As we approach the finish line of our first year, we’re feeling truly hopeful and excited about all we can accomplish together in 2018. We’re thrilled to share that we welcomed our 150^th company to the Climate Collaborative this week! No Evil Foods, based in Asheville, North Carolina, joined us with climate action commitments in agriculture, deforestation, packaging, and transportation.

“No Evil Foods is honored to join the Climate Collaborative! Environmental sustainability is embedded in our very existence. Every time we sit down to eat, we are given the choice to take what we eat as seriously as we take climate change." said Sadrah Schadel, No Evil Foods’ Co-Founder and Visionary and Brand Boss.

The speed with which companies are signing on to climate action demonstrates the natural products industry’s deep commitment to leaving the planet healthier than we found it. Together, these forward-thinking companies have made 576 commitments to climate action and are already reporting clear progress:

• Dozens of companies have joined our Rooted Community Action Group on carbon farming;
• More than 500 people joined our first ever Climate Day in March 2017- and we hope to increase participation at the second annual Climate Day this coming March;
• We’ve shared stories of impact via case studies, blogs, and webinars; in our latest case study, Outpost Natural Foods Coop shared their story of reaching 100% renewable power.

Back in September, we asked companies why they were taking part in the collaborative. We got some very powerful answers, proving that companies are embedding climate action across their businesses and seeing value in the industry collaboration we are building. Check out the responses here.

Stonyfield has long been working to fight climate change, but one of the key things we've learned over the years is that businesses can't solve this critical problem alone. The Climate Collaborative is bringing us together so we can identify and accelerate the solutions to shared challenges and ultimately reverse the impact we're all having on climate.” - Britt Lundgren, Director of Organic and Sustainable Agriculture, Stonyfield

Despite a rollercoaster of a year filled with regulatory rollbacks and tragic natural disasters that provided a near-constant reminder about the urgency of climate action, we’re filled with hope by the energy and enthusiasm these companies have demonstrated.

It’s been a great first year, and all of us at OSC2, SFTA and the Climate Collaborative are eager to see what we can accomplish in the year ahead. We’re so looking forward to the second annual Climate Day at Expo West on March 7, featuring our inaugural National Co+op Grocers Climate Collaborative Awards ceremony. In the spring, we’ll also be checking in to ask our companies for an update on their progress towards their climate action commitments. And, of course, we will continue to connect companies to resources and tools to help them on their climate journey, and hope to welcome many more companies of all types to the climate action fold.

Together we can move the needle on how this industry approaches climate change, and set an example for other companies and industries to emulate.

Thank you for being part of our community, and we look forward to working with you in 2018 and beyond!

Happy New Year,

Erin, Lara, and Katherine