“If we make something our own, it is only to administer it for the good of all. If we do not, we burden our consciences with the weight of having denied the existence of others.” —His Holiness Pope Francis, Laudato sì

The core of The Laudato sì Challenge model is comprised of our “Commitments to Impact,” which align private sector economic objectives with academic sector findings and public and faith sector impact outcomes. Commitments to Impact must fulfill four key criteria:

1. NEW

A LSC commitment must be a new initiative that directly puts the principles of Laudato sì into action, while ideally implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Ongoing work is not eligible, but an expansion of a successful program with key new elements does qualify as a valid Commitment to Impact.

2. SPECIFIC

A LSC commitment must outline a specific approach to a problem, have clear and feasible objectives to be accomplished within a defined period of time, and articulate the desired outcome of the effort.

3. MEASURABLE

A LSC commitment must have specific quantitative goals that can be monitored, and reported, by the commitment maker to evaluate progress over time.

4. TIME-BOUND

A LSC commitment must define a precise timeline to achieving its specific and measurable impact objectives.

—

Here are the current. active Commitments to Impact made to The Laudato sì Challenge. Our focus is to leverage our network and foundation resources to help fulfill these Commitments to Impact.

ACUMEN

IMPROVING LIVELIHOOD AND RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE OF OVER 50 million LOW INCOME PEOPLE IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS.

“Acumen is changing the way world tackles poverty. We believe that every person deserves the choice to live with dignity not dependence. That is why Acumen is making the following Commitment to Impact to The Laudato sì Challenge: By investing in innovative business models in agriculture and workforce development across India, East Africa and Latin America, Acumen aims to improve livelihood and resilience to climate change of over 50M low income people in the next 10 years, through investing in workforce development and small holder farmers. We ask the The Laudato sì Challenge community to stand with us and support us in fulfilling this ambitious Commitment to Impact."

—Jacqueline Novogratz, Founder & CEO, Acumen

AIRBNB

housing 65,000 displaced people by 2022

[Completed]

“Airbnb believes in a world where anyone can belong anywhere, including those in the greatest need of a comfortable, welcoming place to call home. Our Commitment to Impact to The Laudato sì Challenge is to house 65,000 displaced people -- including those affected by conflict, climate, disasters and illness -- by 2022. Additionally, in 2020, we will expand our efforts in Latin America by bringing our Open Homes program for refugees to more countries in the region, housing 1,000 displaced people in Ecuador, and training refugee entrepreneurs to become Airbnb Experience hosts in Brazil.”

—Kim Rubey, Head of Social Impact and Philanthropy, Airbnb

AMBASSADOR MARTIN TINE

A joint initiative that aims to fund and deploy, by 2022, in Senegal, The Laudato Si’ farm network ; the solar desaliniZation, solar cooker, and solar house project; a stimulus fund for the creation of green start-ups; and energy recovery of waste project for the lighting of the Marian shrine of Popenguine.

[Completed]

“To transform the Laudato Si’s vision into reality and generate tangible benefits for our community, Mr. Eric Harr Laudato Si’ Challenge Co-founder and I, Dr Martin Pascal TINE, Ambassador of Senegal in Holy See, have committed to launching the Initiative Laudato Si’ IED (Innovations, Environment and Development) in Senegal.

This is joint initiative that aims to fund and deploy, by 2022, in Senegal, The Laudato Si’ farm network ; the solar desalinisation, solar cooker, and solar house project; a stimulus fund for the creation of green start-ups ; and energy recovery of waste project for the lighting of the Marian shrine of Popenguine.

We estimate that these projects will positively and directly impact the lives of 30,000 Senegalese people and serve tremendously as a beacon for other communities across Africa. We call on The Laudato Si’ Challenge community, its partners and The Holy See to help us raise the funds necessary to fulfill this commitment by 2022 and help us communicate effectively and mobilize decision makers around the initiative.”

—H.E. Ambassador Martin Pascal TINE, Senegalese Ambassador to The Holy See

AMERICAN FORESTS

Laudato Tree and American Forests—Planting Laudato Trees for Our Common Home and Climate Justice

[Completed]

“Trees are the life-giving ‘green roof’ for our common home. They shelter us from heat, purify our air and regulate our climate, catch and filter our water, and provide us with food. Each tree we plant brings us more of this natural bounty. With the impacts of climate change growing every day, we must urgently plant more trees where they are needed most to shelter the world’s most vulnerable people and heal our common home. The Laudato Tree Initiative and American Forests have come together to answer this call in the United States and Africa, showing that this work knows no boundaries, and must be undertaken everywhere. As a Commitment of Impact to The Laudato si’ Challenge, together we will engage Catholics across America toward a visionary goal to plant 100 million Laudato Trees by 2030. We will accomplish this by giving American Catholics tools and opportunities to sacramentally plant Laudato Trees themselves, and a platform to donate financial support that will be used to plant Laudato Trees that deliver Tree Equity in disadvantaged urban areas across U.S. cities and help complete Africa’s Great Green Wall, the world’s most ambitious reforestation project.”

—Jad Daley, President and CEO, American Forests

—Vivienne Harr, CEO, Laudato Tree

—Don Mullan, Chair, Laudato Tree

AMPLIO

EMPLOYING 50,000 REFUGEES BY 2025 AND INVESTING $100M BY 2030 INTO REFUGEE-POWERED COMPANIES ACROSS THE GLOBE.

[Completed]

"Amplio Recruiting makes the following Commitment to Impact to The Laudato sì Challenge: we commit to employing 50,000 refugees by 2025, providing them stability and dignity through work, so that they be the protagonist in their own solution. In addition, Amplio Ventures commits to investing $100 million by 2030 into refugee-led and refugee-powered companies across the globe. We call on The Laudato sì Challenge community to stand in solidarity with us, so that we may build a world "that leaves no one behind."

—Chris Chancey, CEO, Amplio Ventures

AQUS

PROVIDING 500,000 PEOPLE WITH ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER WITHIN 72 HOURS OF A NATURAL DISASTER—AND EMPOWERING 50,000 FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS WITH MICRO-ENTERPRISES by the end of 2023.

[Completed]

“Access to clean water is one of the largest drivers of forced migration, yet it has a feasible solution. Aqus is committed to both short (disaster relief) and long term (micro-enterprises) solutions to ensure access to clean water. Through collaboration with the Laudato si’ Challenge community, Aqus commits to providing 500,000 people with access to clean water within 72 hours of a natural disaster. By the end of 2023, Aqus will empower 50,000 female entrepreneurs to establish micro-enterprises, improving access to clean water, increasing household income, and catalyzing the next generation of changemakers—as we build a world that leaves no one behind.”

—Kevin Kassel, CEO, Aqus

BIOUP

providing dried milk, fortified using A proprietary emulsion technology, as a source of macronutrients, key vitamins and brain nutrients to enhance health and emotional well-being of pregnant and post-partum women and to support the physical development and learning potential of school-age children

[Completed]

“BioUp is honored and humbled to help put the principles of Laudato Si' into action to help people ‘live with more dignity and less suffering’ by using the company’s Nature-based ‘technology as a product of God-given human creativity’ to receive, copy and distribute ‘what nature itself allows, as if from its own hand.’

In that spirit, BioUp commits to: providing dried milk, fortified using its proprietary emulsion technology, as a source of macronutrients, key vitamins and brain nutrients to enhance health and emotional well-being of pregnant and post-partum women and to support the physical development and learning potential of school-age children. In the next 5 years BioUp will establish production infrastructure with capacity ramping up to supply millions of servings annually, produced from sustainable raw materials and supplied to developing world and refugee communities. The program includes feedback-led ongoing improvement in design and optimal re-use and recycling by recipient communities of product containers.

We call on The Laudato Si' Challenge community to stand in solidarity with us as we seek to fulfill this commitment to "answer the cry of the poor."

—Rob Shepherd, President, BioUp Mimetic Technologies, Inc.

BLUE LIKE AN ORANGE SUSTAINABLE CAPITAL

generating market returns by investing in companies that are implementing the sustainable development goals

[Completed]

“Blue Like an Orange Sustainable Capital believes that caring for refugees, and embracing immigrants more broadly, is not only the right thing to do for social justice, we believe they can be drivers of inclusive growth and prosperity. With our company’s current focus in Latin America, and with Latin America in the midst of its largest refugee crisis in history, we must act. Over 6 million people will be displaced in the region by the end of 2023. In each of our investments—particularly those in Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Ecuador—Blue Like an Orange will actively seek out and support companies that provide economic opportunities to refugees and immigrants. And, we will work with all of our existing portfolio companies to maximize their impact on creating economic opportunities for refugees and immigrants, especially in these target countries.”

—Bertrand Badre, CEO, Blue Like an Orange Sustainable Capital

BNP PARIBAS

contributing to more sustainable and better-shared growth by reaching one million paid solidarity hours worldwide by 2020

[Completed]

“BNP Paribas has the ambition to contribute to more sustainable and better-shared growth and aims in particular to reach by 2020 a total volume of one million paid solidarity hours worldwide; In this framework, BNP Paribas will support one or more social enterprise winners of the Laudato sì Challenge with strategic guidance or other staff volunteering initiatives  subject to accurate due diligence. BNP Paribas is fully committed to bring a better future. We want to be the Bank that supports innovation and solutions that build a world leaving no one behind.” 

—Claudia Belli, Head Social Enterprises and Microfinance, BNP Paribas

(W. ATLEE) BURPEE COMPANY

planting “gardens of hope” to empower 50,000 vulnerable and displaced families to be the protagonist in their own solution

[Completed]

“Mr. George Ball, Chairman of the W. Atlee Burpee Company, and the Roots of Hope initiative, is proud to make the following Commitment to Impact to The Laudato sì Challenge as we help put the principles of Laudato sì into action: The W. Atlee Burpee Company will provide seeds to 50,000 migrant and refugee families, by the end of 2020. These vegetable gardens will provide enough food for a family for an entire year.”

—Santiago Navarro-Monzo, friend and philanthropic advisor to George Ball, Chairman of the W. Atlee Burpee Company

THE DUCHESS OF YORK

PREVENTING AND PROTECTING 50,000 CHILDREN FROM DOMESTIC SLAVERY IN HAITI

“To put the principles of Laudato sì into action—and with the support of The Laudato sì Challenge community, by the end of 2025, Sarah’s Trust commits to maximise the impact of 4 partners working in Haiti to prevent and protect 50,000 vulnerable and displaced children from slavery, and to assist with the recovery of slave survivors and to empower them to be the protagonist in their solution. Through partnerships with innovative organisations that are addressing the challenges of child slavery in Haiti, Sarah’s Trust aims to prevent the risk of abandonment of vulnerable and displaced children into domestic servitude and to rehabilitate those who have lived as domestic slaves. We will positively impact the lives of 50,000 slave victims or survivors during this project, but the long term ripple effect of our work will reach 300,000 in the next ten years. The Trust also commits to raising awareness of child slavery in Haiti, and will support efforts to put an end to the practise. Over the next two years, Sarah’s Trust will enable innovative organisations to significantly upscale their education and employment programmes to improve the life chances for the most economically deprived communities in Haiti. In parallel, we will support child and adult survivors of slavery; from respite and therapy to entry into education and future employment, to empower them with dignity and opportunity as we come together to build a world that leaves no one behind.”

—Sarah, Duchess of York, Founder of Sarah’s Trust.

FALKON VENTURES

HARNESSING TRANSFORMATIVE VENTURE CAPITAL—AS A LEADER IN THE ‘NEW ERA OF CAPITALISM’—TO INVEST IN 30 COMPANIES THAT WILL EMPOWER 100,000 FORCIBLY-DISPLACED PEOPLE BY 2025

“Falkon Ventures is committed putting the principles of Laudato si' into action by investing in, and supporting the growth of, 30 companies that are addressing challenges that systemically contribute to the forced displacement of people. As a leader in the new era of capitalism, we commit to supporting ventures and technologies that will impact at least 100,000 forcibly-displaced people over the next 5 years, so that people can become "the protagonist in their own solution." Several systemic contributors cause forced migration, and we will focus on solutions that impact the collective efforts to address this challenge, with an emphasis on preventing forced displacement. We call on the Laudato si' Challenge community and the Catholic Church to help us fulfill this commitment by 2025.”

—Kyle Ballarta, CEO & Founder, Falkon Ventures

GIVEPOWER

Maximizing and deploying enough Solar Water Farm technology by 2025 to create 9 billion liters of clean drinking water over 20 years – enough to serve the daily needs of 800,000 people for up to two decades; create social and economic benefits with hundreds of new local jobs, and significantly reduce burning of fossil fuels used for traditional water purification methods in these regions.

[Completed]

“Inspired by His Holiness Pope Francis' urgent call to ‘answer the cry of the poor,’ GivePower Foundation is honored and humbled to align with the Laudato Si Challenge community in a commitment to creating life-changing impact for people and our planet. By 2025, we will deploy and operate new Solar Water Farm desalination systems in Colombia, Haiti, Kenya, Tanzania and Senegal as well as increase production capability on current farms to produce 9 billion liters of new clean drinking water over 20 years – enough to serve 800,000 people, daily, for up to two decades. To "answer the cry of the earth," these solar-powered systems will also avoid current carbon-intensive dependencies on traditional water purification methods in these regions.

We will build, own and operate these systems – generating the minimum revenue needed to cover operations and management and to keep the cost of healthy water low and affordable for community members.

With this self-sustaining business model, GivePower also commits to empowering and employing 200 more full-time people in these regions, at least 50% of which are women, who are dedicated to the operation, maintenance, repair, distribution, management, and oversight of the Solar Water Farms.GivePower believes in empowering people to be, as Pope Francis says, ‘the protagonist in their own solution.’

A single Solar Water Farm can completely transform a community of many – from their health and physical wellbeing, to the economic opportunities created, as well as the environmental relief it provides by eliminating burning of coal, wood and other fossil fuels. We are inspired to bring new, clean water – produced in a truly sustainable way – to these regions in need and are grateful for the opportunity to call on the Laudato Si community to partner with GivePower, so we may advance this urgent and important Commitment to Impact.”

—Mrs. Michele Dawn Magee-Friedmann, President, GivePower

HERE GLOBAL RELIEF

deploying digital treatment technology to empower one million vulnerable people by 2021.

[Completed]

“HERE Global Relief digital treatment technology commits to empowering one million vulnerable people, through conflict resolution, by 2023--in partnership with one leading corporation, in confederation with one humanitarian organization (such as The Jesuit Refugee Service,) and in union with God’s Infinite Grace for the triumph of humanity.

—Dr. Laurie Ann Perlman, Founder & CEO, HereGlobalRelief.org

HOPE INITIATIVES INTERNATIONAL

BUILDING a cross continental initiative, a “wall” of plants, trees and fertile land, traversing 8000 kilometers across the Sahel from Senegal to Djibouti

“To put the principles of Laudato sì into action, we commit to ensuring that The Great Green Wall becomes a reality by 2030.”

—Don Mullan, CEO, Hope Initiatives International and Consultant to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

ICON

building a world that leaves no one behind, starting with 10 beautiful and dignified 3d-printed homes for vulnerable families

[Completed]

“ICON is honored to participate in The Laudato sì Challenge and is committed to creating 10 beautiful and dignified 3D-printed homes for families who are vulnerable to forced migration. We hope to see this scale from there and we call upon The Laudato sì Challenge, its partners and the Church to help us fulfill this important commitment by 2023, as we come together to ‘build a world that leaves no one behind.’”

—Evan Loomis, Co-Founder, ICON

LAUDATO TREE

PLANTING one MILLION TREES ALONG AFRICA’S GREAT GREEN WALL, BY 2025—TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE AND DESERTIFICATION AND TO PREVENT FORCED DISPLACEMENT

“My name is Vivienne Harr. I am 17 years old. I am the CEO of the Laudato Tree movement. It’s time for our generation to come together and Care for Our Common Home.

Inspired by Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato sì, Laudato Tree is a movement to plant 7 million trees throughout the Sahel, to become part of The Great Green Wall, an African-led initiative to grow a 5000-mile new world wonder across the entire width of the Continent to transform the lives of millions living on the frontline of climate change.

On May 10, 2020, His Holiness Pope Francis congratulated our movement and called on humanity to “stand in solidarity with us.” To start, I commit to planting one million Laudato Trees by the end of 2025, and I am calling on the Laudato Si’ Challenge community to help us achieve this bold and urgent Commitment to Impact—so that we may build a world that is good for everyone.”

—Vivienne Harr, CEO, Laudato Tree

MANDULIS ENERGY

EMPOWERING 200,000 FARMING FAMILIES, IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, TO IMPROVE THEIR INCOMES AND TO ACCESS AFFORDABLE, RELIABLE AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY

“To help put the principles of Laudato sì into action, Mandulis Energy is proud to make the following commitment to The Laudato sì Challenge: we commit to working with a funding partner and a faith-sector partner, to help 200,000 farming families, in sub-Saharan Africa — beginning with Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Ghana — to improve their incomes, and to access affordable, reliable and sustainable energy, so that they may remain where they want to be: their homes.”

—Peter Nyeko, CEO, Mandulis Energy

MYAGRO

EMPOWERING 350 west african farmers by 2024, with the ultimate goal of serving 1 million farmers (70% women) by 2026.

“Taking up the challenges in Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si' -- and in our efforts to "answer the cry of the poor" and empower vulnerable people to be "the protagonist in their own solution" -- myAgro humbly commits to expanding its innovative digital platform to reach 350,000 West African farmers by 2024 with the ultimate goal of serving 1 million farmers (70% women) by 2026. With the support of President Ouattara and other West African leaders, we will help farmers in doubling their harvests to promote the food sovereignty of Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Mali, and continue our expansion in West Africa. We call on The Vatican and The Laudato Si' Challenge network of partners to help us fulfill this Commitment to Impact by 2026.”

—Anoushka Ratnayake, Founder & CEO, myagro

OPES FUND

Investing €30 million to catalyze and support 1,500 refugee-founded/run businesses in Italy by 2023.

[Completed]

“To help put the principles of Laudato sì into action, and to build a world that includes everyone, Opes Fund commits €30 million to catalyze and support 1,500 refugee-founded/run businesses in Italy by 2025.”

—Elena Casolari, Founder & CEO, Opes Fund

RIPPLE

“Inspired by Pope Francis' urgent call for financial inclusion, in strong alignment with Ripple's mission to make financial services more accessible, affordable and equitable for un- and under-banked populations globally, Ripple commits to working with the Vatican, government and NGO partners and the private sector, to measurably improve access to digital financial services for 100 million people across Africa and Latin America by 2030, including one million people in Senegal, especially women and SMEs.”

—Mr. Chris Larsen, Executive Chairman, Ripple, Inc.

SALT AND LIGHT CATHOLIC MEDIA FOUNDATION

reaching one billion people in two years with the Good News that intentionally points to what is right with the Church keeping.

“From the time of Jesus, to the early Christians on to the Church today, there has been great suffering endured to bring about the Good News and do good in the world. Such suffering continues during recent times due to scandals of the Church upon which popular media feeds. Emanating from the small wayward percentage of the faithful, the credibility of the Church and the foundations of faith have been shaken to the core.

Acknowledging the overwhelming number of virtuous people carrying out daily an incalculable amount of good in the name of Jesus and the Church, we also concede the stark imbalance between the negative narrative and the positive narrative at work globally through the media. Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation, Canada’s only Catholic television station, makes the following Commitment to Impact to the Laudato Sì Challenge: we commit our resources to reaching one billion people in two years with the Good News that intentionally points to what is right with the Church keeping.

In an effort to reclaim, create and establish a positive narrative of the Church, working with forced displaced persons among others calls for a right relationship with our common home described in Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Sì and supported by the Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus. We invite the LSC community to help us achieve this commitment by 2023 with funding and partnership support.”

—Fr Alan Fogarty SJ, CEO, Salt and Light Catholic Media

SIGLO

CONNECTING 100,000 UNDERSERVED HOMES IN LATIN AMERICAN BY 2022 AND ONE MILLION HOMES IN EMERGING MARKETS BY 2023.

[Completed]

“With support from The Laudato Si' Challenge Foundation and others, Siglo is connecting 100,000 underserved homes in LATAM. Now, the goal is one million homes in emerging markets by the end of 2023 through a community-built & operated internet so we may 'build a world that leaves no one behind."

—Serry Osmena, Innovation Officer, Siglo

SMART YIELDS

EMPOWERING 100 FARMING COMMUNITIES AND ONE MILLION FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE, by 2023

[Completed]

“Smart Yields commits to helping 100 farming communities and 1,000,000 food insecure by connecting farming communities through shared data and value processing by solving workforce development though food, by 2023."

—Vincent Kimura, CEO, Smart Yields

TERATREE

commitTING to the successful planting of 13 billion trees along the Great Green Wall of Africa, generating sustainable livelihoods for the millions of inhabitants of the Sahel

“TeraTree believes that a healthy planet is worth more than a sick one, and that trees are worth more living than dead. With passion for the health and resiliency of the Earth and all of its inhabitants, and inspired to put the principles of Laudato sì into action, we make the following Commitment to Impact to The Laudato sì Challenge:

TeraTree commits to the successful planting of one billion trees along the Great Green Wall of Africa, generating sustainable livelihoods for the millions of inhabitants of the Sahel. 

Our founders bring expertise that has directed the flow of trillions of dollars in traditional markets to the revitalization of African soil and the regeneration of biodiversity in African forests, under the guidance of African leadership and wisdom.

We intend to empower local communities across the continent to be, as Pope Francis says, ‘the protagonist in their own solution’. We call on the church and the Laudato sì Challenge community to help us fulfill this Commitment.”

—Adam Rockefeller Growald, Co-Founder, TeraTree;
—Alex Gordon-Brander, Co-Founder, TeraTree

If you would like to support any of our Commitments to Impact, in a specific, time-bound and measurable way, kindly contact us.