Podcast

Patagonia’s founder gives away the company for climate

Will this audacious move from the $3B outdoor-clothing company raise the bar for corporate sustainability?

On The Carbon Copy podcast this week:

In mid-September, the outdoor clothing company Patagonia posted a 10-second video on Instagram featuring Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard. The camera zooms in on Chouinard writing one sentence in a notebook: Earth is now our only shareholder.”

It was an understated clip unveiling an unprecedented move: Chouinard is giving away his company to an entity that will steer all profits into climate solutions.

The move will funnel $100 million a year into climate-positive investments, make Patagonia a powerful force in climate philanthropy and establish a new model for corporate sustainability.

This week, we explore corporate sustainability from the perspective of the fashion industry, featuring the co-hosts of the podcast Hot Buttons.

We’ll start with a conversation on Patagonia’s move to turn the company into a corporate vehicle for climate solutions. Then, we’ll dig deeper into fashion law. Is better labeling the key to cleaning up one of the dirtiest industries on earth?

Don’t miss our live episode of Climavores in New York City on October 20! Join us for a night of live audio and networking with top voices in climate journalism.