Patagonia: A story of corporate social responsibility at its best
Patagonia
A Story of Corporate Social Responsibility at its Best
If there’s one positive from the corporate tax cuts enacted last year, it’s that $10 million dollars was donated to environmental organizations fighting climate change and the current administration’s environmental agenda. And the company to thank for that is Patagonia. Patagonia, and outdoor retailer, stands out as a leader for its corporate social responsibility: it is both an environmental steward and a guiding light for change and activism.
And its founder, Yvon Chouinard, and CEO, Rose Marcario spearhead the company’s mission with corporate responsibility initiatives that support employees, customers, communities, and the environment. It involves being transparent, supporting environmental activism, and inspiring participation to protect the environmental health of the planet.
Last week it was announced that Patagonia would give away the $10 million the company saved in tax cuts.
The millions are donated to various grassroots environmental organizations and programs. Fun fact, they have donated over 185 million dollars since their founding in 1973. In the 45 years since its founding, Patagonia has continued to innovate their brand, finding sustainable partners to work with, using 100% organic cotton materials since 1994, and is considered a pioneering brand for corporate social responsibility.
According to their mission statement, Patagonia aims to “build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.” The company grew out of a passion for climbing, surfing, and other outdoor activities; and it was through that passion and dedication that current and former members of the leadership team (and other conservationists) have urged the protection of land in the Patagonia region, rich with diverse landscapes including under-protected grasslands and biodiversity.
Kristen Kusek, a former non-profit communications officer and science writer, believes the company’s move is a strategic one. She said:
“I think Patagonia’s move to donate their tax benefit to environmental work is smart, strategic, and [an] inspiring move. We can only hope that other companies will follow suit with this kind of value-driven leadership.”
The values to protect these last wild places are visibly promoted by Patagonia’s leadership team. Besides donating their tax savings, developing and protecting land by creating national parks in Chile and Argentina, they publish reports such as The Footprint Chronicles to report and share on their supply chain: what factories they use, what materials, etc. By making this process more transparent, Patagonia has become an even more trusted brand.
The name Patagonia is said to have derived from the region’s original inhabitants, the Tehuelche Indians, who were called Patagones by Spanish explorers in the 16th century.
Chouinard and a team of outdoor enthusiasts-entrepreneurs formed Conservacion Patagonica to make a difference to protect this legendary region through alternative development initiatives and restore the damaged landscape allowing future generations to enjoy this “last wild place.” The park is supposedly three times the size of both Yosemite and Yellowstone, two of the most prominent national parks in the United States.
Aldo Leopold said:
