For many outdoor adventurers, shopping for gear and apparel no longer means weighing only performance and price—it also means supporting brands that invest in responsible production and demonstrate a clear commitment to climate action.
REI Co-op maintains a variety of sustainability-focused third-party certifications like bluesign®, Fair Trade USA and more. (Read more: How to Understand Clothing and Gear Sustainability Features.) In 2025, REI Co-op also pursued Climate Label certification through Change Climate Project. It’s the only sustainability mark that focuses on funding to reduce carbon emissions.
In this article, we'll explain more about Climate Label certification, including:
- What Climate Label Certification is
- The Climate Label’s standards for certification
- REI Co-op and climate commitments
- How to shop for Climate Label Certified brands
What is Climate Label Certification?
Climate Label Certification is a seal that focuses on the climate impacts of supply chains and verifies the investments that corporations are making to reduce those impacts. The certification is overseen by The Change Climate Project, a nonprofit organization that helps brands measure and decarbonize production processes to accelerate climate action. The organization also established the now-retired Climate Neutral Certified label.
Studies from 2023 showed consumers were losing faith in corporate carbon-neutral efforts, explains Austin Whitman, The Change Climate Project CEO and cofounder. The Change Climate Project responded by launching The Climate Label, which is a standard of corporate funding for the low-carbon transition, rather than carbon neutrality. Climate Label certification recognizes companies—not individual products, but entire brands—that are meaningfully investing in the transition to a low-carbon future, including efforts in transparency and advocacy.
In 2025, the updated certification's first full operational year, 200 companies received certification, and they mobilized more than $23 million in climate solutions funding. Since 2019, The Change Climate Project has mobilized more than $55 million in climate solutions funding. Though the label’s roots are in the outdoor industry—Peak Design and BioLite were two of its founding partner brands—the certification also extends to food and beverage products, health and beauty items, and more.
What are the Climate Label standards for certification?
The Climate Label standards focus on four actions within a corporation’s climate sustainability journey: measure, plan, fund and amplify. Overall, the certification focuses on actual financial investment ("how much money per ton of emissions you're [dedicating to] the low carbon transition,” says Whitman) and requires companies to use their influence to advocate for climate progress. The certification process is reviewed by The Change Climate Project's internal team and trained volunteers. While the organization currently handles verification internally (as with most young certifications), the goal is to transition to third-party verification as it scales.
Here’s how brands meet the standard:
Measure: Companies are required to calculate their carbon footprint annually, including direct emissions, purchased electricity and supply-chain emissions. Measurements follow the industry-standard Greenhouse Gas Protocol guidelines.
Plan: Companies must describe specific steps they'll take to cut emissions over the next 12 to 24 months. Large companies (more than $100 million in annual revenue) must also set science-based targets to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and submit annual data to maintain certification.
Fund: Companies must establish a climate transition budget based on the Change Climate carbon fee per metric ton. That budget must be allocated toward qualifying climate projects, like switching to electric vehicles and improving manufacturing efficiency. The remaining funds can support outside projects like climate policy advocacy, research and development, and carbon credits (“the purpose of a carbon market is to drive climate finance, and we weed out projects that are lower quality,” says Whitman).
Amplify: Companies commit to using their influence to advance climate action through channels like employee education, consumer engagement and climate policy advocacy. They also must publicly disclose their emissions data and climate investments.
REI Co-op and Climate Label
REI Co-op earned Climate Neutral Certification in 2021 and was among the first large companies to achieve the newer Climate Label certification in 2025. Whitman adds that REI was also one of the most vocal advocates for a more robust framework that recognizes operational improvements, supply chain investments and advocacy.
Here are the numbers at a glance: The co-op's 2024 efforts included matching 100% of electricity with renewable sources for the 12th consecutive year; reducing manufacturing emissions by 11% versus 2023; supporting innovative programs like sustainable maritime fuel through the Zero Emissions Maritime Buyers Alliance; and using recycled polyester in nearly half of all new gear and apparel production.
The certification aligns with the REI Co-op Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) commitment to cut absolute emissions 47% by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050—targets that apply across the co-op's operations and supply chain.
How to shop for Climate Label Certified brands
Look for The Climate Label on product detail pages at REI.com, and use product search filters to shop Climate Label–certified brands like Vuori, Peak Design, BioLite and more. Climate Label hangtags will appear on REI Co-op brand products in fall of 2026.
"It's super important to us that the companies hear that consumers actually care about the label," says Whitman. "It's the feedback loop that allows us to [tell] companies that this climate initiative does cost you money, but that money is well worth it because of the response your consumers are giving you."
Whitman also points out that we’re in a pivotal era, as companies question the value of their climate initiatives without more explicit government support. “It’s not the time to give up,” says Whitman. “Good companies have the opportunity to legitimately decarbonize the world.”
In other words, brands have power, and so does your wallet. Consumers help brands justify continued investment in decarbonization by supporting their work with purchases. Next time you're browsing gear at REI, keep an eye out for The Climate Label—it's your shortcut to supporting companies that are walking the walk on bettering our world.
