Our progress

The Laudes approach to Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL), measures impact on a real-time basis using a developmental evaluation combined with rubrics to ‘rate’ the progress of impact.

Evidence and impact

Since our founding, Laudes has embraced a dynamic way to assess impact. We use a developmental evaluation (DE) combined with rubrics to ‘rate’ the quality of impact.

This means that we invest in systems to track impact so our teams can discuss, adapt, and use evidence for making decisions with governors about the future.

The rubrics measure the impact and change we expect our programmes to contribute to, as detailed in our strategy and theory of change. They set out criteria and rating standards using a five-point scale.

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We ask our partners to select the most appropriate rubric to their work and to submit evidence of how their programmes have contributed to progress. This evidence is often a mix of quantitative and qualitative data, so it is not limited to numbers alone.

Our partners provide assessments once a year. The DE and industry programmes then analyse this data to inform our strategy and tactics. Because this process takes time, the impact from 2023 is reported in end 2024 and published in 2025.

The DE process is summarised below.

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Overall assessment

Based on the evidence partners submitted, we see progress on regulations and policies that encourage businesses to adopt practices that benefit the climate. However, significant challenges remain in achieving a just transition. These challenges include: insufficient inclusion of diverse stakeholders and marginalised voices, lack of meaningful consultation, and resistance and backsliding from major businesses and investors.

Laudes partners have shown the greatest progress towards impact across three rubrics assessing areas of our theory of change relating to: stakeholder-informed policies; progressive businesses leading; and multi-stakeholder coalitions.

Highlighted in this report

B1 - Stakeholder informed policies

B3 - Progressive businesses leading

B6 - Multistakeholder movements pressure

Other rubrics

Listed in order of prevalence of impacts, ratings and key points from the evidence are provided.

B7 - Redefined value

B4 - Worker and producer voice

B8 - Compelling narratives

B2 - Investor and financial pressure

B5 - Exposing and thwarting harm

B1 — Stakeholder informed policies: Building the right processes to create strong, stakeholder-informed policy reforms

Laudes partners have contributed to policymaking, particularly in Europe, and this is reflected in the ‘partially conducive’ rating with an improving trend. Partners have successfully brought together and supported diverse groups of people and organisations to influence policy development. They have also provided key findings from their extensive work on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) to help shape rules for specific industries, such as regulations addressing the complete carbon footprint of buildings throughout their lifecycle.

However, there are still notable areas for improvement, such as the diversity of groups included in the policymaking process; complexity for industry and governments to implement policies; and cost and competitiveness concerns (e.g. the 2025 Omnibus proposal for CSDDD).

Partners summarise some of the challenges of policymaking and implementation work:

B3 — Progressive businesses leading: Progressive businesses lead the change, which encourages others to follow and lays the foundation for progressive change in policy, the financial sector and the real economy

Laudes partners worked with leading businesses across the building, fashion, and finance industries to support a healthy climate and just transition. Some notable achievements include major fashion brands continuing and deepening investments in next-generation materials, particularly cellulosic fibres, and employee injury insurance in the key Bangladesh production hub.

In the building industry, real estate investors have used the Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor (CRREM) to adjust their plans and investment plans to manage climate risk, with over EUR 6 trillion in assets under management using CRREM. Built by Nature and other partners worked with insurance companies to change their rules (the Mass Timber Insurance Playbook) in the UK to encourage more bio-based construction, removing a significant barrier to investment. The Property Linked Finance initiative introduced in the UK is also helping make environmental retrofits affordable.

However, despite these and other examples of progress, we see that progressive business leadership faces significant challenges. For example, leaders need a compelling business case (e.g. pricing/cost) to evolve ‘business as usual’. Implementation is complex, and accountability mechanisms are inconsistent with few consequences for not complying with sustainability targets or pledges.

Overall, the rating is ‘partially conducive’ with a backsliding trend.

B6 — Multistakeholder movements pressure: Unstoppable multi-stakeholder movements creating pressure

Laudes partners have been instrumental in coalitions and networks to create pressure for climate policy and transition action. The evidence of success was seen in many examples from work to develop and approve CSDDD and EU Textiles Strategy; regenerative landscapes and the organic cotton accelerator coalitions between brands, farmers and investors; and initiatives to foster collaboration and accountability such as SBTi. Another example of our partners’ success is developing platforms, such as Fashion for Good and Built by Nature, that encourage businesses, researchers, and investors to collaborate on innovative projects.

In the finance programme, a small and committed group of partners have led the work to integrate climate and transition risk into Central Banks oversight of the financial system. They have built coalitions within and across the central banks, parliamentarians, standards boards, and experts to advocate for change.

Building effective coalitions takes patience, understanding, reframing, and trust-building, as illustrated by finance partners:

Ensuring a wide range of voices and interests are represented in coalitions is often challenging. It’s constrained by the need for agility, specialised knowledge, and understanding set against the background of evolving industry contexts. Coalitions are improving how they use evidence and media to build awareness of effective business actions, but more work is needed to expose harmful practices. Overall, contributing to building successful coalitions is one of the key ‘hallmarks’ of our partners’ work. The rating is ‘partially conducive’ with an improving trend.

Other rubrics are listed in order of their impact, with ratings and key points from the evidence provided.