How Arc'teryx drives social impact through ESG

In this episode of the Social Impact Show, hosts Karl Yeh and Erica Graham Jordan (Regional Vice President, Benevity) sit down with Dan Walker, Social Impact Lead at Arc’teryx, to explore how the outdoor gear brand is building ESG programs rooted in its core values. They cover which ESG pillars matter most, how businesses can start or grow their programs, the challenge of unlocking employee potential, and what the future of ESG looks like.

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Which ESG pillar is most important to Arc’teryx?

Erica Graham Jordan: With all the ESG areas — environmental, social, and governance — which pillar is most important to Arc’teryx?

Dan Walker: It’s almost a trick question. I think they’re so interconnected. Arc’teryx is a brand really focused on building gear to connect with nature — that’s the heart of who we are. When we built the first climbing harness, it was inspired by that connection to nature.

That connection also reflects in our work. It’s about the importance of creating access to nature so people can connect with those spaces. And the research continues to show that the power of that connection starts to promote environmental behaviors too. So I see them all as very much interlinked — to separate them would do it an injustice. ESG is a living, breathing aspect within our organization, not something we just talk about. It really comes from our core values, and I think that’s where it needs to come from for any organization.

Where should businesses start or enhance their ESG programs?

Erica Graham Jordan: For companies eager to enhance their ESG programs or start from scratch, what advice do you have?

Dan Walker: It almost goes back to your previous point — it has to start with your values. Ask those fundamental questions:

• Why do we exist?
• What is our role in the world?
• What are the core values that we hold?

Then start to layer in and map out the impacts you have as a business — both in the social realm and the environmental realm. Do that in partnership with others too. You don’t need to do it in a vacuum. There are many others within the industry who are willing to share — we certainly benefit from partnerships with brands who are leading in this space.

Once you understand the scope of your impacts, start forming a strategy that marries those impacts with areas where you can begin building momentum. Start with small projects that people can see and respond to. Once you do that, people start to say, “Actually, there are real benefits in this,” and it starts to snowball. It can be overwhelming when you look at it in full scope — even for us, there are places we still want to get to. But you just have to start, and start in an intelligent way.

How Arc’teryx’s commitment to ESG has affected employees

Karl Yeh: How has Arc’teryx’s commitment to ESG affected your employees and people?

Dan Walker: It’s really the expression of our values. We have so many people who at their core have concern for people and planet — that’s reflective of why people gravitate toward the brand. There’s a grassroots movement of people who want to get involved and help build stronger communities.

The importance of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion is also a really important topic within ESG for us. How do we embed those principles into our workplace? It’s shifting in terms of our education and our recruitment practices. Creating a safe, welcoming environment where everyone feels supported and included — and then bringing them into the work — is something we’re continuing to try to do more of.

The racial justice reckoning and the pandemic have really highlighted the inequities that exist across society. They’re not new — they’ve existed for many centuries — but the awareness of those inequities has come to the fore. That continues to prompt the question: what is our role, and how might we be creating some of those barriers? It’s a significant shift I’ve seen in the business community, and I think it’s a positive one.

Challenges with ESG

Dan Walker: The scope is huge. What we’re trying to tackle requires a collective effort. It requires us to unpick the way things have been done and question what we’ve accepted as normal — because business as usual has led us to the inequity and climate challenges we face today.

The bigger challenge is: how do we truly shift toward equity within society? And on a more practical level, how do we unlock the potential within our team? Every time I do onboarding for our sustainability work, people who join are so energized and engaged — “this is the reason I came here.” How do we unlock that potential across every department? Because if we can do that, we’re in a radically different place than we are today.

How companies new to ESG can grow their programs

Dan Walker: Listening is at the heart of it. A lens of equity is being applied at greater depth than it’s ever been before — and I think it needs to go further.

In the conservation movement in Canada, we’re seeing a shift toward truly understanding indigenous peoples’ perspectives. Historically, conservation has been done in the absence of that perspective. Applying that in all contexts — really listening to the people you’re intending to serve and having them inform, build, and develop programs — is critical.

I’m also very much inspired by the trust-based philanthropy movement, which really pushes toward shifting power and resources into the hands of those most impacted by inequity. When businesses start to move in that direction, we really start to see shifts in the world. So if there’s one takeaway, it’s this: listen more.

How ESG will change and evolve in the coming years

Dan Walker: I think it’s an acknowledgment of the long-term scale of these challenges. Connecting people with nature — one of Arc’teryx’s priorities — is not something that changes within a short timeline. How do we embrace that and build truly long-term commitment? Trusting the people most impacted has to sit at the center of that.

We see that with our partners — when we trust them, they know the work that needs to happen. They listen to their community and build programs that are relevant. It’s powerful when you see that take hold.

Biggest challenge: burnout

One important challenge worth calling out: I mentor through an amazing organization called Starfish Canada, which supports under-25 leaders in the environmental space. When asked what the biggest challenges were looking five years out, burnout was by far the top answer. The people engaged in this work carry a heavy lift. Businesses need to be mindful of that and leverage their resources to support people in the long term — it’s an integral piece that has to be coupled with the movement we’ve seen.

More formalized ESG roles in business

Karl Yeh: Do you see more formalized ESG roles emerging, similar to what we’ve seen in CSR and DE&I?

Dan Walker: I think that’s the direction we need to go. The real question is: do you build a big dedicated team, or do you embed the work across the organization? I think the answer is somewhere in the middle — having a team large enough to hold the knowledge, listen to communities, and inspire conversations within different departments, while also embedding purpose into every role across the business.

What’s also critical is having a voice at the senior leadership level that champions impact. If that lens of impact and inequity isn’t being heard in those conversations, we’re missing something important. I don’t think many organizations have that right yet — everyone is still figuring out the best model — but that’s what I see as the ideal.

What makes a company good at ESG?

Dan Walker: There are businesses doing it well in different dimensions. Rather than singling out organizations, here are the qualities I look for:

• Long-term commitment — Is this work truly embedded in the brand’s future, not just a short-term initiative?
• Lens of equity — Who are you centering? Which voices are shaping the strategy?
• Radical transparency — Acknowledging you’re not perfect, naming your challenges openly, and sharing how you’re moving toward where you want to be.

Tie your ESG work to your values, start with small steps, and don’t be overwhelmed. Everyone has a role to play and everyone can advance the work. If you’re seeking to build these programs, reach out to others in your industry — people in this space are genuinely willing to share.

Want to connect with Dan Walker? Find him on LinkedIn.