Patagonia

Patagonia was founded in 1973 by climber Yvon Chouinard in Ventura, California; in 2022 the Chouinard family transferred ownership to a purpose trust so that, in their words, Earth is now the only shareholder.

The company's stated mission is blunt: 'We're in business to save our home planet', pursued through activism, grants, and product longevity.

It makes outdoor clothing and gear designed to be repaired, plus the Worn Wear program that resells and repairs used items.

Radical supply-chain transparency, Fair Trade sewing, and the repair-and-resale system are the benchmark; the gaps the company itself admits are virgin synthetics in technical gear and absolute emissions that keep growing.