I have always felt good shopping at L.L.Bean. Until recently. Until I learned the ugly truth underlying Bean’s projected image of a being a responsible corporate citizen.

I clearly remember my first purchase from Bean’s. It was 1982 and I was visiting from Michigan. I wanted to test Bean’s renowned 24-7 customer service, see if they really would welcome me at 3 a.m. They did, graciously, and I walked out with a new pair of their famed chino slacks that lasted me more than a few decades, decades over which I have purchased many more Bean goods from Maine’s local purveyor of quality.

My more recent purchases I might wear with less guilt because of the way Bean’s has responded to the numerous critiques of its labor practices. The company revised its code of conduct in January 2023 to prohibit forced labor, child labor and abuse and has pledged to monitor all subcontractors for compliance with the code.

Still, in 2024 the apparel and fashion sustainability and ethics rating platform Good on You gave L.L.Bean an overall rating of “Not Good Enough.”

One of the factors influencing Good on You’s rating under the “Planet” category reads, “There’s no evidence it’s taking meaningful action to reduce its climate impacts.” This brings me to think again about whether my Bean purchases are all that great, as I have recently learned that Bean’s credit card and its Bean Bucks program are financed through Citibank, one of the four largest funders of new fossil fuel projects in the world.

Last month, 48 national, regional and Maine-based organizations, collectively representing more than 2 million supporters, sent a letter to L.L.Bean CEO Stephen Smith asking him, among other things, to “Meet with key Citibank leaders to express your concern about Citi’s fossil fuel investments and how these are affecting both L.L.Bean’s business and reputation.”

The letter also asks Bean’s to follow the lead of its competitor Patagonia and create and adhere to a climate action plan that mitigates its carbon emissions, including those stemming from its relationship with Citibank. Most importantly, it asks Bean’s to pledge to drop Citibank and find a new banking partner if Citibank doesn’t stop funding fossil fuels.

Which brings up for me the question — what am I going to do?

Stop buying L.L.Bean goods until it changes its policies? Perhaps it may come to that. But in the meantime, I choose to use my client privilege to pressure Bean’s to do what it has done in regard to its labor policies and clean up its environmental act. Unless it makes a change, I and others will continue to remind the world that L.L.Bean is not so green.

I see this as a great opportunity for Bean’s to gain huge amounts of cred by using its significant leverage to pressure its banking partner to drop its funding of fossil fuels.

Think what great marketing it could be for a company that celebrates the love of the outdoors to truly walk its talk and tout its influence for the good of the planet. Think also what great risk is involved in maintaining business as usual and reaping the ire of your climate change- conscious customers.

Bean’s, you are great, but you can be a lot better.