[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.]<\/strong><\/p>\n For years, the privately-held company shared its environmental efforts through Our Footprint on patagonia.com, B Corp assessments, and other tools \u2014 but the reporting was fragmented. Work in Progress<\/em> brings Patagonia\u2019s impact data, purpose-led governance, giving ecosystem and environmental activism into one cohesive, transparent document for the first time.<\/p>\n Fifty-two years after the 87-year-old Yvon Chouinard founded Patagonia in Ventura, California \u2014 and three years since he gave it away \u2014 the company has published its most candid account of doing business differently. Work in Progress<\/em> reflects the outdoor apparel brand\u2019s ongoing effort to use commerce as a force for good.<\/div>\n In 2022, Chouinard and his family transferred ownership to the Patagonia Purpose Trust and the nonprofit Holdfast Collective. The move ensured that profits \u2014 after reinvestment \u2014 would be used to protect nature and biodiversity. It was a radical act of corporate rewilding that redefined responsible business. Now, Patagonia reports to a new boss: Earth.<\/p>\n Covering Fiscal Year 2025, from May 1, 2024 to April 30, 2025, Work in Progress<\/em> blends data and storytelling to chart Patagonia\u2019s progress and shortcomings. It confirms that 100 per cent of new products are now made without intentionally added PFAS \u2014 the \u201cforever chemicals\u201d linked to environmental and health risks. It also shows that 95 per cent of FY25 products were made in Fair Trade CertifiedTM<\/sup> factories, enabling workers to spend premiums on essentials such as child care and healthcare. Through its 1% for the Planet\u00ae<\/sup> program, Patagonia supported 824 nonprofits with US$14.7 million in FY25 grants and in-kind support. Since the ownership transfer, US$180 million has gone to Holdfast Collective to fund efforts from wetland preservation to air quality improvement.<\/div>\n Yet for every milestone, the report acknowledges missed marks in its 2025 goals set 10 years ago. Patagonia fell short of making 100 per cent of products with preferred materials, reaching 84 per cent. Its aim for half of synthetic fabrics to come from secondary waste \u2014 such as post-consumer textiles or discarded fishing nets \u2014 remains distant, with only 6 per cent currently meeting that target. And while Fair Trade premiums are a step toward equitable compensation, the company admits that ensuring a true living wage across its supply chain remains \u201ccomplicated\u201d.<\/p>\n Perhaps most telling is Patagonia\u2019s decision to abandon its 2025 carbon neutrality goal. The company concluded that neutrality, often achieved through offsets, doesn\u2019t go far enough. It\u2019s now aiming for net-zero emissions by 2040 \u2014 a more rigorous target that demands systemic change.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The report doesn\u2019t shy away from contradictions. Patagonia operates the largest repair centre in North America, yet 85 per cent of its products lack an end-of-life solution. It has nearly eliminated virgin fossil fuels from its materials, but some factories that make its gear still run on coal. These tensions are laid bare, not buried, in a tone that\u2019s refreshingly honest and self-aware.<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cWorking for our new boss is tough,\u201d the report states. \u201cBut we wouldn\u2019t have it any other way. Because she gets it: Progress beats perfection.\u201d<\/p>\n This ethos \u2014 of relentless experimentation and radical transparency \u2014 is what sets Patagonia apart. It\u2019s not just about doing less harm. It\u2019s about asking better questions, sharing imperfect solutions, and inviting competitors to join the climb. The company sees itself not as a finished product, but as an ongoing experiment in responsible business \u2014 a philosophy that echoes Chouinard\u2019s belief that business should serve nature, not exploit it.<\/p>\n Giving back, giving more<\/strong><\/p>\n Patagonia\u2019s sustainability journey to do less damage and increase positive impact has never been a solo ascent. The brand continues to mobilise its global community \u2014 from outdoor athletes and creatives to scientists \u2014 as active participants in environmental change. Whether funding grassroots campaigns or hosting repair workshops, Patagonia sees its customers not just as consumers, but as collaborators in climate action.<\/p>\n Buying a Patagonia jacket isn\u2019t just about technical performance. It\u2019s about powering environmental activism, supporting workers, and investing in the planet. Each garment is stitched with intention \u2014 and a promise to do better.<\/p>\n \u201cFor all the work we\u2019ve done on our products and in our supply chain, and all the money we\u2019ve given away to environmental nonprofits, it is still not enough,\u201d says Chouinard. The statement lands like a challenge \u2014 not just to Patagonia, but to the entire industry.<\/p><\/div>\n The company invites the community to read Work in Progress<\/em> and take action. Patagonia\u2019s greatest adventure may not be on a mountain peak, but in proving that business can be a force for good. And while the path is steep, the view \u2014 a healthier, more equitable planet \u2014 is worth the climb.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Yvon](\"https:\/\/img.i-scmp.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/660w\/public\/d8\/images\/2025\/11\/18\/chin_jimmy_00169_cc_WEB.jpg?itok=WdslrARy\" "\\"Yvon")
<\/div>![\"Workers](\"https:\/\/img.i-scmp.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/660x385\/public\/d8\/images\/2025\/11\/18\/craig_ryan_00133_cc_WEB.jpg?itok=GPcrm4GL\" "\\"Workers")
<\/div>![\"Patagonia](\"https:\/\/img.i-scmp.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/660w\/public\/d8\/images\/2025\/11\/18\/oberly_keri_00283_cc_WEB.jpg?itok=j-mTIAqS\" "\\"Patagonia")
<\/div>![\"Andy](\"https:\/\/img.i-scmp.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/660w\/public\/d8\/images\/2025\/11\/18\/siadak_austin_00785_cc_WEB.jpg?itok=cKeejOuJ\" "\\"Andy")
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