When Patagonia published its first Work in Progress Report, it began with a sentence that stopped the sustainability world in its tracks:
“Nothing we do is sustainable.”

For a company that has long been the gold standard of corporate responsibility, this statement is as radical as it is honest. Patagonia, the brand that told us “Don’t buy this jacket” and gave its ownership to the planet, is now admitting what most others refuse to: even the most responsible business model is still entangled in systems that harm the Earth.

A Confession Worth Listening To

The report is not marketing. It’s a mirror. Patagonia openly acknowledges that:

• it doesn’t own most of its factories,

• can’t fully control supply chains,

• still relies on fossil-based materials,

• and can’t dictate how consumers use or discard its products.

It’s a sobering message: one that goes beyond corporate transparency. It’s a reality check about what “sustainable business” really means when the entire global economy is built on extraction, production, and consumption.

From Perfection to Progress

At Terry, we read this report with deep respect and recognition. Like Patagonia, we know we’re not perfect. We’re not going to solve the climate crisis with one app, one extension, or one partnership. But we also know people want to take action, and often don’t know how.

That’s where we come in. Terry was built on a simple truth: people will continue to buy things, not endlessly, but out of necessity. The question is how those purchases can do more good and less harm.

Our mission has never been to make consumption “green.” It’s to make necessary consumption count: to redirect part of everyday spending toward real climate action. To make awareness practical.

Beyond Carbon, Beyond Marketing

Like Patagonia, we’re learning that progress requires humility. That every tonne of CO₂ avoided, every hectare restored, and every kelp forest rebuilt is only part of a much bigger story.

That’s why we look not only at what we support, but also how we operate, including our own digital footprint. Terry’s servers, for example, run on Hetzner infrastructure, powered by 100% renewable energy from hydropower in Germany and Finland. It’s a small piece of a long journey, but it matters.

The Bigger Picture

Patagonia’s honesty doesn’t make it weaker, it makes it credible. By saying “we’re not sustainable,” it reframes the conversation: sustainability isn’t a status, it’s a process.

That’s the mindset we share. Terry isn’t about perfection: it’s about movement. A collective shift where small, conscious actions add up to something real.

Because while “green consumerism” alone won’t save us, better consumer choices can open the door to system change. And if enough of us walk through it, the direction of the system itself begins to change.

Buy less. But when you do, buy better.
That’s the Terry way.

Read Patagonia's Progress Report here.