NMIMS Global Access
School for Continuing Education (NGA–SCE)
Course: Corporate Social Responsibility
Internal Assignment Applicable for December 2018 Examination
Answer: 1
Climate Change is also known as Global Warming, is the increase in average surface
temperature of earth. Climate change is about abnormal variations to the climate and
effects of those variations on the other parts of the earth. Climate change is a change in
pattern of weather and related changes in sea levels, land surface and ice sheets
occurring over time scales or decades or longer.
Climate Change Policy is the policy which enclosed the policies formulated to tackle
climate change and it can be local, national or international in scope. These policies are
basically classified into two categories– first, designed to minimize the extent of
climate change mitigation and second to minimize those risks and seize upon new
opportunities is climate change adaption.
Patagonia – A company which is implementing climate change policy
Patagonia is US based company. It grew out a small company that made tools for
climbers. They are into clothes for climbing as well for skiing snowboarding, surfing, fly
fishing, paddling and trail running. In each sport reward comes from the hand won grace
and the connection between people and nature.
Patagonia mission is to build best products, cause no unnecessary harm, use
business to inspire and implement solutions of the environmental crisis.
Environmental Impacts: The quality of Patagonia depends on the degree whether they
can reduce the impart on the environment.
The categories of their work include:
1. Reducing the environmental impact of our company and supply chain
2. Supporting grassroots activists by paying an Earth Tax
3. Using our company voice to advocate for systemic change
4. Empowering our customers by making quality products that can be repaired
5. Supporting regenerative practices in ranching and agriculture
6. Envisioning a new approach to business
Empowering the Customers by Making Quality Products that are Repairable
Worn Wear better than new is an environmental program conceived to reduce the
footprint of Patagonia products and encourage consumers to change their relationship
with not only with their stuff, but ultimately, all stuff. Worn Wear promotes investing in
quality, repairing things when they break, passing along clothing to others when it’s no
longer being used, recycling worn out goods and celebrating the clothing that travels with
them through life. Through this program, they fix customers’ gear in stores and at garment
repair center, teach them how to fix broken items themselves and provide opportunities
to purchase quality used clothing and gear instead of new.
Materials used: They build durable products that don’t need to be replaced as often.
Because they last longer, their environmental impacts are spread across a longer
timeframe. R&D department is constantly looking to improve and innovate on the
materials to ensure that they are truly making the most durable, long-lasting, best–in-class
products.
They are using raw materials that cause less environmental harm than their
conventional or non-recycled counterparts. They include:
Natural Fibers: Hemp, Organic Cotton, Tencel Lyocel, Yulex
Recycled Fabrics: Recycled Nylon, Recycled Polyster, Recycled cotton, Recycled
Wool, Recycled down
Becoming a responsible company, they define the quality of their company in part by the
degree to which they can reduce their impact on environment. They take a holistic
approach to all aspects of their business which includes, how the usage of resources at
their buildings and facilities is.
Energy used: There are 498 solar panels at Patagonia’s headquarters that reduced
overall electricity demand from the grid by an estimate of 14 percent. All most in all their
stores they are using LED lightings which saves lots of energy.
Patagonia as the Activist Company
At Patagonia they believe the environmental crisis reached at critical tipping point, without
commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emission, defend clean water and air, and divest
from dirty technologies, humankind as a whole will destroy our planet’s ability to repair
itself. At Patagonia, the protection and preservation is not what they do after hours, but
it’s the reason they are in business and every day work.
Planetary Boundaries
To understand how best to prioritize the efforts now and in the future, Patagonia is
presently guided toward 2050 by a concept called Planetary Boundaries. Developed by
the Stockholm Resilience Center and based on the research of 28 internationally
renowned scientists, Planetary Boundaries sets out nine precautionary boundaries for
critical areas of change, including climate change, ocean acidification, land-system
change, biosphere integrity and others. They are using this framework to identify what is
most material to our business, where the most influence is, and where the best affect
change. It will guide what should be done as a business to mitigate human-driven
environmental change.
According to Benefit Corporate Report – Fiscal year 2017 (May 1, 2016 – April 2017)
1. Each year Patagonia contributes 1% of their net revenues to nonprofit charitable
organisation that promote conservation and sustainability.
2. 1% for the Planet, a nonprofit cofounded in 2002 that commits Patagonia to
donating 1% of their net revenues in cash or kind donations every year primarily
to grassroots environmental profits.
3. 100% for the planet, on black Friday 2016 they pledged 100% of their sales from
Patagonia stores and Patagonia.com to environmental organisations working to
create positive change for the planet ($10 million).
4. $ 89 million donated for environmental work since they started their tithing program
in 1985.
5. 985 grant proposals funded in FY 17 to 954 environmental organisations.
6. 500 employees who are actively involved in grant making advocacy and deciding
which environmental organisations to support.
