As Pocket Outdoor Media grows, adapts, and improves, our mission will always remain the same: To inspire people to do the activities they love—hiking, skiing, climbing, running, swimming, cycling, cooking, and yoga—with greater enjoyment and knowledge. We believe that a hike, a day skiing, a climb, or a ride can change your day and change the world.
In 2021, we’re looking forward to building upon two pillars that are central to everything we do: inclusivity and sustainability. While we have made some progress on these fronts, we have much, much more to do, and I intend to be transparent throughout the journey.
We are a young company that has grown from five to more than 30 brands in the last six months. In that short time, we have made some exciting progress on these pillars, and we’ve made a series of commitments for the future.
In DEI
- I signed the Outdoor Industry CEO Diversity Pledge in August 2020.
- We have created an internal DEI committee to bring forth programming, lead our efforts, create and oversee employee resource groups and hold us accountable. And we’ve hired a DEI expert to guide our work.
- We’ve committed to diversifying our leadership and workforce with respect to race, ethnicity, and identity by broadening our employee sourcing and adjusting our hiring practices.
- We will be conducting diversity training for 100 percent of our employees.
- We will continually survey our workforce to ensure that we’re creating a culture of belonging and inclusivity within our company.
In Sustainability
- We pledge to become climate positive by 2030 by working assiduously to lower our manufacturing footprint and neutralizing more than the balance that remains.
- In the meantime, we have already neutralized the carbon footprint of six of our brands: The Voice, ϳԹ Business Journal, Backpacker, Climbing, Yoga Journal, and Clean Eating. In the first year of this program, we will eliminate almost 6.5 million pounds of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, the equivalent of driving 7.3 million miles. And we are exploring carbon neutralization for our remaining brands, which would further reduce our impact.
- We are working on a plan to convert our Boulder, Colorado, headquarters to a zero waste and solar-powered facility.
- We are founding members of the Plastic Impact Alliance and will eliminate 100 percent of polybags from all of our publishing and mailing efforts.
And as a company, we are committed to being a loud voice of support for the good work of others in the fields of DEI and sustainability by celebrating their achievements in our publications, as well as through donations and content partnerships.
2020 has been a challenging year for all of us. We are grateful for your partnership, your feedback, and your support as we work to deliver on our mission and make our active lifestyles more inclusive and sustainable for all.
Robin Thurston
CEO, Pocket Outdoor Media