Ulrich Eichelmann has seen many rivers in his life as the head of RiverWatch, an organization dedicated to protecting the world's waterways. He spent time on the Tiger through Turkey and Iraq, on the Tagliamento in Italy, and on the Danube, which crosses Europe. However, none of them, according to him, reached the Vjosa River. Swift headwaters flow from the Greek Pindus Mountains. 169 miles to the Mediterranean coast of Albania, calming down, finally approaching the sea.
“The river is kind of like an untouched living thing,” Eichelmann said. “It starts young and fast in the mountains of Greece and ends with an old river by the Adriatic Sea.”
There are no dams on the Vjosa River, which is a rare achievement in a world where most rivers limited by barriers. While hydroelectric dams can provide so-called “clean” energy, they also destroy ecosystems and release waste into the atmosphere. methane. Fish may become trapped, unable to reach spawning grounds, and nearby communities may be displaced. However, Vjosa remains one of the last free-flowing systems in Europe. The entire watershed is still pristine and will likely remain so, thanks to a public-private coalition that created Europe's first Wild River National Park in Albania, fighting dozens of planned dams along the way.
The support of outdoor apparel company Patagonia was integral to this effort, providing both resources and advocacy that helped turn the bold vision of local activists into reality. In 2013, activists launched Save the blue heart of Europe campaign to raise awareness of the environmental consequences of the hydroelectric boom in the Balkans. But the coalition needed international attention, and Patagonia joined in 2018, providing much-needed funding and creativity that helped turn the campaign into a global cause.
Andrew Burr
His quiet support is typical of Patagonia's long history of environmental activism. But until now, the company has never attempted to measure its full impact—both its successes and its shortcomings. That's about to change: Patagonia just released a comprehensive “Work in progress report“, outlining the company's improvements and challenges, and sharing a roadmap for others in the private sector. “Business has created a lot of environmental challenges that we as people are now dealing with,” said Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert. “We have a huge responsibility to do something about it.”
Gellert recognizes the paradox of a company fighting for a healthier planet while simultaneously selling consumers products they may not need. “I can sit here and make the argument that we should grow as quickly as possible so that we have more money to give away,” he said. Conversely, as a manufacturer of clothing that requires fossil fuels, he sees the argument that “the best thing we can do for the planet is to close down.” The truth, he says, lies somewhere in the middle. Explaining these nuances and how to prove that a business can be a positive force for change is what the company hopes to show in its report. 134 page report.
Patagonia's environmental activism began close to home in Ventura, California, where it awarded its first grant to Friends of Ventura River in 1973, even offering the group office space at its nearby headquarters. “We have a very long history of river conservation,” Gellert noted. When plans to redirect the nearby Ventura River threatened both its health and the surf at its mouth, Patagonia employees began showing up at board meetings. This experience taught them that they can shape local conservation decisions and that rivers connect a community's entire ecosystem. This led to the introduction of the “Land Tax” in 1985, which earmarked one percent of all sales for grassroots environmental groups – a model that later helped inspire “1% for the Planet” movement.
Patagonia's work has expanded to include cases around the world, from protecting the Tarkine Rainforest in Tasmania in 2018 to helping create five new marine protected areas in Korea in 2023. The company also encourages its employees to volunteer and attend nonviolent direct action training, as well as to pay a pledge. While this approach turns off some customers, it has become a central part of the company's ethos.
The company has expanded its grants program to include the Holdfast Collective, a group of nonprofit trusts that now own 98 percent of Patagonia. He uses every dollar he receives to protect nature and champion ideas and candidates that put the planet first. Its goal is to distribute the company's profits to causes such as the rescue of Vjosa, for which it has invested almost $5 million since 2023.
After the European team expressed concern about the future of Vjosa, the company helped produce two filmsand also provided financial support to the Save the Blue Heart campaign. They launched a petition that has attracted international attention, including from celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio. At the same time, the company also decided to give money to the Albanian government, which allowed it to support public propaganda as well as help shape political decisions. The result of this symbiosis was the government's announcement in 2023 of the creation of the Wjosa Wild River National Park.
Nick St. Ogger
The victory, Gellert said, demonstrates the strength of Patagonia's “lead from behind” ethos. He remembers the team's first visit to the river almost 10 years ago. They spent the first night camping on the river bank and spent the next few days whitewater rafting and participating in local protests. At the time, Gellert wasn't sure they could save the river: finding a way to engage with political leaders required patience and years of dialogue, especially when Albania was faced with the problem contested election. Gellert met personally with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama several times to discuss the future of Vjosa, acting as a mediator between local advocates and the government.
Engagement with communities along the Vjosa River was also key to preventing the construction of dams, explained Olsi Nika, executive director of EcoAlbania, a coalition member organization. The river is home to approximately 100,000 people who use it for fishing, agriculture and cultural traditions, as well as more a thousand species. With the help of Patagonia, EcoAlbania brought together residents, artists, scientists and lawyers to create a successful front against dam construction, resulting in Albania first ever environmental lawsuit.
Ultimately, the courts ruled in his favor, blocking the dam and setting an important legal precedent. Nika, who, together with his ally Besyana Guri, received the Goldman Prize for their defense of the river this year — said the victory opens the door to future lawsuits. “We are following dozens of open court cases opposing the hydroelectric dam.”
Patagonia's role, which has since been formalized by a memorandum with the government, remains crucial. Two years after Vjosa was declared a national park. Pressure on the local water supply is growing as developers seek to build resorts and residential units close to its borders, said Besyana Guri, who recently left EcoAlbania to found non-profit organization with a special focus on empowering women and youth. “We can have small threats now,” Guri said, “but if they are not managed properly and if people are not fully aware, they can become big threats.”
Nick St. Ogger
The country has approved a 10-year plan to manage more than 31,000 acres” said Daniel Pirushi, who works in environmental policy and development at the Albanian Ministry of Tourism and Environment. Visitors will be strictly divided into certain areas. There will be restrictions on the number of visitors on sensitive sections of rivers. The government is also working to improve wastewater treatment systems for rural communities along the Vjosa River basin to tackle pollution problems.
In December, the government created an official office to help with law enforcement and environmental oversight of the park. The visitor center is planned to host local exhibits and events that will increase public awareness of how special the ecosystem is. “Establishing a national park, especially one of this size and complexity, cannot be achieved overnight,” Pirushi wrote in an email. “Protecting Vjosa is not a symbolic act, but a concrete, evolving process based on science, policy and partnership.”
Working together, Patagonia has learned, makes such long-term environmental protection possible. Having reached a turning point with the Vjosa campaign, the company aims to inspire other businesses, especially outdoor companies whose work is closely linked to the health of the Earth. According to Alison Hiett, senior strategist at Patagonia, who led the reportThe goal, he said, is to show showbiz audiences that “activism doesn’t have to be scary.”
We are working to save our home planet. Founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, Patagonia is an outdoor apparel company based in Ventura, California. As a certified B Corporation and a founding member of the 1% of Planet, the company is recognized internationally for its product quality and environmental activism, as well as its contributions of more than $230 million to environmental organizations. Its unique ownership structure reflects that the Earth is its sole shareholder: profits not reinvested back into the business are paid out as dividends to protect the planet.
