The H&M Foundation has announced a substantial commitment of SEK 7,500,000 (€660,000) to support the Start Network’s Start Ready disaster risk financing programme. This three-year partnership aims to bolster the capacity of eight countries to anticipate, respond to, and recover from climate-driven crises more effectively.
The H&M Foundation’s mission is to assist the textile industry in halving its greenhouse gas emissions each decade, with a goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 through a fair and just transition. However, the Foundation also recognises the urgency of addressing climate-related disasters, which are becoming increasingly frequent. Despite evidence showing that around 55% of humanitarian funding goes toward climate-related crises, only 1% of this funding is organised proactively—an approach proven to be far more efficient.
Anticipatory Funding to Tackle Climate Disasters
By focusing on anticipatory measures, the H&M Foundation hopes to prevent or mitigate the severity of climate-driven disasters such as floods, droughts, and heatwaves. The partnership with Start Network—a global coalition of over 100 organisations dedicated to shifting from reactive crisis response to proactive early action—aims to support their innovative financing mechanism, Start Ready. This initiative prepositions funds for crises with predictable patterns of recurrence, enabling rapid responses and reducing the impact on affected communities.
Start Ready currently protects approximately 700,000 people across eight countries each year, and this partnership with the H&M Foundation will enhance the capacity and coverage of hazard preparedness systems in these regions.
A Call for Preventive Action
Anna Gedda, CEO of the H&M Foundation, expressed her hope that this partnership would inspire other funders to invest in preventive measures: “Proactive measures are essential to prepare for, respond to, and recover from catastrophic events. We believe preventive funding can make a significant difference and ensure a safer future for all. We are proud to support Start Network in their vital efforts to prevent and mitigate the negative effects of disasters.”
About the H&M Foundation
Privately funded by the Stefan Persson family, founders and main owners of the H&M Group, the H&M Foundation uses philanthropic resources to drive disruptive innovations, initiatives, and research that foster a socially inclusive and environmentally positive textile industry. The Foundation adopts a holistic and collaborative approach, bringing together diverse partners to co-create, share learnings, and develop solutions. In addition to its transformative efforts, the H&M Foundation also provides emergency relief when needed.
