Every day is Earth Day when your purpose is built around protecting the natural world we explore and depend on. At Nikwax, sustainability isn’t an add-on – it’s at the heart of how we make our products, care for our own community and others, and support conservation worldwide.
This World Earth Day, we’re shining a light on one extraordinary place: Colombia – one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth – where together with our conservation partners, we’re helping protect vital habitats for generations to come.
A Difference Rooted in Purpose
Since 1977, Nikwax has remained true to a simple but powerful idea: outdoor performance should never come at the expense of people or the planet.
We make every product ourselves, giving us full control over quality and environmental impact – a commitment reflected in our water-based, non-aerosol formulas that are free from harmful “forever chemicals.” By helping gear last longer through cleaning and waterproofing it, we turn everyday care into a simple act of sustainability.
Climate action isn’t just a slogan for us either – we’re lowering production and planning emissions for a Net Zero future by 2040, striving to minimise our footprint while enabling people to enjoy the outdoors responsibly. Through long-standing partnerships, we also balance our unavoidable emissions – including historical ones – by funding high-impact conservation projects.
Through long-standing partnerships, we also balance our unavoidable emissions – including historical ones – by funding high-impact conservation projects.
© Richard Cuthbert, World Land Trust
Colombia: A Global Biodiversity Powerhouse
Colombia is recognised as one of the world’s megadiverse nations, hosting close to 10% of the planet’s biodiversity. It ranks first globally for bird and orchid species diversity, and second for plants, butterflies, freshwater fish and amphibians. From the Amazon rainforest and Andean cloud forests to páramo ecosystems and tropical lowlands, Colombia’s landscapes are as varied as they are vital.
Yet these ecosystems face mounting pressure from deforestation, land conversion and climate change. That’s why our conservation partnerships in Colombia matter so much.
© El Silencio, Fundación Biodiversa, Colombia
Protecting El Silencio with the World Land Trust
For almost two decades, Nikwax has partnered with World Land Trust (WLT), a conservation charity dedicated to safeguarding threatened habitats and biodiversity worldwide. Through WLT’s Carbon Balanced programme, we offset our unavoidable emissions by funding the protection and restoration of land in partnership with local conservation organisations.
As part of our ongoing commitment to conservation, Nikwax has further supported the WLT by matching our latest offsetting payment with a donation of almost £4,000 towards their urgent Colombia appeal. This support is helping secure the future of the El Silencio Reserve. Working alongside WLT’s Colombian partner, Fundación Biodiversa Colombia, the reserve has expanded dramatically – from just 85 hectares to nearly 3,400 hectares of protected forest. These funds contribute directly to safeguarding more land within and around El Silencio – protecting vital habitat, storing carbon, stabilising soils and supporting water security for local communities.
By helping funding land purchase and its long-term protection, we’re helping keep irreplaceable ecosystems intact – keeping forests standing for climate, wildlife and communities alike.
© Alejandro Pinto (Canopy Guardians)
Safeguarding Species with the European Outdoor Conservation Association
Our commitment to Colombia also extends through our long-standing membership of the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA). For over a decade, Nikwax has been a Sustaining Member of EOCA, a collective of outdoor brands funding grassroots conservation worldwide.
In Colombia, this support has contributed to Canopy Guardians, a project protecting the endangered White-footed Tamarin – a small primate found only in the country’s tropical dry forests, one of the most threatened ecosystems in the Americas. Funding from EOCA members, including Nikwax, has helped secure and restore critical forest corridors, reconnect fragmented habitats and strengthen long-term protection of remaining forest. Local communities are also engaged as “canopy guardians,” monitoring tamarin populations, restoring native trees and developing sustainable livelihoods that reduce pressure on the forest.
This collaborative approach shows the power of industry working together. By pooling resources through EOCA, Nikwax and the wider outdoor community turn conservation ambition into measurable impact – protecting species, restoring ecosystems and supporting local people.
© Alejandro Pinto (Canopy Guardians)
This World Earth Day – Care for What You Love
At Nikwax, every choice – from how we formulate and manufacture products to how we manage emissions and invest in conservation – reflects our belief that environmental stewardship and outdoor performance go hand in hand. Through our long-standing partnerships with organisations like WLT and EOCA, we help protect extraordinary places and species, from the forests of El Silencio to the home of the white-footed tamarin, while supporting local communities and combating climate change.
This World Earth Day, we celebrate the planet and reflect on how we can protect it – whether through mindful gear care, responsible outdoor choices, or supporting conservation where it matters most. With Nikwax, caring for your gear is also caring for the natural world we share and depend upon.
earthday.org
nikwax.com
worldlandtrust.org
eocaconservation.org
