It’s impossible to encompass a year like 2020 in a few short paragraphs, and so I won’t try to do that. Instead, I just want to say that our combined work at the Climate Collaborative has given me immense hope in an otherwise tumultuous and difficult year. Thank you for being part of it.

Our community has continued to show up for collaborative climate action in the face of a pandemic and economic crisis that has put our industry at the front lines of keeping food supply chains moving. And they've made this our most promising year yet, at a time when there is more urgency to act on climate than ever. Just last month, the Red Cross put out a report saying that global warming poses a bigger threat to human life and health than COVID-19, noting forcefully that unlike with the pandemic, there will be no vaccine for climate change. 

It makes me so grateful to see this community continue to thrive and flourish and find new ways of advancing action. Amid it, we have done everything we can to minimize funding asks, and to tighten our budget as we faced an uncertain year.

However, as we close out the year, I would like to ask you, if you are able, to consider becoming a sustaining CC donor and keeping our vital work possible as we head into a new year. You can view our funding levels and associated benefits here, and indicate your level of support here.

In turn, we'll take every chance we get to spotlight your work. Here are just a few of the achievements you'll be supporting:

• 217 new companies made commitments this year, from UNFI and Whole Foods to Bob's Red Mill, Burt's Bees, and Fetzer Vineyards. This is a record-breaker for the CC, and a 50% increase from what we saw in 2019. Our movement is now a substantial, legitimate part of this industry, and that is all thanks to you. 
• In the Spring, we launched a policy advocacy project to give our community pathways to support climate inclusion in the COVID economic recovery, and our community showed up in droves: 
  • 200+ Climate Collaborative companies signed on to the America is All in Letter, forcefully calling for an ambitious national response to climate change in 2021.
  • In May, more than 120 Climate Collaborative companies took part in the largest business advocacy day on climate ever.
• We recognized a new crop of industry leaders through the 2020 National Co+op Grocers Climate Collaborative Awards, spotlighting Hummingbird Wholesale's packaging value chain efforts, the work of Numi co-founders Ahmed Rahim and Reem Hassani to build collaborative industry responses to climate change, and more!
• Our webinars, virtual events, and peer-to-peer learning sessions supported a combined 2,277 attendees in deepening their climate action capacity and understanding. This is again a record-breaking 44% increase in participation from 2019!
• 70% of respondents reported active progress in their climate commitments as part of our 2020 Tracking Progress Survey--a number that held steady despite substantial growth in our community and the massive impacts of COVID-19.

We have even more planned for next year, from continued advocacy efforts and peer-to-peer learning on regenerative agriculture to a new collaborative packaging tool, and thought leadership events that will keep our whole industry connected to leading best practice on climate change. 

With just two full-time staff, I promise you that we make sure every dollar we get stretches far in helping as many companies as possible and keeping our platform free.

Please reach out to us at [email protected] if you have any questions, feedback, or would like to hear more about our 2021 plans. I hope you have a wonderful and restful holiday in the meantime. 

Thanks,

Erin