Osprey Packs, Inc. is reducing the impact of its greenhouse gas-intensive business activities such as flying and ground shipping by purchasing carbon offsets through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. Through this 12-month agreement, the company will offset an estimated 261.80 Metric Tons of CO2 for its motor freight shipments, as well as tradeshow and international sales meeting travel. 

“Osprey team air travel and shipping our packs are necessary for our business, but don’t necessarily have to have a detrimental impact on the environment,” said Sam Mix, outdoor marketing manager at Osprey. “This investment in renewable energy sources helps to offset these activities and reflects the company’s commitment to help protect the wild places our customers explore while wearing our Osprey packs.”

Added Margie Gardner, CEO of Bonneville Environmental Foundation, “By supporting renewable energy, Osprey is helping to reduce greenhouse gas pollution to stop climate change, finance the development of new renewable energy projects, and increase the amount of renewable energy available to power our homes and businesses.”

Bonneville Environmental Foundation is an entrepreneurial non-profit organization which focuses on energy and water solutions to help businesses to take action to reduce their impact on the environment.

This year, Osprey is reducing the environmental impact for the following flying and driving activities from August 2010 to July 2011:

• Osprey International Sales Meeting travel (165.6 metric tonnes)


• Osprey Interbike tradeshow travel (14.6 metric tonnes)


• Osprey Outdoor Retailer Summer and Winter Tradeshow travel (26.89 metric tonnes)


• Osprey Product Motor Freight 2009 (54.66 metric tonnes)

A carbon offset represents the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions equaling one metric ton of carbon dioxide and reduces more than CO2, but also other more potent greenhouse gases such as methane. Companies can calculate how much “dirty” energy they use in kilowatt-hours or the miles they drive and fly and then offset that environmental impact by investing in “clean” renewable energy through the purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs) or carbon offsets. The money is used to fund the development of new renewable energy or carbon offsets projects that increases the amount of clean and sustainable energy available on the power grid and reduces the demand for “dirty” energy.