These trees will be planted in the Puget Sound watershed where OR is located, in Tacoma
Seattle, Washington. (March 26, 2013) ― This year, Outdoor Research, a manufacturer of outdoor gear, is undertaking an innovative Pacific Northwest project by planting 234 native conifer trees south of its Seattle headquarters. These trees will serve as a carbon sink, offsetting the company’s 2012 carbon emissions.
As a company fully committed to outdoor adventure and wild environments, Outdoor Research also focuses on its impact on the natural world, including global warming, and voluntarily takes steps to address these effects. The company will achieve carbon neutrality through a tree-planting initiative carried out via the Carbon Capture Company (C3) program of the environmental organization Forterra.
“Global warming is a difficult issue with no direct solution. A key step is taking measurable, direct, and voluntary action,” said Dan Nordstrom, CEO of Outdoor Research and a board member of Forterra. “The C3 program allows us to take direct action internally, alongside other measures, by assessing our carbon footprint and offsetting those emissions accordingly. The tree-planting initiative, along with more indirect credit-based programs, currently appears to be a more effective weapon against global warming.”
Outdoor Research’s carbon emissions were calculated by considering factors such as energy use, domestic manufacturing, global shipping, business travel, and employee commuting. A primary goal of the C3 project is to measure total CO₂ emissions and then absorb them through tree planting, thereby achieving environmental benefits — that is, using trees planted in public spaces such as parks, protected lands, and other natural areas to offset carbon emissions through oxygen release.
For the 2012 annual project, 13 C3 program participants in the Seattle area set a collective goal of reducing 20,000 tons of CO₂ emissions for the year, which is also a standard measure for controlling greenhouse gases. Other participating companies in the Seattle area include Pearl Jam, the FC of the Thunder, the Seahawks, the Seattle Mariners, and the Seattle Aquarium.
In addition to helping companies reduce carbon emissions, the C3 project also helps improve urban environments and enhances and beautifies community green spaces. These green areas help reduce stormwater runoff, soil erosion, and water pollution in the Puget Sound watershed, and for large urban areas, they can mitigate urban heat, provide sound buffers, improve air quality, and serve as salmon habitats, among other benefits.
Outdoor Research will plant trees in the Puget Sound watershed, a Tacoma-area drainage basin. The Forterra C3 project will also continue to offset Outdoor Research’s 2013 carbon emissions.
About Outdoor Research
Outdoor Research designs for adventure. The company was founded in Seattle in 1981 with its first product, the X-Gaiter, a warm snow gaiter. We have been dedicated to designing and manufacturing better outdoor clothing, gloves, hats, and a wide range of other outdoor accessories. We provide innovation and inspiration for tireless explorers, producing products that are innovative, functional, reliable, simple, and efficient. We invite all who share our passion for the outdoors to join our community. We listen to, respect, and support our fellow adventurers. Because we love the outdoors, we support respected nonprofit outdoor organizations that work hard on environmental protection, education, and more. We continue to grow, learn, and improve — and we enjoy every bit of it.