For Patagonia, phasing out fossil fuels means “getting the oil off our backs”
Susan Clandillon
As a signatory of the Fossil to Clean policy advocacy letter, outdoor clothing and gear brand Patagonia is among hundreds of companies advocating for a global phase-out of unabated fossil fuels. The brand that became known for its synthetic sportswear is now taking action to go from fossil to clean across its own value chain by applying and advocating for circular economy principles.
“We know from 51 years of experience that doing right by the planet is also good for business,” said Ryan Gellert, CEO of Patagonia, in an essay published by The New York Times. “But it isn’t easy, and much of the work our company is known for — such as building a more transparent supply chain or sourcing environmentally responsible materials — can take years of research, investment and infrastructure building. It can be unglamorous, it often happens behind the scenes and success might not result in a claim we can print on the hangtags of our products. But it is important work for the future of the planet and it is necessary to make good on the never-ending push to be the most responsible company we can be.”
Founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, Patagonia has evolved from selling climbing gear out of a car to becoming a leader in sustainable outdoor apparel.
Chouinard leveraged his knowledge of outdoor sports to drive product innovation. The brand made some of the world’s first synthetic underwear for climbing and mountaineering as early as 1980 alongside a range of polypropylene fleeces in bright colors.
From the 1990s, the company began scrutinizing the environmental impacts of its textile choices. It began reducing its reliance on virgin petroleum fibers by making its signature fleeces out of recycled plastic bottles for the first time in 1993 and commissioned an independent report on the environmental impact of cotton in 1994.
Since then, Patagonia has introduced a variety of preferred materials such as recycled nylon, regenerative organic cotton or hemp. Ten years ago, the company started working towards using no virgin petroleum fibers by 2025, rallying its teams and collaborating with partners like Bureo to scale the impact across the industry.
By Spring 2024, 87% of Patagonia’s products by weight were made with other materials such as organic and regenerative organic cotton, recycled polyester and recycled nylon. Just 4% of garments in their Spring line contained virgin polyester. According to the brand, the move to replace virgin polyester with recycled polyester has kept approximately 153 million pounds of CO2 out of the atmosphere since 2019. However, even though recycled polyester emits less than virgin polyester, it still contributes to microfiber pollution. Getting fossil fuels out of fashion is an ongoing challenge that requires a highly collaborative approach.
Driving sustainability in the apparel sector
Patagonia’s research on materiality in the early to mid-nineties didn’t stop there.
The company’s mission, “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis,” meant that they needed an about-turn on synthetic materials, and they needed to bring others on the journey with them.
In 2009, Patagonia and Walmart collaborated with other firms to develop a sustainability reporting framework, resulting in the launch of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) in 2010. By 2023, it covered half of the global textile, apparel and footwear industry. That same year, the first eight members would develop an index to measure the environmental impact of their products: the Higg Index. Later in 2012, Nike donated its Nike Materials Sustainability Index to the SAC, creating the Higg Materials Sustainability Index.
In early 2024, SAC rebranded as Cascale, now boasting 300 members including Amazon, Carhartt, H&M and Nike. With over 24,000 users in 30 countries, the Higg Index and its products aid brands in selecting materials with minimal environmental impact by evaluating their lifecycle from extraction to disposal.
Advocacy for a circular economy
In 2019, the SAC took its first steps into advocacy, launching a policy hub to advocate for circular economy principles. This year, Cascale announced its 2024 Policy Priorities with specific asks around harmonizing global regulatory frameworks and driving renewable energy transitions and energy efficiency across all levels of supply chains.
Since 2019, Europe has been leading efforts to regulate the industry, with the release of the the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles in March 2022, which aims to implement the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Zero Pollution Action Plan. With the need for circular economy regulation in the fashion industry evident, the international business community has an important role to play in ensuring the implementation of the EU’s efforts – and similar policies in other markets.
Moving the dial on fossil-free clothing
With its goal to remove virgin petroleum by 2025 and new product offerings like a recycled wetsuit made from Yulex natural rubber and black carbon from old tires, Patagonia is in the vanguard of apparel brands moving the needle on virgin, fossil-free clothing. Added to this, its role as a convenor of the SAC/Cascale has prompted thousands of companies to act on materiality and green procurement.
Simultaneously, Patagonia has also made strides to decarbonize its own value chain with its Supply Chain Environmental Responsibility program , measuring suppliers’ performance against standards covering chemicals, water use, energy use, GHG emissions and waste.
Yet despite progress by some companies, synthetic fibers in fashion persist, with the industry consuming 1.35% of global oil and accounting for 10% of global carbon emissions—more than international flights and maritime shipping combined. Companies across the sector can accelerate their journey from fossil to clean by taking inspiration from Patagonia and setting targets, focusing on clean procurement and ensuring responsible policy engagement, including joining the global call for fossil fuel phase-out.
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