Resilience, Savings, and Climate Action in one simple shift

This conversation revealed how much untapped power sits in the financial decisions companies already make every day. Outdoor brands, known for bold climate advocacy, are now turning their attention to less visible but equally powerful levers like insurance. By redirecting where premiums are placed, companies can reduce exposure to risk, cut costs, and drive capital away from fossil fuels toward resilience and clean energy. What emerged in this discussion is that climate finance is not a theoretical tool. It is a practical, immediate strategy available to every business.

The panelists showed that Premiums for the Planet makes this transition straightforward. Brands can join at no cost, work within their existing broker relationships, and quickly gain insights into how their money is being used. For CFOs and CSOs alike, the case is clear. This is one of the highest ROI climate actions available, delivering both business resilience and measurable climate impact. And when leading outdoor companies take this step, they create ripple effects that push insurers, peers, and entire industries toward more sustainable practices.

Top Three Takeaways

• Insurance is an untapped climate lever. Outdoor brands already spend significant amounts on insurance, yet most have never considered its climate impact. Redirecting those dollars can shift capital flows away from fossil fuels and toward resilience.

• It’s low friction and high impact. Joining Premiums for the Planet and aligning insurance with climate goals does not require a new department, budget, or operational overhaul. It simply means better alignment between existing financial decisions and values.

• Leadership drives market change. When respected brands take the first step, they create competitive pressure for others to follow. Premiums for the Planet members are proving this approach works, delivering ROI in both climate impact and business resilience.
  

What the Panelists Said

Kristin Hostetter (Moderator, Outdoor Sustainability Expert)

• On the hidden influence of your insurance spend: “When a company puts its money into a bank or pays a big insurance premium, it’s influencing climate outcomes whether they realize it or not.”

• On financial footprints beyond supply chains: “We talk a lot about carbon footprints and supply chains, but the money sitting in your insurance, banking, and retirement accounts is already shaping the future one way or another.”

Nick Gardner (Co-Founder & Head of Strategic Initiatives and Community, Premiums for the Planet)

• On insurance as a hidden sustainability lever: “Insurance has historically not been on the climate menu from a corporate sustainability perspective, yet it’s one of the easiest levers we have with outsized impact.”

• On the ROI of joining PFP: “For many companies, this ends up being one of the highest ROI sustainability moves they can make.”

• On the dual benefits of PFP membership: “You’re not just improving your insurance coverage. You’re moving money away from industries driving the climate crisis and toward solutions that protect your business in the long run.”

• On the ease of joining PFP: “Joining Premiums for the Planet is simple, free, and designed to work with the partners and coverage you already have.”

Ryan Laemel (COO, Protect Our Winter)

• On why financial choices matter: “Where our money sleeps at night really matters. Bank accounts, investments, credit, retirement accounts, as well as our insurance.”

• On PFP as a clear and practical solution: “Premiums for the Planet gives companies a clear, practical way to take action through their insurance spend.”

• On the market signal outdoor brands send: “When outdoor brands lead on aligning finance with climate goals, it sends a powerful signal that the market cannot ignore.”

Dawn Boulware (VP of Social and Environmental Responsibility, Taos Ski Valley, Inc.)

• On aligning broker relationships with values: “It’s a really healthy thing for a business to look at broker relationships, and this is an easy way to align that work with your company’s values.”

• On joining PFP as a smart business move: “For us, working with Premiums for the Planet was both a healthy business move and a climate action step.”

• On uncovering hidden value through PFP: “This process gave us insights into our insurance that we would not have uncovered otherwise, and it created real alignment between our financial decisions and our mission.”

How to Take Action Now

Premiums for the Planet
Joining Premiums for the Planet is free and gives your company expert guidance on aligning insurance coverage with climate and resilience goals. By auditing where your premiums are invested, you gain visibility into whether your money supports or undermines your values. That shift can become a powerful case study, creating competitive pressure for more sustainable insurance practices across your industry. And when integrated into your broader sustainability strategy, it provides measurable impact and resilience benefits that sit alongside supply chain and operations metrics.
→ Join Premiums for the Planet

Protect Our Winters
Protect Our Winters makes it easy to understand and act on the financial side of climate. Start by seeing the climate impact of where your money sits once the lifts stop running, and then double your impact by joining their match campaign to power forward on climate action.
→ Use the Banking Emissions Calculator

→ Join the Match Campaign

Taos Ski Valley, Inc.
Taos Ski Valley is showing what it looks like when a business brings climate responsibility and resilience into its core operations. By aligning financial decisions with values, the resort is proving that sustainability and business strength go hand in hand.
→ Visit Taos Ski Valley