Sustainability Series: How NEMO and Showers Pass are Making Sustainability a Priority
Release Date: 04/30/2019
Audio Outdoorist: Support for Federal Investments in national, state, and local parks
OIA's Audio Outdoorist
Ranking 5th in the nation, Maine’s outdoor industry generates 3.3% of the state’s economy. With numbers like that, Senator Angus King has a sharp eye on policies like those in the Great American Outdoors Act and the Build Back Better Act, which is currently going under debate in Congress. In today’s episode, OIA government affairs director Rich Harper speaks with King and OIA Government Affairs Committee Chair and LL Bean Executive Chairman Shawn Gorman about why they support federal investments in national, state and local parks as means for driving sustainable economic growth, and they...
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Audio Outdoorist: 2021 International Shipping Crisis
OIA's Audio Outdoorist
This is the second in our series about international trade and trade policy. In this episode, our director of government affairs Rich Harper and three members of our Trade Advisory Council, discuss the recent precipitous rise in shipping costs, which, on top of punitive tariffs, trade wars and the global pandemic, have made it difficult for our member companies to remain nimble and competitive. Recently, OIA sent a letter to the White House, calling on this administration to invite all stakeholders to the table to identify immediate solutions to the crisis and to enforce all existing...
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CONGRESSMAN JOE NEGUSE
OIA's Audio Outdoorist
Congressman Joe Neguse (CO-2nd) speaks with OIA’s Director of Policy, Rich Harper, to discuss his recently introduced Civilian Climate Corps proposal, which has been included in President Biden’s American Jobs Plan. Neguse also talks about his Parks, Jobs and Equity Act, which would invest millions of dollars into urban parks, creating thousands of jobs and generating billions of dollars in local economic growth. Rich and the Congressman talk about the industry’s role in passing these measures and why this session might be our best shot and getting the bills through Congress and to the...
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Audio Outdoorist: A Conversation with the OIA Trade Advisory Council
OIA's Audio Outdoorist
Hear from OIA's Director of Policy, Rich Harper, and members of the OIA Trade Advisory Council (OIATAC) as they discuss the council's important policy role. In this conversation, Rich is joined by Sara Bowersox, Sr. Manager, Global Trade Compliance, KEEN Footwear; Ben Christensen, Vice President, Operations, Simms Fishing Products; and Jeff Tooze, Vice President, Global Customs & Trade, Columbia Sportswear.
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Climate Klatch Episode 2 — REI Impact Standards
OIA's Audio Outdoorist
In the second episode of our new series that’s all about climate action, Amy Horton, OIA senior director of sustainable business innovation, and Greg Gausewitz, product sustainability manager for REI, chat about the recent release of REI’s updated Impact Standards and how the retailer hopes the new sustainability and DEI standards will drive meaningful shifts among outdoor brands. He previews what REI vendor meetings will look like now that the new standards are out, and he explains why the OIA Climate Action Corps is a great way for brands — whether they sell to REI or not — to...
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Climate Klatch — Episode 1
OIA's Audio Outdoorist
In the first episode of our new series that's all about climate action, Amy Horton, OIA senior director of sustainable business innovation, and Deborah Williams, OIA director of marketing, communications and storytelling, discuss the most impactful strategies for reducing and reversing global warming by the year 2050 and how the OIA Climate Policy Agenda aims to drive those strategies through a combination of responsible business and federal, state and local legislation.
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VIRTUAL DISCUSSION: THE 2020 ELECTION AND BEYOND
OIA's Audio Outdoorist
The 2020 election will be one of the most consequential contests for . Following enactment of the Great American Outdoors Act, our top priorities are all on the ballot – from tackling climate change and preserving our public lands and waters to expanding access to the outdoors for all Americans to new investments in green infrastructure and close-to-home recreation as outdoor companies recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. What can outdoorists expect from the next administration and Congress? What can we learn from our past wins, and how can we ensure our voice is heard? Listen to this...
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Campfire Conversation: Climate Action After a Pandemic
OIA's Audio Outdoorist
Can companies in the outdoor industry afford to lean into climate action in the midst and immediate aftermath of a pandemic? That's the question being discussed around the campfire today. Jessie Curry, OIA's Sustainable Business Manager; Jenn Swain, Global Senior Sustainability Manager at Burton; JJ Trout, Chief of Staff at People for Bikes; Chris Sautter, Product Development Center Director at Yakima; and Greg Foweraker, who heads up Product Integrity at GSI Outdoors chat candidly about their respective companies’ approaches to climate and sustainability work. Throughout their conversation,...
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Campfire Conversation
OIA's Audio Outdoorist
Four specialty retail shop owners across the country and an expert in consumer trends and retail strategy gather around the fire to discuss the immediate aftermath of the COVID “shutdown,” the steps they’re taking to reopen or reposition their businesses, the safety precautions they’re using and how they’re recouping their losses. From day-to-day operations adjustments (adjusted hours, curbside pickup, delivery) to staffing changes; creative inventory strategy to quick-start e-commerce solutions, they’ve responded on the fly and without a roadmap. Listen in as they chat candidly...
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Campfire Conversation:
OIA's Audio Outdoorist
Outdoor industry businesses and employees have been overwhelmed by the impacts of the COVID-19 situation for months now, trying to stay safe while keeping themselves afloat. But as we begin to realize that COVID-19 will be part of our lives for some time, how do individuals and businesses in the outdoor industry move from treading water to being agile and successful in our “new normal?” Join us around the campfire as we discuss how members of the outdoor industry can create resiliency to adapt to the changing landscape, stay true to their core values, and even thrive while navigating an...
info_outlineYou’ve got sustainability questions; we’ve got answers. Wherever you are on your journey to sustainability, we’re here to help. In 2019, we are helping OIA companies to Walk the Walk by hosting a series of sustainability boot camps. They are designed to help small to mid-sized brands that have limited to no dedicated sustainability staff or expertise to accelerate sustainability improvements and meet (or exceed) customer expectations. The camps are intensive full-day sessions combining engaging speakers, educational content, hands-on activities and take-home resources. The goal is for participants to leave the boot camp with more confidence and clarity around what is a complex topic. They will leave with a customized action plan so that they can champion sustainability within their brand, establish their organization’s strategy and program and take the next steps.
The first boot camp was held in Seattle, Washington, in March, and it hit capacity. The second camp is scheduled for June 16 in Denver, the day before Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, providing scheduling efficiency for those people who are already planning to attend the trade show. If Denver in June isn’t convenient, we’ll be offering two additional boot camps later this year, one in New York City on September 19 and one in Costa Mesa, California on December 5. Visit outdoorindustry.org for more information on the upcoming camps.
In this episode of Audio Outdoorist, we’re speaking with two industry professionals who attended the Seattle camp to find out why their company made it a priority, what they learned and what they’ll do next to keep their sustainability strategy forging forward.
Stay tuned for future stories from NEMO, Showers Pass and other boot camp attendees as they navigate their post boot-camp sustainability journeys. You can also read about how other industry brands are taking steps toward greater sustainability in our online series, “Sustainability: The First Step is the Hardest.”
https://outdoorindustry.org/sustainability-first-step-hardest/