Sustainable Company Profile: Patagonia

When it comes to sustainable companies that support the environment, I don't know that there is a better example than Patagonia. When he was young, founder Yvon Chouinard loved to rock climb and started making climbing equipment in his garage and selling the products out of his car. That was a success, and he later expanded his product line and ultimately grew Patagonia into a multi-billion dollar outdoor gear and apparel company. Patagonia became known for its high-quality, long-lasting products, while Chouinard made a name for himself championing environmental causes. He even wrote a bestselling book that discusses his unique philosophies on business called, Let My People Go Surfing.

The company has made news over the years with unusual advertisements, such as the "Don't Buy This Jacket" campaign, and made many of its products from recycled materials, such as Patagonia's fleece jackets. My sisters and I each have a Patagonia fleece that we wear and switch up between us all winter long. My dad wears one all the time, too, and he says he's had it "forever," which is an example of how Patagonia's stylish, long-lasting products help us consume less. Patagonia's mission statement says it all, "We're in business to save our home planet." The company's core values include quality, integrity, environmentalism, justice and "not being bound by convention." In 2022, Chouinard gave away his ownership share of the company, worth $3 billion, to fight climate change. All of the profits from the company now go to organizations that work to protect the environment.

This all makes it clear that Patagonia is not like most companies. They are doing it differently, and finding success, both economically and environmentally, and most importantly, they are creating a model for other businesses to follow. Can you imagine if more companies adopted a similar mission statement, had the same core values, and gave away their profits to help save the planet? That would move things in the right direction for our planet in a big way. I think the younger generation will use Patagonia's example when we go into the workforce and start to run companies ourselves. That is what needs to happen, and I believe it will, as the younger generation is seeing the impacts of climate change every day, and we understand that our future is at stake. As I always say, I have faith that we will find solutions to our environmental problems, and make sure that we and future generations enjoy a cleaner, greener planet. Patagonia is showing us how it's done.

Thank you for reading!

Click here to learn more about Patagonia's history

Click here to read more about Yvon Chouinard's book, Let My People Go Surfing