Best examples of cause-related marketing examples in environment

Standout examples of cause-related marketing in environmental campaigns

Before we get into frameworks and best practices, it helps to start with real examples. Cause-related marketing lives and dies in execution, and the strongest examples of cause-related marketing examples in environment share a few traits: transparent goals, third-party partners, and measurable outcomes.

Below are several campaigns that consistently show up in sustainability case studies and industry reports, updated with 2024–2025 context.

Patagonia & 1% for the Planet: Long-term commitment as a brand story

Patagonia is the poster child for a credible example of cause-related marketing tied to environmental protection. Since the 1980s, Patagonia has pledged 1% of sales to environmental causes and helped found the nonprofit network 1% for the Planet.

Instead of a one-off promotion, Patagonia built its entire marketing narrative around environmental activism:

• Every purchase supports grassroots environmental groups vetted by 1% for the Planet.
• Campaigns like “Don’t Buy This Jacket” urged customers to consume less, not more.
• In 2022, founder Yvon Chouinard transferred ownership of Patagonia to a trust and a nonprofit to ensure profits support climate and conservation.

This is one of the best examples of cause-related marketing examples in environment because it shows how a consistent, long-term financial commitment to environmental causes can become a core part of brand identity, not just a seasonal tagline.

Starbucks: Greener stores and conservation partnerships

Starbucks has been steadily evolving its environmental cause marketing for more than a decade. One standout example of cause-related marketing is its work around sustainable coffee and store decarbonization.

• Starbucks has pledged to cut carbon, water, and waste footprints by 50% by 2030, and it actively markets its “Greener Stores” framework.
• The company partners with conservation and development organizations to support climate-resilient coffee farming and forest protection in key sourcing regions.
• In campaigns across the U.S. and Europe, Starbucks has highlighted that a portion of proceeds from specific products or seasonal promotions supports farmer training, reforestation, or water stewardship projects.

What makes this one of the more credible examples of cause-related marketing examples in environment is the link between the core product (coffee), the environmental risk (climate impacts on coffee regions), and the cause (supporting farmers and landscapes). It’s not random charity; it’s tightly connected to business reality.

LEGO: Renewables, recycling, and kid-focused climate education

LEGO’s environmental storytelling has ramped up in recent years, turning sustainability into a core theme in its marketing to families.

Key moves that show up in its cause-related marketing:

• Investment in renewable energy and a goal to make all core products from sustainable materials.
• Campaigns that spotlight ocean plastic, renewable energy, and biodiversity through themed sets and educational content.
• Partnerships with organizations that support children’s environmental education and STEM learning.

When LEGO runs campaigns that donate a portion of sales to environmental education nonprofits or highlight climate-themed sets as supporting real-world learning programs, those become concrete examples of cause-related marketing examples in environment. The cause (climate and nature education for kids) aligns directly with LEGO’s audience and product.

REI’s #OptOutside: Turning Black Friday into a conservation statement

REI’s #OptOutside campaign is one of the most cited best examples of cause-related marketing in the outdoor sector. Instead of chasing Black Friday sales, REI closes its stores and encourages customers and employees to spend time outside.

Over time, REI layered in more explicit environmental cause connections:

• Partnerships with conservation groups and trail organizations.
• Storytelling about public lands, access to nature, and climate impacts on outdoor recreation.
• Member-driven campaigns to support local environmental projects.

The environmental cause is clear: protecting and enjoying the outdoors. The marketing hook is simple: skip the mall, go outside. REI uses this as a platform to promote memberships, gear, and advocacy while funding environmental work, making it a powerful example of cause-related marketing that actually reshapes consumer behavior.

Timberland: Tree planting tied directly to product sales

Timberland has leaned hard into tree planting as its signature environmental cause. For years, the brand has run campaigns where specific boot or apparel purchases fund reforestation projects.

Highlights:

• Timberland has supported the planting of tens of millions of trees globally in partnership with environmental nonprofits.
• Campaigns often feature clear messaging like “Buy X, plant Y trees,” giving customers a tangible outcome.
• The company links this work to its broader net-positive vision for nature and land restoration.

Because the impact is easy to understand and directly tied to specific products, Timberland offers one of the clearest examples of cause-related marketing examples in environment that customers can quickly grasp without reading a sustainability report.

Ben & Jerry’s: Climate justice baked into every campaign

Ben & Jerry’s is less about quiet philanthropy and more about loud advocacy. Its environmental cause-related marketing often blends climate action with social justice.

Examples include:

• Limited-edition flavors tied to climate marches, carbon pricing campaigns, or fossil fuel divestment.
• Partnerships with climate justice organizations and grassroots movements.
• Marketing that openly discusses the science of climate change and the disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities.

While some brands keep cause marketing apolitical, Ben & Jerry’s leans into policy and activism. That makes it a standout example of cause-related marketing that doesn’t just donate money but aims to shift public opinion and legislation.

Unilever (Dove, Hellmann’s, and beyond): Portfolio-wide environmental claims

Unilever has positioned itself as a sustainability-forward FMCG giant, with multiple brands running cause-related campaigns that connect to environmental issues.

A few real examples:

• Hellmann’s has run campaigns around food waste reduction, tying sales to donations and awareness efforts.
• Brands in the portfolio promote deforestation-free sourcing of palm oil, tea, and other commodities, sometimes linking promotions to forest protection projects.
• Marketing often highlights Unilever’s broader climate and nature commitments, such as its net-zero targets and nature-positive goals.

Because Unilever operates at massive scale, even modest cause-related marketing campaigns can move substantial funding toward environmental programs, making these some of the most impactful examples of cause-related marketing examples in environment globally.

Smaller brands and startups: Local, targeted, and highly transparent

Not every strong campaign comes from a global giant. Smaller brands often run tightly focused, highly transparent environmental cause campaigns that resonate with niche audiences.

Consider a local beverage company that:

• Partners with a watershed nonprofit to restore local rivers.
• Pledges a fixed donation per can sold within a specific region.
• Publishes annual impact updates and invites customers to volunteer days.

Or a direct-to-consumer cleaning brand that:

• Links subscriptions to plastic removal from rivers and coastlines.
• Works with verified partners that track and publish plastic recovery data.

These kinds of real examples of cause-related marketing examples in environment may not grab global headlines, but they often achieve higher trust and loyalty within their communities because customers can literally see the local impact.

Why these examples of cause-related marketing work (and don’t feel like greenwashing)

When you look across the best examples of cause-related marketing examples in environment, a pattern emerges. The campaigns that resonate — and survive public scrutiny — tend to share five characteristics.

1. The cause is connected to the core product

The most convincing campaigns connect the environmental cause to what the company actually sells:

• Outdoor brands protecting trails and forests.
• Food brands working on sustainable agriculture and food waste.
• Beverage brands funding water access or watershed restoration.

This connection makes the story logical. If your product depends on healthy ecosystems, it makes sense that your marketing would support those ecosystems. Campaigns that pick random causes unrelated to the business model often feel opportunistic.

2. There’s a real partner, not just a vague promise

Almost all strong examples of cause-related marketing examples in environment involve credible partners:

• Environmental nonprofits
• Research institutions
• Multilateral initiatives or coalitions

Partnerships bring expertise, accountability, and often third-party verification. For marketers, this also reduces risk: if a respected environmental group is willing to put its name next to your campaign, that signals some level of credibility.

3. Impact is measurable and reported

Consumers are increasingly suspicious of vague claims like “a portion of proceeds goes to the planet.” The best examples include:

• Specific donation formulas (e.g., a fixed amount per product sold).
• Clear impact metrics (trees planted, acres restored, tons of CO₂ avoided, plastic removed).
• Regular public reporting, ideally with some form of independent review.

This trend lines up with broader guidance from agencies like the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), whose Green Guides encourage marketers to make clear, specific environmental claims.

4. The campaign fits into a bigger sustainability strategy

One-off cause campaigns are increasingly viewed with skepticism if the rest of the business contradicts the message. Strong examples of cause-related marketing examples in environment sit on top of broader company commitments:

• Climate targets aligned with science-based pathways.
• Policies on deforestation, water use, and pollution.
• Product design changes that actually reduce environmental harm.

When the cause marketing is just the tip of the iceberg and the rest of the iceberg is real operational change, customers can feel the difference.

5. The marketing is honest about trade-offs and limitations

Some of the most trusted brands in this space are surprisingly candid:

• Admitting that donations or tree planting alone won’t “solve” climate change.
• Acknowledging ongoing environmental challenges in their supply chains.
• Sharing both progress and setbacks in sustainability reports.

This kind of transparency aligns with recommendations from organizations like the UN Environment Programme on avoiding greenwashing and making credible environmental claims.

How to design your own cause-related environmental campaign

If you’re building your own initiative and want it to stand alongside the best examples of cause-related marketing examples in environment, use these campaigns as a playbook — not a template to copy blindly.

Choose a cause that fits your footprint

Start with your environmental footprint and value chain:

• If you’re in food or agriculture, think soil health, water use, biodiversity, and food waste.
• If you’re in apparel, focus on materials, microplastics, and worker and community impacts in production regions.
• If you’re in tech, consider energy use, e-waste, and data center efficiency.

The most credible examples of cause-related marketing examples in environment grow out of the real environmental pressures your business faces.

Partner with organizations that can keep you honest

Seek out nonprofits, research groups, or coalitions that know more than you do. Universities and public agencies can be powerful allies for data and validation. For instance, U.S. marketers often point to climate and health data from sources like NOAA or EPA to ground their messaging in science.

A strong partner will:

• Help design meaningful programs.
• Push back on fluffy or misleading claims.
• Provide data you can share with customers.

Make the money flow and the metrics obvious

Customers should not need a decoder ring to understand your impact:

• Spell out the donation mechanism (e.g., $1 per product, fixed annual pledge, percentage of revenue).
• Publish the total amount donated and the outcomes achieved.
• Keep the math consistent across campaigns so it’s easy to compare over time.

If you’re inspired by tree-planting campaigns, for example, explain where and how trees are planted, which species, and how survival is monitored. Vague promises are where greenwashing accusations start.

Tell stories, but back them with data

Real examples of cause-related marketing examples in environment often pair human stories with hard numbers:

• Profile farmers adapting to climate change with support from your program, and share data on yield or income changes.
• Highlight communities benefiting from restored wetlands, and share metrics on flood risk reduction or biodiversity.

For marketers, this is the sweet spot: emotionally resonant stories anchored in verifiable impact.

FAQ: Cause-related marketing and environmental campaigns

What are some real examples of cause-related marketing in environmental issues?

Some widely cited real examples include Patagonia’s 1% for the Planet commitment, REI’s #OptOutside campaign connected to outdoor and conservation groups, Timberland’s tree-planting initiatives tied to boot sales, and Ben & Jerry’s climate justice flavors that support advocacy organizations. These examples of cause-related marketing examples in environment stand out because they pair clear financial commitments with transparent reporting and long-term partnerships.

How do I know if a campaign is an authentic example of cause-related environmental marketing and not greenwashing?

Look for three signals: a clear link between the brand’s products and the environmental cause, a named partner organization you can research, and specific data on money donated and outcomes achieved. If a brand simply says “we care about the planet” without naming partners, sharing numbers, or connecting the cause to its operations, it’s probably not one of the best examples of cause-related marketing examples in environment.

Do cause-related environmental campaigns actually change consumer behavior?

Evidence suggests they can, especially when the cause is relevant and the offer is simple. For example, campaigns that tie purchases to visible outcomes (like trees planted or local projects funded) tend to boost engagement and loyalty. Over time, strong examples of cause-related marketing examples in environment can also shape category norms, pushing competitors to raise their sustainability game.

What is a good example of a small business using cause-related marketing for environmental impact?

A good example of a small-business approach might be a regional coffee roaster that donates a fixed amount per bag to a local watershed restoration group, publishes annual impact reports, and invites customers to volunteer clean-up days. The scale is smaller than a multinational, but the transparency and local relevance can make it just as trusted as the big-name examples.

If you’re planning your own campaign, study these examples of cause-related marketing examples in environment not as glossy inspiration, but as case studies in alignment, transparency, and measurable impact. That’s where the real brand value — and real environmental benefit — comes from.