July 26, 2023
Sonos joins the Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies Brand Ambassador Initiative
Leading sound experience company demonstrates commitment to sustainable shipping
Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies is a partnership for cleaner air, safer whales, and a quieter ocean. | Credit: NOAA
The Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program announced that Sonos, the leading sound experience company, has joined the program’s Brand Ambassador Initiative.
Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies is a voluntary vessel speed reduction program that works with ship operators to reduce environmental impacts when transiting along the coast of California. Just like cars, vessels traveling at reduced speeds are more efficient, emitting fewer greenhouse gasses and harmful air pollutants. Slower vessels also reduce ocean noise and the risk of fatal ship strikes, which threaten whales globally and especially endangered blue, fin, and humpback whales in California waters.
The program recognizes that there is a large ecosystem of key stakeholders in maritime shipping, notably the brands and retailers that ship goods on vessels that participate in the Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies program. The new Brand Ambassador Initiative provides an impactful avenue for these brands and retailers to be part of the solution alongside the shipping industry, and to join in the positive recognition their participating carriers already receive. Brand Ambassadors help drive the demand for more sustainable shipping practices, thereby increasing shipping industry participation and improving conservation outcomes for whales, people, and the planet.
“Sonos is proud to join Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies as a Brand Ambassador,” said Deji Olukotun, Sonos’ Director of Global Affairs and Sustainability. “We were founded in Santa Barbara, and we’re committed to doing our part to protect the ecological biodiversity of the area."
In 2022, Sonos partnered with several conservation organizations to support ecoacoustics research with a focus on protecting endangered and threatened animals, including whales. As part of their Regenerative Sound program, Sonos supported the Scripps Acoustic Ecology Lab in their efforts to monitor whales and human-made noise in the Santa Barbara Channel. This data was used to help measure noise reductions resulting from the Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies program. Sonos also supported Sustainable Surf, a nonprofit, to help restore kelp beds impacted by sea urchins in Southern California.
"We’re evaluating our entire value chain to identify where we can make sustainable changes," said Darius Adl, Senior Director of Global Logistics at Sonos. "We look forward to working with our global shipping partners to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help protect endangered whales.”
When a company signs on as a Brand Ambassador, they are given access to environmental data identifying the performance and associated environmental benefits of their ocean carriers’ participation in the program. These assets can be used to demonstrate their sustainability commitments to customers and stakeholders, and to facilitate more sustainable shipping choices in the future. Cargo owners that have joined the Brand Ambassador Initiative are in a variety of industries spanning from coffee to consumer goods, united by their commitment to protect natural resources. In addition to Sonos, other Brand Ambassador companies include Way Basics, Santa Cruz Bicycles, Who Gives a Crap, Peak Designs, Nomad Goods, Summit Coffee and the Port of Hueneme.
Companies that have joined the Brand Ambassador program.
“Brands have a critical role to play in vessel speed reduction programs by sending a signal to ship operators about the importance of sustainable shipping practices,” said Robert Mazurek of the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, one of the Blue Whales Blue Skies program partners. “The BWBS program believes companies and consumers should know if their goods are carried by ships that are operating sustainably to protect the environment.”
Since the program launched in 2014, enrolled vessels have slowed down for more than 790,000 nautical miles, resulting in reductions of more than 108,000 metric tons of regional greenhouse gasses and more than 3,200 tons of harmful NOx emissions. In 2022 cooperating shipping companies realized a 44% estimated decreased risk in lethal ship strikes to whale strikes, and an average decrease in underwater noise of 4.6 decibels per transit.
To become a Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies Brand Ambassador, send inquiries to info@bluewhalesblueskies.org. For more information visit https://www.bluewhalesblueskies.org/brands
About Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies
Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies is a voluntary vessel speed reduction program that works with ship operators to reduce environmental impacts when transiting along the coast of California. The Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies program is a collaborative effort by air pollution control districts, California national marine sanctuaries, the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, and other non-profit organizations.
To learn more about Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies, visit https://www.bluewhalesblueskies.org/
About Sonos
Sonos is the world’s leading sound experience company. As the inventor of multi-room wireless home audio, Sonos innovation helps the world listen better by giving people access to the content they love and allowing them to control it however and wherever they choose. Known for delivering an unparalleled sound experience, thoughtful design aesthetic, simplicity of use, and an open platform, Sonos makes the breadth of audio content available to anyone.
To learn more about Sonos' sustainability and social impact work, please visit sustainability.sonos.com.