Climate Beneficial is a term used to describe products that are produced in a way that benefits the planet’s ecosystems and helps to reverse the effects of Climate change. This term is often used in regards to natural fibers which are grown using practices that maximize carbon drawdown from the atmosphere, which then helps to restore ecosystem health and, in turn, has a positive stabilizing effect on the climate.

Such natural fibers include cotton, flax linen, wool, and alpaca. 

Fibershed has created a Climate Beneficial Verification program that works to support farmers to rebuild healthy soil. By providing technical and financial support, Fibershed is able to engage with producers and support them in enhancing the drawdown of carbon within their practices.

Then, they connect farmers with designers and companies who want to purchase climate-positive products. Through this process, they are building a supply and demand chain that both creates climate beneficial products and a market to sell them in.

The process of making climate beneficial fibers does several key things – first, it increases the levels of soil’s organic carbon and improves the soil’s capacity to hold water. On a larger scale, it provides a habitat for many species, including pollinators, which enhances biodiversity. Ultimately, soil microbiome and nutrient cycles are restored, and so is the ecosystem. Climate beneficial products can be carbon negative, meaning they remove more CO2 from the carbon cycle than they emit.

Clothing isn’t the only thing that can be climate beneficial. I’ve been exploring all the different types of products that can benefit ecosystems, and the possibilities are endless!

Here are my 6 favorite climate beneficial brands!

1. Air Company

Air Company has found a way to mimic photosynthesis and remove CO2 from the atmosphere to store it in products for carbon sequestration. Their technology takes that CO2, combining it with water and sunlight to create alcohols that can be used in sanitizers, fragrances, and spirits.

It can actually be used as a carbon-negative fuel. You can purchase that alcohol as vodka or sanitizer. For every liter they make, they clean the same amount of CO2 from the air as 8 trees. Talk about drinking responsibly!

Check out Air Company

2. The North Face

While not all products from The North Face are climate beneficial, their Cali Wool Collection is. The collection of men’s coats, women’s coats, beanies, and scarves is made from wool that is produced by Bare Ranch, located in California. The ranch teamed up with Fibershed to put a carbon farm plan in place.

Carbon farming practices allow the farm to reverse its carbon emissions and actually sequester more carbon than it produces, via the soil. By doing things like adding a layer of compost to grazed land, planting trees, and setting a graze rotation plan in place, they’re sequestering 4,000 metric tons of CO2 yearly. That’s the equivalent of removing 800 cars from our roads. The North Face hopes that by creating this line and drawing attention to it, other companies will shift toward carbon beneficial materials as well.

Check out The North Face Cali Wool Collection of men’s coats, women’s coats, beanies

3. Lanis Lana

Lanis Lana is a yarn company based in the United States that also sells hats, gloves, scarves, blankets, pillows, and more. They source their fibers from the same ranch as The North Face – Bare Ranch. They do also source some fibers from other nearby farms, all of which hold the same climate-positive values. They take great pride in how the wool they use is grown – rooted in tradition and with respect for the animals and the earth.

Their focus is on creating products produced in Northern California and Northwest Nevada that you’d normally have to import from other countries – skipping the importing is another way to be more carbon neutral.

Check out Lanis Lana

4. Mara Hoffman

Mara Hoffman creates gorgeous selections of women’s ready-to-wear clothing. They use extremely mindful materials – starting first with climate beneficial wool, grown on land using regenerative practices. They use flax linen and hemp, both of which naturally deter weeds around them and help regenerate the soil around where they’re planted.

They also use Econyl and Repreve – materials made from recycled plastic and regenerated polyester, giving new life to waste that would have otherwise gone to the landfill. Repreve actually offsets the use of new petroleum. 

Check out Mara Hoffman on NET-A-PORTER

5. Coyuchi

Coyuchi offers a line of climate-beneficial wool products. The line includes scarves, blankets, duvet inserts, mattress toppers, and dryer balls. The climate beneficial wool they use is backed by Fibershed – so the ranches growing the wool have been vetted and have a carbon farm plan in place.

Check out Coyuchi

6. Italia A

Italia A creates high-quality women’s clothing, all manufactured in San Francisco, CA. Their designs are zero waste. They use regenerative textiles that help improve soil health and restore earth’s atmosphere, like climate beneficial wool. They also focus on using sustainable fibers, like bamboo, in their clothing. They also use organic cotton and all of their materials are biodegradable.

Check Out Italia A

Final Thoughts

While climate change can be downright depressing, climate beneficial brands and materials are breathing new life into the movement to restore the planet and put an end to the climate crisis. Being sustainably-minded doesn’t mean you have to give up everything entirely – we just have to make better purchasing and lifestyle choices. We must actively choose to be conscious consumers – and brands like Air Company and Mara Hoffman are making it easier than ever to shop in a climate-positive way. From alcohol to clothing to bedding – by supporting brands like these, we can encourage other brands to adopt climate beneficial materials and products.

Disclosure: Every product is carefully selected by our editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.