Stories of impact

Laudes Foundation is
accelerating the transition
to a green, fair and
inclusive economy.

Stories of impact

FEATURE

From policy on paper to
policy in action

Ensuring that civil society can inform governmental policies and laws is critical for effecting systems change. That’s why many of our partners work to improve policy to represent and include the stakeholders most affected.

But the road to policy change is complex, and setbacks are inevitable. The landmark laws passed under the European Commission’s European Green Deal are a perfect example.

The European Green Deal aims to make Europe the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050. It includes the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.

In early 2024, there was a lot of movement on the CSDDD file. The provisional agreement failed to secure a majority in the Council, so negotiations were reopened. To ensure the directive could achieve its intended outcomes, our partners actively informed businesses and policymakers about the potential impacts of changing key provisions.

The galvanising power of multi-stakeholder movements, including coalitions of civil society with several thousand companies and investors, resulted in strong support for the policy and key provisions within it. Eventually, after several proposed changes, the directive entered into force in July 2024.

November 2024 saw an unprecedented setback as the European Commission announced an "Omnibus" package to simplify reporting requirements and reduce the burden of regulations on companies. This led to a proposal in February 2025 that again reopened negotiations on the CSDDD.

In an often-unpredictable policymaking environment, the goal is to continue to support partners with flexible funding where possible.

FEATURE

Building momentum for a fair, green, and inclusive economy

Governments, businesses, and investors increasingly recognise the importance of a just transition — the greening of the economy in a way that is as fair and inclusive as possible to everyone concerned.

Research indicates that achieving climate goals through a just transition by 2050 will require EUR 440 trillion in funding, or EUR 17.6 trillion annually. While philanthropy can catalyse some of this funding, it remains a small amount at only 2%. The Mapping and Trend Analysis on Just Transition Initiatives by Climate Horizons, commissioned by Laudes Foundation, Wallace Global Fund, and Ford Foundation, highlights the absence of coordinated funding in this space.

Responding to these trends, Laudes brought together ten philanthropic donors investing in just transitions across different industries to learn from each other, seek alignment in funding, and work together to drive more interest and finance across the philanthropic community.

In 2024, we partnered with Human Level to coordinate the newly formed Just Transitions Donor Alliance (JTDA), which has since grown to 43 philanthropic organisations. Over the year, the JTDA has successfully bridged a perceived divide between climate donors, rights donors, and development donors, helping the philanthropic community recognise the importance of maximising the benefits of rapid climate action while minimising negative impacts on workers, communities, and businesses.

Going forward the JTDA aims to increase funding towards just transition efforts and use philanthropy's collective influence to help position the climate action by industry as a catalyst for economic growth and prosperity for business, workers and wider society.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Greener cities for fairer jobs

The construction sector accounts for an estimated 8.6% of total global employment, a workforce that faces increasing health and safety risks from escalating and intensifying climate impacts. The sector also drives around a third of global carbon emissions when accounting for energy and material use.

Decarbonising the built environment is crucial, but if we do not bring workers along in a fair way then workforce challenges will increase in a sector already struggling with a significant skills gap. When done right, our partner C40 Cities found that decarbonising the construction sector can deliver up to 40% more jobs than business as usual in Madrid and 13% more in London, while speeding up the supply of affordable housing in both.

The world's cities play a major leadership role in signalling the importance of decarbonising buildings in a fair way. In 2023, with Laudes' support, C40 Cities launched VISIBLE, bringing together city leadership from London, Madrid, and Oslo with workers’ unions, housing providers, construction companies, and investors to demonstrate how building decarbonisation can reduce inequalities.

The backbone of the programme is C40’s collaboration with global union federation Building and Wood Workers' International to ensure workers are steering city transitions.

In 2024, VISIBLE supported each city to produce action plans for decarbonising the construction sector and highlighted practical examples. For example, the “Oslo Model” for responsible procurement brings together clean construction and responsible labour requirements, and Madrid's TándEM programme connects vulnerable communities with retrofit job opportunities and skills.

FASHION

Transforming textile waste into opportunities for India and its waste workers

Around 85% of fashion’s waste ends up in landfill, often in developing economies like India, Kenya, and Ghana, nations disproportionately affected by climate change and grappling with deep-rooted social inequalities.

To accelerate the fashion industry’s transition towards circularity, we must address waste in a way that is good for workers, communities, and our environment.

At the end of 2023, we launched the Re-START Alliance with Fashion for Good, Canopy, and IDH to advance textile waste management and recycling, and, in doing so, build a supply chain for textile waste that is fair and inclusive.

Standing for Recover by Sourcing, Tracing, and Advancing Recycling Technologies, the Re-START Alliance aims to bring one million tonnes of textile waste back into the global fashion supply chain by 2030.

India is the first focus country. In 2024, we partnered with Upaya Social Ventures, Global Development Incubator (GDI), and the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE), to accelerate this work. Each partner is working on initiatives to stimulate innovation, unlock financing, improve policy, and build up the waste-worker community to play a key role in the transition towards a circular economy in textiles.

Watch the video to see how Upaya Social Ventures works towards its mission to ensure dignified jobs, and Indumathi, the inspiring waste-worker-turned-entrepreneur.

FINANCE AND CAPITAL MARKETS

Using investor influence to drive a green and fair future in real estate

Investors can play a critical role in incentivising companies to have a positive impact on people, nature and climate. In fact, 72% of investors expect their interactions with companies — which include targeted engagement and how they vote at annual general meetings — will impact investment performance over the next three to four years.

In the built environment sector, Laudes Foundation supports Global Real Estate Engagement Network (GREEN), a group of asset owners and managers with a combined worth of over EUR 2 trillion in assets under management. GREEN’s aim is to steer real estate companies to improve their sustainability performance and reduce their exposure to financial and non-financial climate risk.

Since measuring and setting targets for decarbonisation are crucial for achieving progress, Laudes also supports initiatives that investors can use for influencing industrial transitions.

For example, the Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor (CRREM) creates clear, science-based carbon-reduction pathways for buildings and investment portfolios, and the Science Based Targets Initiative allows companies to set targets that align with global reduction needs. In 2024, GREEN reviewed the outcomes of its efforts and reported:

93% of engaged companies showed meaningful progress across key sustainability indicators;
Over 50% of companies were using or intended to use CRREM, while 60% of respondents had set or intended to set science-based net-zero targets using the science-based targets methodology; and
57% of companies improved their governance and target setting, while an impressive 79% enhanced their climate risk disclosures.

FOOD

Cities as enablers for a green and healthy food system

With 70% of global food consumed in urban areas, cities represent powerful platforms for sustainable food-system transformation. In 2024, we explored how cities, with their tremendous purchasing power, can accelerate the transition to more sustainable and healthier food systems.

This work was anchored by three key partnerships:

The Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance (CNCA) Game Changer Fund enabled innovation grants in New York, London, and Vancouver.
WRI’s Coolfood initiative brought together city officials, businesses, and other stakeholders in Copenhagen to explore low-carbon food procurement.
Building on London’s Food Supply Chain Roundtable, ReLondon examined how to move from dialogue to concrete action.

These initiatives showed that while cities and businesses both aim to cut Scope 3 emissions, their priorities differ — cities focus on health, businesses on cost. Some positive examples emerged where cities effectively engaged industry like Milan’s tax breaks for food donations and New York’s PR-friendly Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge.

Cities therefore offer unique contributions to food-system decarbonisation by supporting local food SMEs, piloting projects that inspire larger businesses and policymakers, and nurturing circular food innovation. These interventions demonstrate cities can be crucial catalysts in the sustainable food transition.

LABOUR RIGHTS

Building climate-resilient communities as core to
the just transition

Helping communities adapt to the impacts of climate change is critical to supporting a just transition. However, the adaptation finance gap is significant — currently standing at around EUR 79 billion per year, with low- and middle-income countries requiring at least EUR 186 billion per year.

Philanthropy plays an important role to unlock funding, scale climate innovation, and cultivate alliances. Along with other key funders, such as Quadrature and Gates Foundation, Laudes Foundation joined the ClimateWorks Foundation-led Adaptation and Resilience Collaborative for Funders in 2024. By participating, Laudes works with a growing coalition of philanthropic organisations to build a common agenda and framework, catalyse collective momentum, and encourage aligned investment.

With an annual budget of EUR 19 million, the fund coordinates action and investment in regions most vulnerable to climate impacts, identifying strategic grantees to integrate adaptation into planning and policymaking.

"Grassroots Solutions for Climate Resilience" panel discussion during New York Climate Week, September 2024

Laudes also supports adaptation-related activities through our partners, including Dignity Alliance International (DAI) and Climate Resilience for All. As one of DAI’s early funders, Laudes enabled DAI to establish the most successful grassroots collaborative in India, unlocking EUR 65 million in additional donor and private-sector funding for climate-adaptation programmes to protect millions of workers in South and Southeast Asia.

Climate Resilience for All’s Women's Climate Shock Insurance and Livelihoods Initiative provides income support directly to women working in the informal sector during harmful heat waves. The initiative went live in time for India's heat season. By investing in adaptation funds, we strengthen institutional capacity and help coordinate implementation between governments, the private sector, and communities.

NARRATIVES

Amplifying stories of just transitions

To change a system, we need to change mindsets. Narratives are an important lever to inspire industry action, especially since the concept of just transitions is not fully understood or embedded in business and public discourse. Laudes is working to ensure that stories of just transitions in action help decision-makers understand what a green, fair, and inclusive economy entails.

Such stories need power and heft to reach leaders in industry and beyond. Our partners Thomson Reuters Foundation and Pulitzer Center reach an estimated 545 million readers with stories that illustrate the challenges, solutions, risks, and opportunities that workforce transitions present.

Our partner Institute for Human Rights and Business showcases solutions-driven stories on their recently launched JUST Stories platform. Featuring a database of inspirational examples from around the world, the platform highlights innovative and meaningful collaborations advancing just transitions.

As shown in the video above, it includes a series of deep dives into place-based transitions, beginning with a former coal mining town in Australia where business leaders, workers, politicians, unions, and the local community co-created their future, resulting in large investments in local green industries and the creation of new jobs.

The dominance of narratives trying to slow industry action, alongside the rapid spread of mis- and disinformation via social media channels, means our work to amplify solutions-oriented and evidence-based stories from trusted sources has never been more crucial.

ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND INCLUSION

Supporting strong, resilient, and inclusive partners

How we support our partners is as important as what we support. That’s why we offer a suite of services, from supporting partners in embedding a gender, equity and social inclusion lens to their work to pairing partners with consultants who can address specific organisational needs (like fundraising or communications).

In doing so, we have learned:

Organisational resilience is built from the inside out
Partners can be strong only if the people working there are resilient. We launched a wellbeing support pilot with 33 partners. We learned there is significant overlap between partner staff wellbeing, culture, and organisational health. Following a successful pilot, we integrated this support into our grantmaking.

Resilient organisations are catalysts for systems transformation
In our Finance programme, we know that monetary policy can create stability for some while deepening inequality for others, particularly

the most marginalised. Positive Money Europe's work involves bringing together unlikely allies, including central banks, academics, and civil society, to spark critical dialogue on the social impacts of monetary policy. Through targeted technical and operational support, they were able to hone these skills to amplify the urgent need for truly inclusive representation in economic decision-making, because without diverse voices at the table, there can be no equitable monetary policy.

Continuous learning strengthens the field
We set up the Partner Learning Fund to enable partners to ideate, exchange knowledge, and strengthen their work. For example, Community Land Trust Network used the fund to explore how communities could lead the creation of more inclusive neighbourhoods.

Now more than ever, we remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting resilient and impactful partnerships, where, through our holistic approach, our partners can navigate challenges and drive meaningful change.