Outdoor Allies: Annie Nyborg

Ever wondered how you can do more for public lands but you aren’t sure where to start? Outdoor Alliance’s Outdoor Allies series explores how other outdoor adventurers got their start in advocacy work and their advice for how you can harness your passion for the outdoors into advocacy for the land and water you love. Annie Nyborg is Director of Sustainability for Peak Design and has been involved in advocacy work for about four years. She lives in Ojai, California.

Tell us about what you like to do outside. 

These days my outside time is mainly hiking and backpacking but I also love climbing. I moved to Ojai this summer to have easier access to the mountains and the ocean, and to be able to get my 3-year-old out in the dirt and under the stars more. Ojai is 20 minutes from the ocean and surrounded by the Los Padres National Forest.

What led you to first get involved in advocacy work?

My first job as a teenager was working retail at the unofficial Patagonia outlet in Ventura near HQ, so I started drinking the sustainability Kool-Aid early and it certainly influenced my direction in life. I had worked mainly for non-profits when I was offered the job at Peak Design. I was initially hesitant to take a job with a product company mainly because of its environmental impact. But then I reread Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard and realized it was an opportunity to be a driving part of the solution. Non-profit and grassroots efforts are critical in protecting our natural world but it’s the business sector that arguably wields far greater influence, power, and money. I came to Peak with a sustainability agenda and a large component of that is advocacy and using our business voice to promote our values. Some people believe businesses shouldn’t get involved with advocacy or “politics.” I couldn’t disagree more. Big oil and gas are lobbying their interests, we should be doing the same. I wish more companies would be louder in fighting for conservation and the climate. If we can’t harness the corporate sector to expedite the work, we’re toast.  

“Some people believe businesses shouldn’t get involved with advocacy or “politics.” I couldn’t disagree more. If we can’t harness the corporate sector to expedite the work, we’re toast.  ”

Tell us about your work to help Peak Design go carbon neutral and Climate Neutral!

Last year we decided to calculate our entire carbon footprint as a company from our first day of business to present. We calculated ALL emissions – scopes 1-3 – meaning emissions throughout our supply chain, all the way back to resource extraction, in addition to what we produce through electricity use, employee travel, etc. We purchased verified carbon offsets accounting for all of the emissions we’ve ever produced and realized it was more affordable than we had anticipated. We realized every company should be offsetting their footprint as an absolute bare minimum of sustainability.

 Reduction is a critical component to mitigating climate change but unfortunately reduction takes time – many companies are looking to reduce over the course of 5-10 years. We don’t have 5-10 years. We need to do something now in addition to the reduction efforts. That’s where offsets come in. It’s not either/or – it’s offsetting AND reducing. Offsetting is an immediate and impactful action that all companies should take.

 We co-founded Climate Neutral with BioLite but it functions as an independent organization with the aim of catalyzing a movement of companies measuring and offsetting their entire carbon footprint.  Companies that have certifiably measured and offset their emissions will have the right to use the Climate Neutral logo. It’s kind of like Certified Organic but for greenhouse gas emissions. We publicly launched the initiative at Summer 2019 Outdoor Retailer and are building fantastic momentum. We hope customers will start pressuring brands to take responsibility.

What do you wish more people in the outdoor industry knew about outdoor advocacy work?

Brands possess more power and influence than they realize – both in mobilizing their customers and supporting conservation legislation. Be the squeaky wheel for matters important to you and your brand, your representatives and customers are listening.

What’s the next project on the horizon for you?

Supporting Climate Neutral’s growth will certainly be a priority in the near future but I’d also like to start playing a larger role in California advocacy efforts. To date, Peak Design has supported work nationally and will continue to do so but I’d like to become a leader in protecting our own backyard as well.

Lightning round:

Your advocacy hero :

John Muir

Next destination on your bucket list:

The Arctic Refuge

Current favorite piece of gear

My Peak Design 10L Sling