The European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) brings together companies, organizations, and individuals to promote the conservation, protection, and restoration of nature, wildlife, and natural spaces. The organization currently has the valuable support of eight Sustaining Members: Cumulus, European Outdoor Group, KEEN, Nikwax, Osprey, Pertex, Stanley and The North Face, with four of these members showing their dedication to EOCA and its work for an incredible 10 years!
In 2015, the Sustaining Members program was launched and seven existing EOCA members immediately signed up, agreeing to donate €10,000 annually in addition to the membership fee. These companies led the outdoor sector, demonstrating a commitment to conservation and ensuring the continuity of EOCA’s work to address biodiversity loss and the climate crisis. Four of the companies have maintained their support and have continued as Sustaining Members for the past 10 years: European Outdoor Group (EOG), KEEN, Nikwax and Pertex.
Arne Strate, General Secretary of the European Outdoor Group, explains why it was important to become an EOCA Sustaining Member. “An organization like EOCA is not intended for quick, superficial social media campaigns, but to generate and direct significant resources to keep our wild spaces alive in a continuous way – and this needs to be funded. It is a very good investment, I would say, for anyone in the outdoor sector and beyond.”
The Sustainable Association helps fund EOCA’s essential costs, ensuring future growth and the continued support needed for two project funding rounds each year. This allows the association to fund practical conservation worldwide.
EOCA is unique in offering companies from across the sector the opportunity to work together, impact change, and give back to nature. Brian Davidson, CEO of Nikwax, highlights why becoming a Sustaining Member was the right choice. “I am proud to be the CEO of a company that is part of a select group of forward-looking EOCA members. Nikwax has worked closely with EOCA since its founding in 2006, and our Sustainable Association is proof of our unwavering commitment to environmental conservation, helping to support the association’s growth and enabling it to increase the number of projects it can support. The outdoor industry depends on the health of our planet for its very existence, and Nikwax feels the urgency to do everything it can to help preserve it.”
To date, EOCA has invested more than €5.6 million in conservation, supporting 201 projects in 65 countries. Since the beginning of 2021, projects funded by EOCA have directly contributed to a positive conservation impact on more than 760,000 hectares of landscape. None of this would be possible without the ongoing commitment of its Members and Sustaining Members.
Jeroen Meijer, Senior Marketing Manager at KEEN in Europe and the Middle East (EMEA), summarizes why his company has continued to support EOCA. “As a family-run and values-driven company, we have always felt that we share a responsibility to do things the right way. The commitment we made 10 years ago by becoming a Sustaining Member was extremely important at the time and continues to be. EOCA is doing a great job of uniting the entire outdoor industry and taking care of our planet.”
Jeroen continues: “Ensuring that EOCA, as an organization, has guarantees of support for funding operational costs will help it focus on the organization’s core activities. There have been many projects in recent years that prove this. Therefore, it has never been a point of discussion to step away from this commitment.”
Over their 10 years as Sustaining Members, the European Outdoor Group, KEEN, Nikwax, and Pertex have contributed a substantial amount, an additional €400,000 in total. This has enabled EOCA, and all its members in the leisure and outdoor sector, to work together funding conservation that has a positive impact on nature.
The projects that receive funding vary in location and conservation focus. They have included the creation of cycling routes to increase landscape protection through ecotourism in Romania and South Africa; cleaning plastic pollution in environments used by stand-up paddleboarders, hikers, surfers, and skiers; restoration, replanting, and protection of forests and wetlands in Scotland, Sweden, France, Germany, Indonesia; and conservation of bear habitats in Italy and Spain, red squirrels in the UK, orangutans in Borneo, and elephants in Thailand.
Why should other companies consider becoming an EOCA Sustaining Member? Andy Laycock, Brand Director of Pertex, gives his reasons. “As outdoor companies, we gain significant benefits from the natural environment. It is a resource we depend on and, as such, we have a greater responsibility to invest and do everything we can to conserve it, for everyone’s benefit.”
Andy continues: “Supporting EOCA through the Sustainable Association is an ongoing contribution to help the organization focus on long-term goals. Only by collaborating as an industry can we make the real impact that is needed. We encourage other companies to join us and support us.”
EOCA is extremely grateful to all its Sustaining Members, past and present, for the vital contribution they make. Learn more about all EOCA Sustaining Members.
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Join EOCA now! Get in touch to become a Member or a Sustaining Member.
Gear Tips’ participation in EOCA
Gear Tips is also part of EOCA and actively contributes to the conservation and protection of natural spaces. Our partnership with EOCA reinforces our commitment to the environment and to promoting sustainable practices in the outdoor sector.
Pedro Lacaz Amaral, CEO & Founder of Gear Tips Outdoor, comments on EOCA participation: “At Gear Tips, we believe that outdoor activities are not just a form of leisure, but an opportunity for personal growth and connection with the natural world. Our partnership with EOCA strengthens this commitment, allowing us to promote sustainability and environmental preservation even more effectively.” Gear Tips’ mission is to guide people along the trails of knowledge, providing the skills and information necessary for outdoor experiences to be transformative and responsible.
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