Inclusive, Sustainable Economy & Jobs

Creating quality jobs in clean industries and ensuring a liveable income for people facing disadvantage in a sustainable economy.
Inclusive, Sustainable Economy & Jobs grants in 2023/2024 financial year:
Total: $2.248 million
Inclusive, Sustainable Economy & Jobs grants in 2023/2024 financial year:
Total: $2.248 million

About

Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation is committed to developing and incubating solutions that ensure an equitable transition to a more sustainable future.

The Australian economy has one of the highest standards of living in the world1 and almost 30 years of uninterrupted growth.2 However, this relative success comes with increasingly alarming social and environmental costs. Economic development driven primarily by fossil fuels in advanced economies like Australia, has led to global climate change.

Australia is close to transgressing at least five of nine planetary boundaries3, is experiencing the collapse of 19 ecosystems4 and is going in the wrong direction on 23 of 52 Sustainable Development Goal indicators.5 This is unsustainable and an urgent economic shift is needed to ensure a thriving future for people, place and planet.

The Foundation is working towards achieving the following Outcomes:

  1. Relevant skills and capabilities, including social entrepreneurship, are increased.

  2. Quality jobs in clean, digital and caring industries are created for all job seekers.

  3. Enable our transition to an inclusive and sustainable economy that serves people and planet.

Click on each of the Outcomes below for further information.

The Inclusive, Sustainable Economy & Jobs Impact Area aligns with these United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals:

4. Quality Education 8. Decent Work and Economic Growth 13. Climate Action

Learn more

Outcomes

1. Relevant skills and capabilities, including social entrepreneurship, are increased.

Skills mismatches and shortages are among the key obstacles to achieving an inclusive transition to a sustainable economy.

Australia is facing a critical shortage in skilled workers for both existing and emerging industries. The successful transition to a low carbon economy will only be possible through education and training systems that can provide the right skills for new entrants to the labour market and those workers re-skilling for new roles.

Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation is interested in the development of stronger links between skills and environmental policies, supporting education and training systems in tune with anticipated labour market shifts and building the skills needs for rapidly growing clean industries.
 
The Foundation’s support is focused on:

  • Projects and initiatives that prioritise ‘next economy’ skills and capabilities.
  • Demonstration projects of wrap-around support that create clear pre-employment and training pathways and career exposure, particularly in clean industries. 
  • Community collaborations and industry partnerships for better transitions to work.
  • Research to better understand the issues and inform policy advocacy that addresses the root causes and drivers and solutions to addressing the skills gap.

2. Quality jobs in clean, digital and caring industries are created for all job seekers

Global and national trends are changing the nature of work and reducing economic inclusion and security for the most disadvantaged.

Cascading and interlinked factors are undermining the economic security and inclusion of individuals and communities. The world of work is intrinsically linked to the natural environment. Temperature rises and environmental degradation will increasingly put workers health, income, food and fuel security at risk and reduce productivity. These affects are particularly acute for the most vulnerable groups (young people and women) and workers who have the least economic capacity to respond.

Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation is particularly interested in catalysing the economic opportunities presented by emerging clean industries and economies, particularly through social enterprise, social procurement and other economically inclusive models and initiatives for groups experiencing the most disadvantage.

The Foundation’s support is focused on:

  • Quality job creation, including through Work Integrated Social Enterprises. 
  • Collaborations focused on systems change, innovation, entrepreneurship and emerging clean industries. 
  • Research to better understand the issues and inform policy and advocacy that address quality employment outcomes.     

3. Enable our transition to an inclusive and sustainable economy that serves people and planet.

Australia must urgently transition to a low carbon economy in an equitable and sustainable manner.

Economic development driven primarily by fossil fuels in advanced economies like Australia, has led to global climate change. Australia’s carbon emissions per person and per dollar of national product are among the highest in the world. Rising temperatures are exacerbating pressures on every Australian ecosystem and natural hazards are becoming increasingly powerful and frequent. Social inequality is on the rise and people who are already experiencing economic or social disadvantage are most affected by climate change, either in community, at work or at home. We now need to develop a sustainable and inclusive economy, which provides opportunities for everyone.
 
In response, Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation is developing and incubating solutions at the project and systems level that will ensure an inclusive and equitable transition to a low-carbon economy.

The Foundation’s support is focused on:

  • Activities that effectively communicate the evidence that the shift to an inclusive and sustainable economy is both possible and desirable.
  • Projects that support the implementation of innovative local transition solutions that benefit the community.
  • ​Initiatives that identify and develop the necessary economic, social and environmental policy innovations to enable an inclusive and sustainable transition.

Skills mismatches and shortages are among the key obstacles to achieving an inclusive transition to a sustainable economy.

Australia is facing a critical shortage in skilled workers for both existing and emerging industries. The successful transition to a low carbon economy will only be possible through education and training systems that can provide the right skills for new entrants to the labour market and those workers re-skilling for new roles.

Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation is interested in the development of stronger links between skills and environmental policies, supporting education and training systems in tune with anticipated labour market shifts and building the skills needs for rapidly growing clean industries.
 
The Foundation’s support is focused on:

  • Projects and initiatives that prioritise ‘next economy’ skills and capabilities.
  • Demonstration projects of wrap-around support that create clear pre-employment and training pathways and career exposure, particularly in clean industries. 
  • Community collaborations and industry partnerships for better transitions to work.
  • Research to better understand the issues and inform policy advocacy that addresses the root causes and drivers and solutions to addressing the skills gap.

Global and national trends are changing the nature of work and reducing economic inclusion and security for the most disadvantaged.

Cascading and interlinked factors are undermining the economic security and inclusion of individuals and communities. The world of work is intrinsically linked to the natural environment. Temperature rises and environmental degradation will increasingly put workers health, income, food and fuel security at risk and reduce productivity. These affects are particularly acute for the most vulnerable groups (young people and women) and workers who have the least economic capacity to respond.

Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation is particularly interested in catalysing the economic opportunities presented by emerging clean industries and economies, particularly through social enterprise, social procurement and other economically inclusive models and initiatives for groups experiencing the most disadvantage.

The Foundation’s support is focused on:

  • Quality job creation, including through Work Integrated Social Enterprises. 
  • Collaborations focused on systems change, innovation, entrepreneurship and emerging clean industries. 
  • Research to better understand the issues and inform policy and advocacy that address quality employment outcomes.     

Australia must urgently transition to a low carbon economy in an equitable and sustainable manner.

Economic development driven primarily by fossil fuels in advanced economies like Australia, has led to global climate change. Australia’s carbon emissions per person and per dollar of national product are among the highest in the world. Rising temperatures are exacerbating pressures on every Australian ecosystem and natural hazards are becoming increasingly powerful and frequent. Social inequality is on the rise and people who are already experiencing economic or social disadvantage are most affected by climate change, either in community, at work or at home. We now need to develop a sustainable and inclusive economy, which provides opportunities for everyone.
 
In response, Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation is developing and incubating solutions at the project and systems level that will ensure an inclusive and equitable transition to a low-carbon economy.

The Foundation’s support is focused on:

  • Activities that effectively communicate the evidence that the shift to an inclusive and sustainable economy is both possible and desirable.
  • Projects that support the implementation of innovative local transition solutions that benefit the community.
  • ​Initiatives that identify and develop the necessary economic, social and environmental policy innovations to enable an inclusive and sustainable transition.


Recent grants

Explore all grants
Creating Pathways for New Urban Farmers
Sustain: The Australian Food Network Ltd
Status
Active grant
Grant Amount
$50,000
Grant Type
Initiative
Year
2023/2024
 
2.2 Quality jobs in clean, digital and caring industries are created for job seekers.
 


Sustainable development goals
2. Zero Hunger 8. Decent Work and Economic Growth 11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
CERES Fair Wood
CERES Earth Limited
Status
Active grant
Grant Amount
$50,000
Grant Type
Initiative
Year
2023/2024
 
2.2 Quality jobs in clean, digital and caring industries are created for job seekers.
 


Sustainable development goals
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
Resourcing the Jobs & Skills Funders Network - Extension
Philanthropy Australia Ltd
Status
Active grant
Grant Amount
$80,000
Grant Type
Proactive
Year
2023/2024
 
2.2 Quality jobs in clean, digital and caring industries are created for job seekers.


Sustainable development goals
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
Supported Transition Program
Australian Spatial Analytics Ltd
Status
Active grant
Grant Amount
$100,000
Grant Type
Initiative
Year
2023/2024
 
2.2 Quality jobs in clean, digital and caring industries are created for job seekers.


Sustainable development goals
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
Bb* Botanics
Merchant Road Events Inc
Status
Active grant
Grant Amount
$50,000
Grant Type
Initiative
Year
2023/2024
 
2.2 Quality jobs in clean, digital and caring industries are created for job seekers.
 


Sustainable development goals
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth

Collaborate with us

Does your organisation's work align with the Inclusive, Sustainable Economy & Jobs Impact Area? Speak to:
Stephen Torsi
Program Manager - Inclusive, Sustainable Economy & Jobs