Having reached that point in 2017, Nick then realised that because of the brand’s growth, “in terms of our turnover at any rate, the first 20 years of Nikwax only added up to one year now. So [after balancing 20 years already] we made a decision to balance out all of our operational carbon emissions for the last 40 years.”

The offsetting process is managed by an independent third party, the World Land Trust, which “buys land where there are endangered habitats, and then hands over the management of that land to local NGOs,” according to Nick. Nikwax’s calculations of their carbon emissions and general consumption are entirely transparent, conducted in accordance with government guidelines and published in full on their website.

“We believe that consumers should have a healthy scepticism when it comes to companies’ environmental claims.”

This is because, as they write on the site, they “believe that consumers should have a healthy scepticism when it comes to companies’ environmental claims”. In an era where many companies make claims about their eco-friendly policies and “greenwashing” is unfortunately all too common, such transparency is welcome.

As well as the carbon neutral pledge, Nikwax is a big financial supporter of the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA), which funds various projects around the world aimed at preserving natural habitats, fighting deforestation and preventing extinctions. “They’re one of our seven sustaining members,” said Tanya Bascombe, one of EOCA’s joint general managers, “which means they finance the running of the association on behalf of the entire industry.”