REI Co-op looks forward on sustainability projects after busy 2025
It was an eventful year for Seattle-based outdoor gear manufacturer REI, firm officials said. The company’s member-based co-op taking “meaningful steps to reduce our impact on the planet” through several new renewable energy and sustainable material projects, and is likely to continue that trend in 2026.
At more than 24 million members, the largest co-op in the U.S. was focused in its climate strategy in 2025. The co-op worked with numerous partners across the solar energy and sustainability realms throughout the year, according to Andrew Dempsey, REI’s director of sustainability.
“When companies come together, climate action becomes more real and more lasting,” says Dempsey. “We’re grateful for the partners who’ve helped make this work possible. We’re focused on continuing this work and backing solutions that make a real difference for communities and help keep the outdoors healthy for the future.”
Clean energy projects
Perhaps the crown jewel of the co-op’s sustainability efforts in 2025 was a 2.5 MW community solar project in Woodbury, Minnesota. Developed by U.S. Solar, the initiative will provide a renewable energy opportunity to nearly 500 low- to median-income households near REI’s Bloomington, Minnesota store. The project will also slash energy bills around the area, adding some renewable power sources to the grid on the southern edge of the Twin Cities.
Along with its contributions to renewable power in the Gopher State, the co-op partnered with Carhartt and others for an aggregated Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) in 2025. The purchasing group says the VPP will add 18.5 MW of solar energy to the grid, in hopes of accelerating the development of renewable energy sources in Texas.
Outside of its new projects, the co-op also continued progress on work from prior to 2025, officials say.
The company’s South Carolina “Ever.green” project added more renewable energy to the grid throughout last year, building on the co-op’s earlier investment. The co-op’s partnership with Sol Systems and Nestor Hosiery signed a new three-year renewable energy certificate purchase deal.
REI also became the first retail company to join the Symbiosis Coalition, which works to accelerate deployment of nature-based climate solutions. The co-op will be assisting with efforts including carbon removal through reforestation and agroforestry projects.
Climate solutions for the next generation
The Sol Systems partnership “expanded beyond energy,” according to REI, in the form of Florida Atlantic University’s Pine Jog Center. The center’s Community Impact Program allows up to 48 high school students to participate in residential programs on climate and ecological science, and earn college credits at the same time.
“Students will gain hands-on field experience studying South Florida’s wetlands, rivers, and coastal ecosystems, connect with environmental scientists, and return to their communities as ambassadors for climate resilience,” says the co-op. “The program builds on our renewable energy investments across Florida and shows how clean energy can support people as well as the planet.”
The co-op also made progress on reducing the environmental impact of its manufacturing materials, according to the company. The firm signed a three-year agreement with decarbonized material provider Ambercycle to acquire 200 tons of their regenerated polyester material per year. The move should help REI cut its carbon emissions and reduce waste, allowing its apparel to move toward circularity.
“By pairing clean energy projects with community programs and choosing lower-impact materials, we continued to make practical progress across our climate work over the past year,” says the company.
