A Letter to other Brands from Ocean Beer: YOU, what do YOU do for the planet?
A Letter to other Brands from Ocean Beer: YOU, what do YOU do for the planet?
Dear brands shaping the products we use every day,
Business has the power — and the responsibility — to do more than create great products. It can help restore the ecosystems those products depend on, and protect the natural systems that sustain communities, economies, and life on Earth.
The ocean is the most important ecosystem on our planet, and yet, the most overlooked. It produces more than half the oxygen we breathe, regulates our climate, feeds billions of people, absorbs vast amounts of carbon, and holds most of the planet’s biodiversity. Despite this, 98% of of funding for ocean protection is estimated to be missing according to scientists. The challenge is not a lack of solutions — it is a lack of consistent financial support.
Our idea is simple: what if everyday products helped fund the protection of the ecosystems they depend on?
Ocean Beer is built on this belief that protecting our beautiful planet should be be seamlessly embedded in the price of things, by default. We simply do not believe in a world where our planet's health depends on people's proactive donations. Generating this much-needed funding should not require extra effort—just better choices available to consumers in their daily lives. So our goal is straightforward = help make conservation more accessible, make it part of our everyday consumer journey.
Early 2026, Ocean Beer introduced a new pixelated label design illustrating the very power of this collective impact. Each square represents one small action for the planet, one square meter of ocean protected for one year. On their own, these actions may seem so small, often even meaningless. But when thousands of people start moving in the same direction, long-term impact can be tremendous - for the best and for the worst.
This letter is an open invitation to the next-generation of brands & entrepreneurs. How can you design your next business model so it can genuinely help generate the funding needed to restore the ecosystems we all depend on?
And to today's most influential, existing brands, what are you doing to protect the planet?
Coca-Cola - Nestlé - IKEA - Zara - H&M - Nike
Starbucks - Apple - Amazon - Google - Samsung
Heineken - AB InBev - LVMH - Louis Vuitton - Danone
Our planet sustains us every day. Don't you think it makes sense to bring conservation & restoration to the core of tomorrow's business — by design? 🌊🌍✨
Here are some brands that are giving back to nature (by alphabetical order, not impact):
ALOHA Collection — travel and lifestyle brand donating 5% of profits to Hawai‘i-based conservation organisations protecting local ecosystems
Alter Eco — chocolate brand funding agroforestry and regenerative farming, helping restore ecosystems where cacao is grown
Agua NEA — canned water brand that funds coral reef restoration projects through its sales
Ecosia — search engine that directs 100% of its profits to tree planting and ecosystem restoration worldwide
Ethique — plastic-free haircare brand donating 2% of annual sales to environmental and conservation organisations
Finisterre — outdoor apparel brand supporting marine conservation partnerships and ocean protection initiatives
KM ZERO Water — water brand promoting refill-based consumption models designed to reduce impact and support ocean protection
Ocean Bottle — reusable bottle company funding the collection of ocean-bound plastic (1,000 bottles per product sold)
Parley for the Oceans — collaborates with brands to turn ocean plastic into products while funding ocean protection initiatives
Patagonia — outdoor brand directing 100% of profits (not reinvested) + 1% of sales to environmental protection and restoration
Sand Cloud — beach lifestyle brand donating 10% of profits to marine conservation organisations
Sea Change Wine — wine brand donating a portion of every bottle sold, with €600k+ already contributed to ocean conservation
and of course, all members of 1% for the Planet - network of brands committing to donate ≥1% of annual sales to environmental causes