Getting outside matters.
At least, it does to Richard Sutcliffe, who alongside his wife, their dog, a surfboard and a beat-up Volkswagen T4 called Douglas Fir founded responsible clothing company Passenger in 2013 and cemented those three words at the core of the brand’s philosophy.
Chopping wood for a campfire cookout in British Columbia, Canada, surrounded by waves and trees, the family brand started to build an outdoor clothing company with a mission to “inspire meaningful escapism”.
They wanted to create a product that enables people to disconnect from the noise and reconnect with nature and, in turn, protect those places, look after them and advocate for them.
And they were adamant to lead by example to get that point across.
Fast-forward ten years and Passenger has reached the milestone of planting one million trees, via its global conservation partner Trees for the Future (TREES).
Passenger has supported TREES since 2019, committing to plant one tree for every order placed, and in that time, more than one million trees have been planted in sub-Saharan Africa which will capture an estimated 37,155 metric tons of CO2 over the next 20 years.
The projects have also benefitted thousands of people living in communities in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Senegal and Mali, helping them regenerate and reclaim their land and free them from generational poverty and allowing them to rebuild food systems to provide for their communities.
Commenting on reaching the milestone, Passenger’s founder Richard Sutcliffe said: “It was so important to us when searching for a conservation partner that we could support an organisation that truly changes lives and has a lasting impact.
“By working with TREES, we’re able to see how our tree planting is making a difference in the lives of these farmers through education and community. We’re proud that we plant a tree for every order, it’s a simple way for us to give back.
“Here’s to the next million.”
Bravo, Passenger. Bravo.