For more than three decades, Patagonia has been recognized by its nature loving customers as the premier retailer that offers the highest quality outdoor apparel for a multitude of activities, including camping, snowboarding, surfing, mountain biking, climbing, fly fishing and much more.
But what sets Patagonia apart from its competition is its reputation as an environmentally conscious company that cares more about protecting the planet than padding its bottom line.
It is a company that recognizes the adages that “Talk is Cheap,” and “Actions Speak Louder than Words.” Once again, as it has demonstrated so many times, Patagonia is a company that puts its money where its mouth is — and we’re talking a lot of money.
Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario | Photo courtesy
In a recently published letter, Patagonia’s CEO, Rose Marcario, announced that the company is donating the $10 million it saved when Donald Trump lowered the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% to grassroots organizations that are fighting climate change.
“Patagonia prides itself on paying its fair share of taxes,” says Marcario. “Taxes fund our important public services, our first responders and our democratic institutions. Taxes protect the most vulnerable in our society, our public lands and other life-giving resources. Our home planet needs the $10 million more than we do.”
That is in addition to one percent of its annual sales that Patagonia gives to domestic and international environmental grassroots organizations as part of its 1% for the Planet program, an amount that has surpassed more than $89 million in cash and in-kind donations.
It is not only refreshing, but inspiring to hear a CEO speak boldly and honestly about climate change, the greatest crisis we are facing, a crisis that is largely ignored.
Marcario says, “The mega-fires, toxic algae blooms deadly heat waves, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts and rising sea levels will affect us all.”
She follows in the footsteps of the company’s founder, former rock-climber and now 80-year-old billionaire, Yvon Chouinard, who says “It’s important for us to lead an examined life and realize we are the problem; clean up our act and try to do business in a way that causes no harm to the planet; give back; become stewards of the environmental; and influence other companies to do the same.”
Patagonia exemplifies the pillars that The CLASS Project respects – Compassion, Living Consciously, Authenticity, Service, and Solutions — a business model that creates dedicated employees and loyal customers.
