Industrious Labs: Recommendation

Last updated in November 2023.

Industrious Labs is one of the top climate nonprofits selected by Giving Green in 2023. We previously recommended Industrious Labs in 2022.

Heavy industries like steel and cement are the building blocks of the global economy. They account for around one-third of greenhouse gas emissions but have not been a major focus of governments or philanthropists. Industrious Labs is focused on scaling industrial decarbonization advocacy; it designs and implements campaigns targeting corporate actors and governments to adopt policies to transform the sector. Critically, through coalition building, regranting, and training, it’s scaling advocacy well beyond its own organization.

Industrious Labs is a new organization with a limited track record but big ambitions. We think it has shown considerable progress in pushing forward multiple campaigns in just over a year. We also think Industrious Labs has substantial growth potential. It is building dedicated teams for each of its industry-specific campaigns, and there is considerable room to deepen existing campaigns and add new sectors. We are excited about its potential for impact because it is focused on a highly neglected area, its leadership has a track record of success, and we think its comprehensive industry-specific strategies will pull on the right levers to drive heavy industry transition.

For more information, see our deep dive research report, a summary below, and our broader deep dive on decarbonizing heavy industry.

What is Industrious Labs?

Industrious Labs is an environmental organization that aims to strategically coordinate other organizations to decarbonize heavy industry. It was launched in 2022.

How could Industrious Labs help address climate change?

Industrious Labs expects its activities to cause more heavy industry producers to switch to low-carbon production quicker than they otherwise would have, resulting in reduced emissions sooner.

What does Industrious Labs do?

Industrious Labs’ strategy has four levers:

It runs campaigns,
It provides open source data and analysis,
It offers movement support, and
It increases media attention on the sector,

all of which work in collaboration to build evidence-based, sustainable advocacy efforts to decarbonize heavy industry.

What’s new in 2023?

As of October 2023, Industrious Labs has launched North America-focused campaigns targeting waste, steel, and aluminum. It is launching a global cement campaign and a state-based industrial heat campaign.

What would Industrious Labs do with your donation?

Donating to Industrious Labs would help build its campaigns, expand its work internationally, support its capacity-building and environmental justice efforts, and increase its capacity to conduct in-depth analysis.

Why is Giving Green excited about Industrious Labs?

Giving Green is excited about Industrious Labs’ focus on neglected industries, actionable industry-specific strategies, and the strength of its leadership team. In its early days, it has shown substantial convening power, evidenced by the strong networks it has built across campaigns. For example, in 2023, Industrious Labs launched the Sustainable Aluminum Network, consisting of environmental and labor advocacy groups.

Donate to Industrious Labs to help the building blocks of our economy go green.

Support for Industrious Labs' charitable climate advocacy runs through a Single Entity Fund of Tides Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. This is a non-partisan analysis (study or research) and is provided for educational purposes.