The Future of the Responsible Company: What We've Learned from Patagonia's First 50 Years

Patagonia's Guide to a Sustainable & Successful Business

Patagonia, the clothing retailer, recently published a book titled, “The Future of the Responsible Company: What We’ve Learned from Patagonia’s First 50 Years.” The book was written by Vincent Stanley who is the company’s Director of Philosophy, along with the founder, Yvon Chouinard.

The book dives into Patagonia’s unique ownership structure as it plays a central theme in the book. Despite remaining a for-profit entity, Patagonia’s profits are dedicated toward environmental causes instead of private shareholders or heirs. Their purpose trust differs from other trusts as it focuses on a specific non-charitable objective. The book is centered on guiding companies through the challenges of economic transformation. It advocates for strategies such as minimizing environmental impact, creating durable products, and establishing trust in interactions with both employees and customers. If you’re interested in reading more about The Patagonia Purpose Trust and The Holdfast Collective, check out the book here.