At Laudes Foundation, we are addressing the defining challenges of our time, working at the intersection of climate change, nature loss and social inequality.

The world is witnessing a time of rapid and unprecedented change, with shifting geopolitical alliances, economic uncertainty, increasing polarisation and fast developing technologies reshaping industries and societies.

Climate change continues to accelerate, with increasing impact on people and nature. Amid these challenges, our work with partners to advance just transitions across industries has never been more critical. Our first five years have seen us work with over 300 partners to support many transformative initiatives. Together, they demonstrate that real change is possible when industry is given the right tools and incentives to act.

We support brave action to inspire and challenge industry to transition to a green, fair, and inclusive economy.​​​​​​​

Fair and fast transitions will only succeed if affected people, including workers, residents and communities, have the inclusion, agency and accountability required to collectively shape plans and policies.

As defined by the International Labour Organization (ILO), just transition refers to “greening the economy in a way that is as fair and inclusive as possible to everyone concerned, creating decent work opportunities and leaving no one behind.”

While our work in specific industries (like fashion or the built environment) is important, some of our most powerful interventions work across industries. Enablers such as green skills, business leadership or narratives can challenge assumptions and inspire change can accelerate transitions.

An enabling, supportive policy and regulatory environment is critical to set expectations and enable frontrunner businesses to advance while encouraging the laggards. Over time, requirements and standards set out in policies, regulations and laws become expected norms for business and society.

When multi-stakeholder alliances bring together businesses and networks of civil society with a shared ambition, they create momentum for change, critical opportunities for learning and pathways for industry actions.

These—and other lessons—have shaped our strategic choices, and we continue to invest in the systems, processes, and culture needed to understand where and how our partners can accelerate positive change.

Our grantmaking aims to accelerate just transitions of industries and is organised across five programmes. Four of these programmes support industries with outsized impact on climate change, nature loss and inequality: built environment, fashion, food, and finance and capital markets. Additionally, our new cross-industry programme aims to create the enabling conditions that facilitate and advance fair and fast transitions across industries.

Catalysing the transition to an inclusive, climate and nature positive built environment.

We work with partners to accelerate the shift towards a built environment that is good for people, climate, and nature. For us, this means radically reducing energy and material emissions, while putting workers and residents at the centre.

Advancing a just transition to healthy, affordable, and sustainable food systems.

We work with partners to catalyse innovation and collaboration in the food industry by supporting frontrunner businesses and changemakers and policy reforms, while addressing impacts on workers and communities.

Creating the enabling conditions for green, fair, and inclusive transitions.

We work with partners to create momentum for change across industries by strengthening business and policy leadership, supporting emergent solutions and ensuring workers and communities are engaged for transitions to remain durable.

Spurring a green, fair and inclusive transition in fashion.

We work with partners to drive action by the industry, including suppliers, to address working conditions, adopt low-carbon materials, implement greener and circular processes.

Harnessing finance, as an industry and an enabler, to increase momentum for a just transition.

We work with our partners to transform the financial system, and to ensure that capital flows to where it is most urgently needed to drive a just transition.

Our programmatic support also includes catalysing innovation and supporting business frontrunners via industry transformation initiatives such as Fashion for Good and Built by Nature.

Addressing these challenges demands complex, coordinated and long-term action from our partners who are on the frontlines of change. To support them amidst growing uncertainty and global shocks, we have developed a Partner Resilience Framework focused on strengthening individual, organisational and ecosystem-wide resilience through financial and non-financial support.

We fund five core approaches through our over 300 partners.

We support our partners to amplify their efforts towards creating common standards and compelling incentives as conditions for industry transitions.

We convene coalitions and learning networks that share insights, co-create solutions, and enable shared action towards green, fair and inclusive economies.

We find and support solutions that have the potential to inform just transitions in our industries of focus.

We fund efforts that encourage transparency, set clear expectations, and hold industry to account for their social and environmental impacts.

Through communications of insights and stories, we aim to explore and challenge assumptions, inspire and encourage diverse perspectives that inform decisions.

DEFINING JUST TRANSITION

If you would like to learn more or find out how you can collaborate with Laudes Foundation

or our partners, please visit www.laudesfoundation.org