The Business Fights Poverty Institute aims to advance knowledge and foster peer learning to ignite business innovation and drive actionable, cross-sector collaboration for a more equitable and resilient world.
Launched at the Business Fights Poverty Global Equity Summit on 7 March 2024 at Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge, the Institute is the culmination of nearly 20 years of Business Fights Poverty’s community-driven approach to peer learning and collaboration. Through the Institute, we create cutting-edge thought leadership reports and toolkits that drive forward thinking and, importantly, bridge the gap between academic research and business action.
Latest Publications
Adapting to the Changing Aid Landscape
Corporate foundations stand at a pivotal moment in global development. As abrupt cuts to government aid flows create life-threatening gaps, this new report explores how corporate foundations can help shape a more financially sustainable approach to tackling poverty and inequality worldwide. Drawing on the latest data, global financing trends and insights from the development community, it highlights the scale of the challenge, rising needs, falling ODA, shrinking FDI and escalating debt, and the profound human impacts these shifts are already causing. With Standard Chartered Foundation and the Business Fights Poverty Institute.
Climate Resilience for Micro-Retailers
Micro-retailers are the backbone of Southeast Asia’s economies — yet they are on the frontlines of climate disruption. This new report, supported by Mastercard Strive, explores how digital financial services can help micro-retailers fortify, navigate and recover from climate shocks, unlocking greater stability, resilience and long-term opportunity. Drawing on research and practitioner insights, it highlights emerging innovations, practical frameworks, and a call to action for financial service providers to embed climate resilience at the heart of inclusive finance. Download the report to learn more.
Five Bridges to 2045: How business can build a fairer, more resilient future
This report argues that companies should harness their core operations to create inclusive, resilient livelihoods by 2045, responding to today’s intertwined geopolitical, economic, and climate disruptions. It sets out a five-bridge framework—with practical priorities and cases—for: integrating social impact into core functions, aligning environmental and social agendas for a just transition, evolving governance and incentives, connecting decision-makers to those closest to the issues, and scaling cross-sector collaboration. With the Business Fights Poverty Institute.
How to Move Ahead with Living Wages
This action brief explores how living wages can tackle working poverty, strengthen business resilience, and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. Drawing on peer-reviewed research and interviews with 31 experts from business, academia, NGOs, and international organisations, it examines the discourses that shape progress on living wages. The brief highlights actions companies can take to frame living wages as investments in well-being and productivity, harness collective agency across value chains, and advocate for supportive regulation. A practical resource for business leaders, policymakers, and civil society actors seeking to accelerate the adoption of living wages through evidence, collaboration, and systemic change. With the Business Fights Poverty Institute and the University of Cambridge.
Building Business Partnerships That Are Fit for the Future: A Renewed Vision for Business Action on Green and Inclusive Growth
This report provides insights on building partnerships for green and inclusive growth, showcasing how collaboration between businesses, governments, and civil society can address global challenges of poverty, inequality, and climate change. By aligning social and environmental goals, harnessing core business strengths, and engaging local communities, the report offers a practical framework for creating scalable, impactful partnerships. Case studies include companies like Anglo American, Visa, GSK, Primark, Cemex, and the Clean Cooking Alliance. This report is a valuable tool for organizations looking to drive sustainable change through innovative, collaborative efforts. With the FCDO and Business Fights Poverty.
Senior Fellows
At the heart of the Business Fights Poverty Institute is a Faculty of Senior Fellows, leaders from academia and business.
The six pillars
The Business Fights Poverty Institute is built on a unique combination of 6 pillars for a fresh approach to tackling the world’s biggest social challenges.
01.
World-Leading Thinkers
At the heart of the Institute is a faculty of Senior Fellows who are each pioneers in their fields, from academia and business, including from Business Fights Poverty partner companies and beyond.
02.
Forward-Thinking Companies
The Institute is rooted in solving the real-world challenges of business practitioners. That understanding is underpinned by the companies that sit at the centre of Business Fights Poverty.
03.
Practical Peer-Learning
The Institute supports genuine peer learning. This is underpinned by the Business Fights Poverty Peer Club, a network of 150+ employees working on the front lines of sustainability in global companies.
04.
Experienced Impact Partners
Original knowledge and insights are informed by Business Fights Poverty’s global network of Impact Partners, including international NGOs and think tanks, ensuring we combine global learning and local action.
05.
Global Community of Professionals
The Institute’s insights are co-created with and disseminated across the Business Fights Poverty community of 30,000 practitioners from business, civil society and government.
06.
AI-Enabled, Human-Centred
The Institute is human- centred, AI- enabled and impact-focused. We use the latest technology to distil insights from across our community and deliver them in multiple formats and in multiple languages.
“I learned new ideas and made new connections that increase the potential for our business to make a social difference that I definitely did not have at the beginning of the week.”
Rohan ChindooroyAB InBev
“The Peer Circle has been really useful to me – people providing real-life insights and their experience on my challenges. Their feedback will change the way we work. I also liked that it wasn’t intimidating – it was set up as a sharing, listening and supportive space. This was one of a kind.”
Sweekriti PradhanTwinings
I think the Peer Circle has been great. People have really engaged – they have always been switched on and applied their mind, not just giving answers for the sake of it. There is a sense of community.
Marcel KorthAnglo American