H&M Foundation

Are you passionate about decarbonising the textile industry? The Global Change Award is looking for changemakers addressing sustainable materials and processes, responsible production, mindful consumption and more. Our nominator The Mills Fabrica is now accepting proposals  that will have a chance to become nominated for our innovation challenge Global Change Award – check it out! https://lnkd.in/g2-gu-ra #globalchangeaward #decarbonisingfashion #fashioninnovation

Over the years, climate related disasters have increased. Evidence suggests that around 55% of humanitarian funding goes to climate related crises but only 1% of this funding is organised in advance – despite this being a much more effective way of tackling these crises. We believe that targeting anticipatory measures in climate driven disasters can prevent or ease emergency catastrophes. That is why we have partnered up with Start Network – a global network of more than 100 organisations working together to shift from reactive crisis response to proactive early action. Through our partnership, we will support Start Network’s flagship financing mechanism, Start Ready. This three-year commitment aims to strengthen the capacity of eight countries to anticipate, respond to, and recover from crises. Read more about our new partnership with Start Network: https://lnkd.in/davPFzaK #disastermanagement #emergencyresponse #anticipatoryfunding

How can we accelerate innovation and what actions we can take today to create the net-zero industry of tomorrow? That has been the main topics during a couple of intense days in Mumbai, India where we brought together diverse global perspectives, personal experiences and expertise connected to climate change, innovation and systems change.   A few highlights: ✔ Sandrine Dixson-Declève anchored us in science with her presentation about the Earth4All framework – an initiative driving systems change for a sustainable and equitable future, which has influenced the mission of H&M Foundation. ✔ Indian waste entrepreneur Indumathi inspired us with her journey, starting out juggling multiple jobs each day including waste picking. Today she runs Dry Waste Collection Center where she employs 88 workers and she is an international advocate for waste pickers and a climate champion in her community. ✔ During the solution session on supporting changemakers, hosted by GCA partner Accenture, participants were introduced to a systems map that laid out the current fashion landscape. Realising we’re all part of this system, guests explored where they operate and what role they play in the system.       During the summit we also officially opened the new round of the Global Change Award, looking to decarbonise fashion and promote solutions that benefit both people and the planet. Read all our take aways: https://lnkd.in/dia9Ayvi Saamuhika Shakti | Accenture Song #decarbonisingfashion #inclusivesocieties #systemschange #netzeroindustry #mumbai

A new era begins. Global Change Award is here to decarbonise fashion - aiming to accelerate innovation for a net-zero industry by 2050 and promote solutions that benefit both people and planet. Going forward, we will support a wide spread of changemakers with disruptive ideas that can help decarbonise fashion. We’re expanding our scope looking for passionate individuals - systems thinkers, researchers, creatives, entrepreneurs, innovators and more - who are addressing high emission areas along the textile value chain. To expand our reach and find new types of changemakers, we have activated a global network of nominators this year, including industry associations, brands, suppliers, universities, research institutes, non-profits, development agencies, incubators and previous GCA winners. Ten winners will be announced in April 2025. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dGpVnBzu #globalchangeaward #fashioninnovation #decarbonisingfashion

We love it when our GCA winners reach major milestones! BIORESTORE are extending the life of clothing with their innovative, sustainable laundry care treatments. Now they're developing this innovation further with an odour defense treatment which neutralises and removes sweat odour from training gear. Congratulations BIORESTORE! Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dv4c3W4k

A month after typhoon Yagi swept through Southeast Asia, heavy rains and landslides are still affecting more than 5.3 million people, including 1.5 million children. H&M Foundation is donating USD 250,000 to the Red Cross to support aid efforts in Vietnam, Myanmar and the Philippines. The support will provide people with shelter, food and clean water, access to healthcare and safe places for children who have lost both their homes and schools. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dydrbSty Swedish Red Cross #emergencyrelief #typhoon

Different organisations coming together to bring about change, how does that turn out? We had a conversation with Maria Bystedt, Programme director at H&M Foundation and the initiator of Saamuhika Shakti. ❓ Did anything in Saamuhika Shakti go differently than planned? ”It sure did! This was expected, as it's the first time both us and our partners are working with the Collective Impact model. The program is unique in the Indian context, so we learned as we went along. Our goal was to work holistically and address the root causes of poverty and marginalization among waste pickers. This means coordinating multiple interventions to reach the same households – to ensure children receive a quality education while parents gain access to social security, upskilling, sanitation, healthcare, better working conditions, improved income opportunities, etc.” ❓ What were the challenges of multiple organizations collaborating? ”A while after the program launched, we noticed that the organizations were working in different localities, rather than working in the same communities. They did this to avoid overlapping, overcrowding, or overwhelming the community. The intentions were good! But it risked not reaching the collective impact we aimed for. The challenges of close collaboration were bigger than anticipated, and we hadn’t managed to create conditions for the organizations to alter their usual way of working.” ❓ How did you address this? ”So, we had to go back to the drawing board to ensure increased collaboration with our partners so that multiple interventions reached the same households. One adjustment we made was that partners now have hard-coded collaboration in their planning. They co-create project plans, implement joint activities like community resource centers and outreach, share learnings and resources, training, and set KPIs for these efforts, etc. We really see the impact on the ground, with the waste picker community increasingly empowered and driving necessary change with more agency and confidence.” #collectiveaction #collectiveimpact #collaboration

Congratulations Amino Tech, GCA winner of 2022, what a milestone!

Open Lab is not a dining table, it’s a kitchen With the Open Lab, HKRITA - The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel Limited and H&M Foundation bring together researchers and industry professionals to develop smart and sustainable ideas faster and into market-ready solutions. As Edwin Keh, CEO of HKRITA said: “When designing the Open Lab, we envisioned it as a kitchen, not a dining room. Here, ongoing research and industry challenges come together, inviting partners to collaborate and create solutions. It’s not a place to be served finished ideas, but a space for co-creation and problem-solving.” Come join our kitchen! https://lnkd.in/gNV-FSyX #fashioninnovation #fashiontech

We are honoured to have been an official nominator for The Earthshot Prize this year! Now you can meet the extraordinary 2024 finalists. These inspiring, global innovators are changing the game in ways that will impact all of us! In November, five of these finalists will receive a £1 million prize to scale their groundbreaking climate and environmental solutions. All of this year’s finalists will receive technical support and access to The Earthshot Prize’s network of global partners to amplify their solutions and impact. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eBsM9KGV #EarthshotPrize