complete in 2023. Granting the Petition for Rulemaking would complement these efforts and provide important additional data regarding GHG emissions from individual dam and reservoir systems.

Third, Patagonia and Save the World’s Rivers wish to provide EPA the following new supplemental information regarding the pending Petition for Rulemaking:

1. Over the last year, with financial support from Patagonia, an internal team of scientists created a new modeling tool named the “All-Res Modeling Tool,” which is the first of its kind to estimate the full lifecycle emissions of dam and reservoir systems. All-Res uses models created by government and university scientists (including those in the EPA and USGS), and published in peer-reviewed journals, for each emissions source category. All-Res then combines those models into a full lifecycle tool. The first application of the All-Res Tool was on the proposed Sites Reservoir in California, which estimated that the reservoir would produce the equivalent GHG emissions of over 80,000 gas-powered automobiles per year. The All-Res report regarding Sites Reservoir received a significant media hit in the Los Angeles Times.

2. All-Res’ lead scientist, Mark Easter, spoke at a side event at COP28 on December 11, 2023, and he discussed the Tool and the methane emissions caused by dam and reservoir systems. This side event was titled: “Hydropower as a false climate solution & Indigenous efforts to protect and restore rivers.”

3. If EPA accepts the Patagonia Petition for Rulemaking, we now have a methodology—the All-Res Modeling Tool—that can facilitate implementation for dam and reservoir operators in the United States. Further, this methodology would even be applicable in the states with the most stringent climate regulations, such as California, where the California Air Resources Board standards require a “full lifecycle assessment.”

Again, Patagonia and Save the World’s Rivers greatly appreciate your comments at COP28, as well as EPA’s actions addressing methane-caused climate change. This is why the Patagonia Petition for Rulemaking is so important—with dam and reservoir methane emissions potentially significant in comparison to those of fossil fuels, it represents a large blind spot in the Biden Administration’s policies addressing methane pollution. Without knowing where and how much methane is being emitted in the United States, it is impossible to accurately implement a strategy and policies that effectively reduce methane-caused climate change.

Thank you for considering the Petition for Rulemaking requesting that EPA add dams and reservoirs to the GHG Reporting Program. In addition, we request a meeting with EPA staff in the first quarter of 2024 to further discuss the necessity of adding dam and reservoir emissions to the GHG Reporting Program. A representative from Patagonia will be reaching out to you soon to schedule that meeting.

Sincerely,

Michael Hiatt
Deputy Managing Attorney Earthjustice, Counsel for Patagonia and Save the World’s Rivers

Gary Wockner
Executive Director
Save the World’s Rivers

Hans Cole
Vice President of Environmental Campaigns and Advocacy
Patagonia

Letter in Support of New York Fashion Act

Today, Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert sent the following letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the following members of the New York State Legislature: Speaker Carl Heastie, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, State Assemblymember Harry Bronson, Assemblymember Charles Fall, Assemblymember Pamela Hunter, Assemblymember Crystal Peoples-Stokes, Assemblymember Nily Rozic, Assemblymember Amanda Septimo, Senator Kevin Thomas, Assemblymember Carrie Woerner and Assemblymember Kenneth Zebrowski.

On behalf of Patagonia, the outdoor apparel company, I’m writing to urge you to support The Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act, S7428/ A.04333A, also known as The NY Fashion Act (NYFA).  

New York’s influence on fashion, culture and commerce are seen and felt globally. NYFA will create the nation’s first law advancing the social and environmental performance of the apparel industry. Specifically, it would require apparel companies with more than $100 million in annual gross revenue that do business in New York to perform supply chain due diligence, including reducing emissions in line with the Paris Agreement. The bill would also require large apparel companies to take more responsibility for the welfare of the people who work in their supply chains.  

Patagonia is a California-based company with three stores in New York. We work with large and small retailers around the state and support dozens of environmental nonprofits, and we work closely with Primaloft, a material technology company headquartered in Albany. We have spent decades examining our business practices transparently and learning from our mistakes. We know that Patagonia alone won’t solve the climate crisis — we need all companies in our industry to demonstrate serious progress on environmental and social issues, and to be held accountable for their claims. These are all reasons why Patagonia has not only endorsed the bill but will continue to recruit companies to support it and work with the coalition as it makes its way through the legislature. 

There’s a need for more regulation and accountability of the $2.5 trillion apparel industry. Most of the environmental and social impact of our businesses exist in our supply chains, where several brands share suppliers and production partners. This presents an opportunity for scalable change and positive impact. The NYFA will require major apparel and footwear companies to work with supply chain partners, achieve science-based targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, manage chemical use and avoid labor abuses.   

On behalf of Patagonia and our customers in New York, I urge you to support the NYFA. Please let me know if you would like to discuss this further, or if I can be of assistance to you.   

Sincerely,

Ryan

Patagonia’s Unconventional Holiday Campaign: Alaska

VENTURA, Calif. — Patagonia is asking customers to “save big” this holiday season. Alaska big.  

 Into the sea of holiday promotions and rampant consumerism, Patagonia has launched a campaign called “Alaska Needs You.” The goal is to activate the outdoor apparel company’s community to support increased protection for three areas in Alaska: The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the National Petroleum Reserve-Area and the Brooks Range. Specifically, Patagonia is urging its community—through a short film and advertising campaign launching Nov. 22, and through its stores and Action Works platform—to ask President Biden for the holiday gift of a lifetime: protection for America’s Arctic.   

This deal expires soon though: The Reserve comment period will close Dec. 7 and the Range comment period closes Dec. 22. (The comment period to protect the Refuge ended Nov. 7.) To date, concerned citizens have submitted hundreds of thousands of comments, including approximately 30,000 from the Patagonia community. Nothing says “happy holidays” like a Department of Interior comment period!  

“The Biden Administration could further protect America’s Arctic and as a result, play an outsized role in saving our planet,” said Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert. “The opportunity to enshrine protections for the Refuge, Reserve and Range is the result of a steadfast commitment from a diverse and tireless coalition comprised of outdoor recreationalists, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, activists, scientists and key government leaders. Your voice makes a difference and I hope you will submit two comments today. One to protect caribou, wolverines, bears, birds and more on 13 million acres of public land in the Western Arctic, and a second to stop a speculative road that would be disastrous for local villages and one of the largest, undeveloped parks on the planet.”

Patagonia has been supporting environmental nonprofits in Alaska for over three decades. Additionally, the company has launched journals and films, supported policy appeals, and joined lawsuits—all to protect threatened lands and waters and support communities across the state. Just this year, the newly established Holdfast Collective, which receives all profits not reinvested back into the Patagonia, donated over $4 million to various climate and conservation priorities in Alaska.

Patagonia has always avoided Black Friday sales promotions and takes an unconventional approach to holiday shopping. In 2011, the company placed an advertisement with the headline Don’t Buy This Jacket making the case that everyone needs to consume less—businesses need to make fewer things but of higher quality and customers need to think twice before they buy. In 2016, it was 100% for the Planet, when Patagonia donated all Black Friday sales ($10 million) to environmental causes, and in 2019, the company matched customers’ donations resulting in $20 million to environmental nonprofits ($10 million from customers and $10 million from the company).   

Lastly, in keeping with business unusual, Patagonia will close all U.S. stores, offices and its warehouse from Christmas Day through New Year’s Day to give employees a break. 

Assets

Landing page here.

30-second YouTube video available here.

90-second YouTube video available here.

Press images available here.

About Patagonia   
We’re in business to save our home planet. Founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, Patagonia is an outdoor apparel company based in Ventura, Calif. As a certified B Corporation and a founding member of 1% for the Planet, the company is recognized internationally for its product quality and environmental activism, as well as its contributions of more than $200 million to environmental organizations. Its unique ownership structure reflects that Earth is its only shareholder: Profits not reinvested back into the business are paid as dividends to protect the planet.    

Press Contact: PatagoniaPress@patagonia.com  

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Patagonia's Official Comment Regarding the Draft Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

President of the United States, Joseph R. Biden Jr.

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Deb Haaland

1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 2024

Comments re: Draft Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, DOI-BLM-AK-0000-2021-0006

Dear President Biden and Secretary Haaland,

On behalf of Patagonia, I thank the Biden administration for canceling the seven remaining oil and gas leases on the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Patagonia is a U.S.-based outdoor apparel brand that, for over 30 years, has advocated for the strongest possible protections for the Indigenous people, wildlife, lands and waters of the Refuge. We oppose all oil and gas development and extraction in the Refuge, particularly on the Coastal Plain. Given the Coastal Plain’s critical importance to Indigenous culture and beliefs, food security and traditional activities that link thriving communities to wildlife and the landscape, the profound negative impacts of oil and gas development on the Coastal Plain’s biodiversity would not only permanently damage this rich natural ecosystem, but also violate the rights of local Indigenous Peoples. Further, we need the administration to more urgently address the impact that increased fossil fuel extraction will have on our global climate.

We appreciate that the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have put extensive effort into the draft supplemental environmental impact statement, however we find the analyses of the impacts of an oil and gas program on Coastal Plain resources and users falls short of providing a full picture of what those impacts would be. With adequate analyses and alignment on science regarding impacts to important species like caribou and muskoxen, the large array of bird and aquatic species, sensitive soil and permafrost, air quality and many other factors, we are confident a complete assessment will demonstrate that any level of oil and gas development is completely incompatible with necessary protections for this region’s natural resources, and therefore the cultural, community and food security needs of local Indigenous Peoples.

Currently, 25% of U.S. carbon emissions come from fossil fuel extraction on our public lands and, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has warned that our domestic oil and gas production is likely to increase steadily in the coming decades. This scenario, which would likely be realized with approval of new drilling projects across the Arctic Refuge and Western Arctic, would result in erasing at least half the projected CO2 reductions from the Inflation Reduction Act within a decade, undermining our nation’s climate goals. Further, the Arctic is experiencing the impacts of climate change at a rate four times greater than the rest of the world – including permafrost thawing and the subsequent release of stored carbon. But we have the answers we need. Protecting and restoring our lands and waters can provide roughly one-third of the solution by way of carbon sequestration and reduced carbon emissions – two measures necessary to solve the climate crisis.

In summary, we urge the Biden administration to adopt the highest level of protections for the biodiversity and cultural resources of the Coastal Plain – to protect the calving grounds of the Porcupine caribou herd and subsistence for local communities, and safeguard threatened species from the impacts of oil and gas development and extraction. We also urge the Department of the Interior to conduct a thorough assessment of the climate impacts of leasing and its compatibility with U.S. climate goals. Finally, we ask you to work with Congress to repeal the Tax Act’s leasing program.

This moment represents a historic opportunity for the Biden administration to protect tens of millions of acres of habitat and cultural resources and leverage the critical role the Arctic must play in addressing the climate crisis.

Sincerely,

Hans Cole, VP of Environmental Activism

Patagonia

Patagonia Supports Minimum Wage Increase for Bangladesh

Patagonia has joined the Fair Labor Association, civil society organizations and other apparel and footwear makers in calling on the government of Bangladesh to raise the minimum wage to 23,000 Bangladeshi Taka for the ready-made garment sector in line with a living wage for workers and their families as determined by the Global Living Wage Coalition. 

We recognize the value Bangladesh holds as the third-largest supplier of garments to the world. We source from one longtime factory partner in Bangladesh who makes some of our most technical products. Our supplier has made meaningful progress toward living wages, yet we know there is more we can do together.    

As an accredited member of the FLA, we are committed to raising workers’ living standards through our own actions.   

·       We launched our Fair Trade program in 2014 as a way to send money directly to workers in our factories. Today, more than 85% of our styles are Fair Trade Certified, and premiums continually reach more than 75,000 workers.  

·       Each year, we take stock of the wages workers are earning in our supply chain. By working with our factory partners, we collect comprehensive data on wages, working hours, benefits and incentives to understand the gap to living wages. This extensive exercise helps us prioritize suppliers, regions and interventions to focus on. 

·       We seek guidance from labor experts and academics to conduct field studies and pilots to help us identify opportunities to increase wages sustainably. 

·       We engage in multi-stakeholder initiatives and collaborate with other brands to scale impact. 

·       We are committed to responsible purchasing practices, and we consider how every business decision impacts workers and suppliers. We believe in long-term partnerships, transparent negotiations and open dialogue with our supplier partners. 

The Climate Crisis Is Our Business

We can’t solve the climate crisis on our own, but we can put our business to work to be part of the solution.  Patagonia is responding to the climate crisis with every part of our business, because every part of our business is implicated. Three things need to happen: Clean up where we are most complicit, help communities kick oil, and gas and defend nature to protect our home planet.  

As of September 2022, Patagonia is owned by a nonprofit and a purpose trust, a novel approach we pursued so we could find more money to fight the environmental crisis without jeopardizing the company’s values or employees through a sale or public offering. Every dollar not reinvested back into our business goes to communities on the frontlines of climate change, conservation efforts, grassroots organizing and protecting and restoring ecosystems.  

Reinvesting profits doesn’t mean skipping over our core operations. Patagonia, a maker of stuff, has to clean up our own act. As a company, we need to manufacture our products from existing and fewer resources, and do so while minimizing damage to the planet. Our end game? Patagonia transitioning away from fossil fuels and the world getting into the business of doing the same. See also, a livable home planet. 

Here’s where it starts:

MEASURING OUR MESS

Fiscal year 2023 Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions = 200,119 MT CO2e

What these categories mean:

• Global owned and operated: the stores, campuses and distribution centers we own and operate.  

• Finished goods manufacturing: final product assembly, cutting/sewing and garment processing like washing and printing.

• Transportation: all our finished goods getting from here to there. Transportation of our raw materials is included in the Raw Materials Manufacturing category.  

• Raw Materials Manufacturing: all the steps from source to finishing, the origin of the fiber (farm/recycler), yarn spinner and fabric maker, including any dyeing and finishing of the fabric.

To hold ourselves accountable, we have set goals aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Globally, keeping warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius may not be feasible, but we’ll follow the science where it takes us. And where our R&D can help us pick up the pace, we’ll do it. While our targets may change over time, our commitment to staying aligned with the latest science, and our ambition and focus on cutting emissions, will not. Our targets:

Near-Term – FY2030:

·         Reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions 80%.

·         Reduce absolute Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services, upstream transportation and distribution, business travel and downstream transportation and distribution 55%. 

Long-Term – FY2040:

·         Reduce absolute emissions 90% across our value chain.

·         Reach Net Zero emissions across our value chain. 

Additional notes:

• SBTi has a robust target-setting and validation process that our company underwent, giving us confidence that our targets align with the latest science and the 2015 Paris Agreement’s commitment to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

• All targets are from a fiscal year 2017 baseline.

• Purchased Goods and Services: this scope 3 category includes our GHG emissions associated with Finished Goods Manufacturing and Raw Materials Manufacturing.

Runners to Gather in Homochitto National Forest to Call for an End to Wood Pellet Biomass Production

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    

GLOSTER, Miss. — Runners from across the country will gather this month to raise awareness about air pollution from large-scale wood pellet production across the Southeast. 

The wood pellet biomass industry and large-scale forest-derived biomass use for electricity production were denounced in 2020 as a climate solution by scientists around the world, yet federal and state governments still allow them to flourish while the health of ecosystems and small communities deteriorate. This specific biomass industry is a contributor to environmental injustice—Black people account for 77% of the population of Gloster, a small town dealing with ecological and health hazards. 

Gloster is a rural town, and like other rural communities, residents are placed in situations with limited access to healthcare and few economic opportunities to compensate for worsening health. But Gloster is unique in its access to public recreation in the South. The nearby Homochitto National Forest will be the site of a large trail run on Sept. 29 and will serve as an example of the beauty of Southern Mississippi’s forests, yet local residents are subject to air and noise pollution and environmental degradation under the presence of several wood biomass production companies.  

“This particular community is dealing with a suite of issues that represent what is going on across Mississippi and across the Southeast in terms of industry presence and political representations, and access to resources,” said event organizer Peyton Thomas, a trail running ambassador for Patagonia, the global apparel company. “We want to use this run to raise awareness and support the Gloster community and similar communities that are dealing with the same issues.” 

The trail running community is increasing across the Southeast, providing opportunities to expand recreation access to minoritized communities and advocate for environmental protections. The Equitable Action Run Towards Health (EARTH) aims to inspire collective civic action on climate policy and health equity in often overlooked places, through the act of running in community. The event is open to runners of all ability levels. The run is free to attend, but participants are encouraged to donate to the Greater Greener Gloster Project to help the people of Gloster buy air purifiers and air quality monitors for their homes and businesses. NNormal, Patagonia and Protect Our Winters are sponsoring the event. 

What: Runners from across the country will gather in Gloster, Miss to raise awareness about air pollution from large-scale wood pellet production, and to encourage civic action.  

Who  

• People representing the residents of Gloster, Miss., and other people from across the state and country, organized under Equitable Action Run Towards Health.  

• Upcoming state and local candidates have been invited.  

• Event speakers include Rachel Mayes of Southern Echo, along with representatives from Dogwood Alliance, Mississippi Public Health Professionals for Climate Health and 2024 Mississippi State Senate candidate Ty Pinkins. 

When 

• Friday, Sept. 29 at 1:00pm: Race check-in and registration, sharing of community healthcare resources (PPE and air filters provided by JULIAN) and an optional community run to share voting resources. 

• Saturday, Sept. 30 at 8:30am: Trail run with distances ranging from 2-10 miles followed by free food, music, speakers from organizations such as Mississippi Public Health Professionals for Climate Health Equity (MSHPCHE), Southern Echo, Dogwood Alliance and Protect Our Winters.  

Where 

• Friday, Sept. 29: Gloster Public Library, 229 Main St., Gloster, Miss. 39638 

• Saturday, Sept. 30: Clear Springs Recreation Area, Roxie, Miss. 39661 

Visual assets 

• Photos of Gloster and the biomass plant, running through the Homochitto National Forest here. 

  • Please credit photographer Brendan Davis. 

• Event promotional video here. 

• Event poster here.

Press contact: patagoniapress@patagonia.com

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