For the past decade, we have shared our work in sustainability, nonprofit investment and advocacy through an annual stewardship report—a detailed and lengthy update on our progress of the previous year. The truth is, not enough people were reading it or sharing the stories inside it, so we started to hunt for more engaging ways to share this information.
We have simplified and revamped our approach. Because most people have less time on their hands than ever, we wanted the report to be easier to digest and still provide an in-depth look into our work. We have pulled out our 2016 highlights into a more succinct, visual story and refreshed our stewardship site to house the detailed, behind-the-scenes information across the three pillars of our work: creating access to the outdoors, advancing product sustainability, and core practices, which includes our energy footprint.
That means you can get a quick picture of our progress and also dig deeper. From now on we will shift from publishing an update once a year in an old-school report, to publishing longer-form articles and sharing progress and challenges year-round on the stewardship tab of the Co-op Journal. We believe this will keep our community informed and engaged more effectively throughout the year.
Check everything out and feel free to share your thoughts with us at stewardship@rei.com. We welcome feedback.
You can also read more about our efforts in a joint letter to our members from our president and CEO, Jerry Stritzke, and our board chair, Cheryl Scott, who reflect on our progress in 2016 and discuss why we care about this work. Thank you all for helping us to shape the future of the outdoors for the better.
Written by: Alex Thompson, VP, Brand Stewardship & Impact | Vik Sahney, DVP, Sustainability.