What we do

A climate-positive and inclusive  economy

Laudes Foundation is responding to the dual crises of inequality and climate change by supporting brave, innovative efforts that inspire and challenge industry to harness its power for good.

Providing our partners with philanthropic capital, expertise and connections, we work collectively with and through specific industries to help catalyse systems change. At the same time, we work across sectors, influencing finance and capital markets to move towards a new economy that values all people and nature.

Our strategy is designed to help accelerate the existing movement towards a climate positive and inclusive economy.

Influence capital

The current economic system operates under a series of flawed assumptions: that resources are infinite, that costs can be cut at the expense of worker wellbeing, and that businesses – especially publicly traded businesses – must respond to short-term cycles and other misaligned incentives. These assumptions have contributed to the current crises.

To help change the system, we work across capital markets, policy and industry to create an equal balance between profit, people and nature, and co-create a new definition of value beyond shareholder interest alone.

New Economic Thinking

From academia, civil society and think tanks, there has been a surge of new economic thinking that reflects the need to address inequality and the climate crisis, whilst still representing all members of a community. Laudes Foundation focuses on moving these ideas from theory into practice, building capacity and translating thinking into policy, regulation, legislation and new business models.

Investors and Industry Action

The ambition of stakeholder capitalism needs both high-level coalitions as well as innovation in the field. We engage with industry and financial actors to change investment practices and support new ways of doing business that recognise all stakeholders, understand the limits of what nature can support and incorporate the principles of the circular economy and decarbonisation.

Regulation, Policy and Taxation

Although regulators worldwide have begun incorporating climate risk and social equality, there’s still a long way to go to decarbonise the economy and ensure our economic systems are inclusive. Through regulation, policy and taxation, we can use the law and governance mechanisms to address climate and inequality. We support smart, action-oriented policy outcomes that make a positive difference.

Industry Transformation

The current economic system encourages industry to value short-term financial gains over impacts to people and the environment. This perpetuates inequality and promotes the climate breakdown.

We believe that by combining the purpose of philanthropy with the reach and scale of industry we can generate the systemic change that leads to a climate-positive and inclusive  economy. Our work challenges and inspires industry by supporting sector wide reforms and innovations that promote labour rights protections, support new materials production and work to decarbonise our built environment.

Fashion

The fashion industry has an outsized negative social and environmental impact. Together the apparel and footwear industries account for at least 8% of global climate impacts, and materials production and processing can cause harm to workers, farming communities and the environment. At the same time, a lack of transparency and unrelenting pressures on production create conditions for labour abuses to remain hidden in supply chains.

We believe the industry can be a force for good. Building on the initiatives and experiences of C&A Foundation, we continue to work with partners across the sector and around the globe to transform the industry.

Labour Rights

Workers are at the core of the fashion industry, but all too often their rights are ignored or negatively impacted. We work with partners across the fashion industry to tackle forced and child labour, as well as poor working conditions and wages. By supporting the agency of workers, accountability mechanisms and policy incentives to improve corporate performance, we help transform the industry and harness its power for good.

Materials

The growth in the production and consumption of fossil fuel-based fibres and virgin materials in fashion is contributing to climate breakdown. We work with a range of partners to drive collaboration, investment and regulation that promote the use of sustainable alternatives. In particular we focus on: supporting sustainable cotton and its associated agricultural system, promoting innovations and next generation materials, and encouraging policy reforms that can help to solve this challenge.

Built Environment

The building and construction sector accounts for approximately 40% of all carbon emissions.  This needs to change.  We believe that innovation, reform and collaboration can create a regenerative and inclusive built environment that prioritises decarbonisation and wellbeing in the spaces where we live, learn, work and play.

Zero carbon buildings

By convening and supporting changemakers, we accelerate collaboration and innovation towards truly zero carbon buildings that tackle wellbeing, inequality, whole life carbon and circularity in equal measure.

An accelerator for regenerative building

Following the example of Fashion for Good – a unique platform for fashion innovation – we support a visionary programme to rally the industry around a new narrative for regenerative building. The platform will connect the industry to expertise, inspiration, advocacy and innovation, accelerating the use of sustainable, bio-based materials within the built environment and turning our cities into carbon sinks.