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Patagonia donates US$ 10 million in sales

The company announced earlier this month that it will donate all of global Black Friday sales to the non-profits helping save the environment.

29th November 2016

Innovation in Textiles
 |  Ventura, CA

Sustainable, Sports/​Outdoor, Clothing/​Footwear

This year, Patagonia, a high-end outdoor apparel company, has reported a record-breaking $US 10 million in Black Friday sales — about five times higher than it was expected – which will be donated to the non-profits helping save the environment.

The company announced earlier this month that it will donate all of global Black Friday sales to organisations working in local communities to protect air, water, and soil resources.

“This year Patagonia will donate 100% of global Black Friday sales in our stores and on our website to grassroots organisations working in local communities to protect our air, water, and soil for future generations,” said Rose Marcario, President and CEO of Patagonia. “These are small groups, often underfunded and under the radar, who work on the front lines. The support we can give is more important now than ever.”

Climate change

According to the company’s spokeswoman Corley Kenna, who spoke to The Huffington Post, the idea of a fundraiser came as a result of an internal meeting following the US presidential election, with a goal to showcase the importance of the environment and climate change.

During his presidential campaign, the President-elect Donald J. Trump called climate change a “hoax” and pledged to cancel the historic Paris climate accord, which took 20 years to negotiate. According to Patagonia, the fundraiser "attracted thousands who have never purchased anything from Patagonia before."

“By getting active in communities, we can effect local change to protect the food we and our children eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe and the treasured places we love the most. And we can impact global priorities, too, by raising our voices to defend policies and regulations that will reduce carbon emissions, build a modern energy economy based on investment in renewables and, most crucially, ensure the United States remains fully committed to the vital goals set forth in the Paris Climate Agreement,” commented Rose Marcario.

1% for the Planet

Patagonia has been a long-time advocate for protecting the Earth’s natural resources. Since 1985, the company has pledged 1% of sales to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment. It has awarded over US$ 74 million in cash and in-kind donations to domestic and international grassroots environmental groups making a difference in their local communities.

The company’s founder Yvon Chouinard and Craig Mathews, former owner of Blue Ribbon Flies, started a global corporation called 1% for the Planet in 2002, to encourage other businesses to do the same and to connect “dollars and doers to address the most pressing issues facing our planet”.

It is a network of 1,200 member companies and thousands of approved non-profit partners located in more than 40 countries. The organisation’s members have given more than US$ 150 million to environmental non-profits to date.

Caring for our planet

“For decades, Patagonia has demonstrated that caring for our planet is not in conflict with running a successful business. We are always looking for ways to further reduce our manufacturing footprint, including our company’s reliance on fossil fuels. We also fund grassroots environmental organizations by giving away 1% of our sales,” said Rose Marcario.

“But during a difficult and divisive time, we felt it was important to go further and connect more of our customers, who love wild places, with those who are fighting tirelessly to protect them.”

www.patagonia.com

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