What the Landmark Inflation Reduction Act means to the Business of Outdoor Rec

Guest:

Adam Cramer is the founding Executive Director and present CEO of Outdoor Alliance, a national coalition of outdoor recreation advocacy groups that has breathed new life into the conservation movement by harnessing the outdoor community’s passion for place and combining it with a modern approach to organizing and digital engagement. During his time as CEO, Adam has brought new sensibilities to conservation work that have resulted in hundreds of thousands more acres of protected landscapes, improved management for outdoor recreation, and thousands of outdoor enthusiasts awakened to conservation and advocacy work. He is an avid whitewater kayaker and mountain biker, but is always on the lookout for a good skatepark. Adam lives in Maryland with his wife and two kids

Show notes:

On Friday, August 12, 2022, Congress passed the largest ever climate package in the Inflation Reduction Act, an absolute landmark piece of legislation. Channel Mastery has never done an episode on any sort of legislation before today; but know that this show was prioritized. Why? Because of the landmark impact that the IRA is destined to have on our businesses. What’s more, this is a far-reaching (both in scope and timeframe) bill that will create new awareness among our consumers – the outdoor recreation enthusiast. Channel Mastery is 100-percent about understanding our brand fans and target consumers and this bill will ‘train’ them to expect more responsible businesses and brand practices concerning climate mitigation going forward. 

The bill is sweeping and complex, and we’ve procured the perfect guide for our episode today in Adam Cramer, the CEO of the Outdoor Alliance, the only non-profit organization in the U.S. that unites the voices of outdoor enthusiasts to conserve public lands and ensure those lands are managed in a way that embraces the human-powered experience. The Outdoor Alliance connects conservation with climate, which positions Adam’s perspective as critical to you, Channel Mastery’s executive audience of outdoor rec business leaders. The Outdoor Alliance is a coalition of national advocacy organizations that includes American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, Access Fund, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Winter Wildlands Alliance, the Mountaineers, the American Alpine Club, the Mazamas, the Colorado Mountain Club, and the Surfrider Foundation. 

The Inflation Reduction Act will be on President Biden’s desk by the time you listen to this show, but the interview you’re about to hear in episode 192 is evergreen in that it underscores a tipping point moment in climate and conservation.

Paul Krugman, Opinion Columnist with The New York Times, in his piece “Did Democrats just Save Civilization?” wrote: “This is a very big deal. The act isn’t, by itself, enough to avert climate disaster. But it is a huge step in the right direction and sets the stage for more action in the years ahead. It will catalyze progress in green technology; its economic benefits will make passing additional legislation easier; it gives the United States the credibility it needs to lead a global effort to limit greenhouse gas emissions.” Senator John Hickenlooper (D) Colorado, summed up the bill in his newsletter by describing it as the largest climate rescue investment by any country ever. 

The Outdoor Alliance website has informative summary blog posts about the IRA, outlining how the $373 billion funding package will mitigate climate change through investments that will accelerate our transition to clean energy. The bill also includes billions of dollars for wildfire mitigation, forest management, and conservation. 

While this hard-fought legislative win most certainly benefits humanity as a whole, it’s crucial to highlight what this means to the business of outdoor recreation and how we, as corporate citizens, have an opportunity and responsibility to step up and heap on awareness and visibility of what’s going to emerge from this game-changing legislation. Whether it's sharing the details and impact of the IRA on the health of the planet and the places we cherish as outdoor recreationalists with our internal teams or on how your brand and reach can further the traction on climate change mitigation, the time to elevate this to our important stakeholders in our outdoor rec businesses is now. 

Also, note that consumers will vote with their dollars more than ever before as the road to doing the right thing will be highlighted in the coming months and years, thanks to the IRA. 

The Channel Mastery podcast is presented by Verde Brand Communications and Life Time, Inc., owner of the Sea Otter Classic and producer of the Sea Otter Classic Summit outdoor recreation executive gathering, taking place April 18-20, 2023, in Monterey, Calif. 

Links:

• Show sponsors: Verde Brand Communications, Life Time, Inc. 
• The Outdoor Alliance website makes it easy to thank local / state Lawmakers and has numerous blog posts about climate and conservation, and the many bridges between the IRA and outdoor recreation
• The New York Times, Did Democrats just Save Civilization? August 8, 2022, Paul Krugman 
• The National Wildlife Federation writes “Inflation Reduction Act a “Historic” Win for Climate, Wildlife
• As Congress funds high-tech climate solutions, it also bets on a low-tech one: Nature