Why is Your Company NOT Addressing Climate Change?

Rick Crawford

Let me start by saying it’s ok if you are unsure about climate change, or confused about how humans are heating up the planet by burning fossil fuels that emit greenhouse gases. So, let’s talk about it….

Climate Change

NASA defines global warming as “the long-term heating of Earth’s climate system observed since the pre-industrial period (between 1850 and 1900) due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning, which increases heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth’s atmosphere. It is most commonly measured as the average increase in Earth’s global surface temperature; and climate change as “a long-term change in the average weather patterns that have come to define Earth’s local, regional and global climates. These changes have a broad range of observed effects that are synonymous with the term.” What are the effects of climate change, you might be wondering? NASA has stated that:

– temperatures will continue to rise

– changes in precipitation patterns

– more droughts and heat waves

– hurricanes will become stronger and intense

– sea level will rise 1-8 feet by 2100.

We know that climate change is already impacting fish everywhere as water temperatures rise, marine species are changing their migratory patterns; our oceans are absorbing much of the CO2 in the atmosphere, which makes them more acidic and that makes it more difficult for crustaceans and shelled animals to survive; and warming oceans are also causing marine heatwaves, and when combined with the decline of sea ice in the Arctic and the ice sheet loss in Greenland and the Arctic you also get areas of the ocean that are deoxygenated. We are also seeing more stream closures due to warmer water temperatures that make it more difficult for cold water species, like trout, to survive.

Because we know that climate change is caused by burning fossil fuels, which emit greenhouse gases that get trapped in our atmosphere and warm our planet, we should do something about it, right? But what can we do? According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), “to avoid the catastrophic effects of climate change worldwide global emissions will need to be cut 55% by 2030 and carbon neutral by 2050.” If you are in the fishing business, my question is, what are you doing to address climate change?

Carbon Neutral

If you answer is “I am not sure” or “nothing” then I would suggest joining the Fly Fishing Climate Alliance and going carbon neutral because the science is crystal clear that we must go carbon neutral by 2050 in order to avoid the catastrophic effects of climate change, so it seems reasonable to go carbon neutral, right? Now you may be thinking, “what does carbon neutrality mean?” The World Resources Institute defines carbon neutrality as “annual zero net anthropogenic (human caused or influenced) CO2 emissions by a certain date. By definition, carbon neutrality means every ton of anthropogenic CO2 emitted is compensated with an equivalent amount of CO2 removed.”

You are saving the planet and solving the climate crisis by going carbon neutral. The pathway to carbon neutrality is relatively simple in that you 1) first must calculate your carbon footprint to create a baseline 2) then you execute greenhouse gas reduction strategies 3) and finally, you purchase carbon offsets for the balance to achieve carbon neutrality.

You might now you may be thinking, I am just trying to sell you my sustainability services. That’s fair, but I am really just trying to protect what I love and leave the planet better than I found it. I am a proud father of two amazing children, and perhaps selfishly, I want to teach them to fish and experience the wonders of nature together. Besides, I am sure you have had no problem paying suppliers, vendors and other service providers that are destroying the planet, so why not pay someone who can help you save the planet by going carbon neutral and zero waste? Additionally, the business case for sustainability includes: mitigating risks associated with climate change; increasing competitive advantage; driving innovation; growing customer loyalty; attracting and retaining talent; improving financial performance; and solving the climate crisis. What’s not to like?

Business Risk

All of the aforementioned climate change effects not only pose significant risks to all fish species, but they are major business risks too. For example, more intense and frequent hurricanes will disrupt supply chains, and sea level rise may cause businesses to close. Not to mention, it is going to be pretty difficult to sell fishing gear, if there aren’t any fish! I think Patagonia Founder Yvon Chouinard nailed it when he said that ultimately, “businesses are responsible to their resource base.”

“Who are businesses really responsible to? Their customers? Shareholders? Employees? We would argue that it’s none of the above. Fundamentally, businesses are responsible to their resource base. Without a healthy environment there are no shareholders, no employees, no customers and no business.”

Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia

Your Customers Care

That said, if the effects of climate change on the planet are not enough to motivate you to take action, then perhaps listening to your customers will? According to a 2017 Cone Communications’ CSR Study: “87% of American consumers will make a purchase because a company advocated for an issue they care about; and 76% of Americans expect companies to take action against climate change; and finally, 73% of Americans would stop purchasing from a company that doesn’t care about climate change?” Additionally, anglers also care deeply about the impact climate change is having on fish. In fact, the 2020 Trout Unlimited Climate Change Survey, “75% of TU members are worried about climate change; about 80% of members expect that climate change will lead to extreme heat, droughts, wildfires, severe storms and degraded coldwater habitat; and over 40% have recently noticed a decline in their fishing experience.” Additionally, I recently did a survey through The Sustainable Angler podcast and asked “as an angler, do you wish more businesses were taking action on climate change?” The response was overwhelmingly clear that anglers want businesses to take action on climate. For example, one person said, “Yes, and the truth is that manufacturing decisions have major impacts on climate. Customers must demand, and be willing to pay for, products that have sustainability at the core of the brand/product. Some brands, but sadly few in fishing, are self motivated to make changes in their product cycle/supply chain.” Another angler responded with, “Yup. Climate change and conservation, before immediate gratification. No fish>no fishing.”