A New Partnership for Canada's Clean Economy: Welcoming the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation

We have some exciting news to share.

The Lab is proud to announce a new funding partnership with the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation — a private charitable foundation dedicated to addressing some of the most urgent challenges facing society today. Their first-time support marks an important milestone for our work, and we're grateful for the trust and shared vision that has made this partnership possible.

About the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation

Established in 2021 through the estate of the late Vancouver businessman Ronald Roadburg, the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation was built on a belief that philanthropy can — and should — respond boldly to the defining issues of our time.

Ronald Roadburg was a prominent figure in Vancouver's business community, and his legacy lives on through a foundation that reflects his commitment to making a meaningful difference to some of the biggest challenges facing our country. Among the Foundation's top funding priorities is supporting responses to urgent societal challenges, with climate change at the forefront. In a moment when the need for decisive action has never been clearer, the Foundation is choosing to invest in solutions that work on multiple levels: building the economy, addressing emissions, and doing both in a way that supports people and communities across the country.

The Foundation was one of the first partners to join the Climate Champions - an effort to encourage new climate philanthropy in Canada.

Why This Partnership Matters

We know that climate change is not a distant threat — it is reshaping communities, economies, and ecosystems right as we speak. Canada, with its vast natural resources, diverse regions, and significant industrial base, sits at a critical crossroads. The transition to a low-emissions economy presents both an immense challenge and a generational opportunity: to build the industries that support Canadians’ long-term prosperity, create jobs, and also avoid the mistakes of the past by ensuring new solutions and systemic designs centre equity and resiliency.

That is exactly the work the Lab was created to do.

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“Our mission is to accelerate Canada's clean economy transition in ways that go beyond simply reducing emissions. We believe that how we make this transition matters equally."

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Our mission is to accelerate Canada's clean economy transition in ways that go beyond simply reducing emissions. We believe that how we make this transition matters equally.  A future economy that shifts the costs of transition to families, leaves communities behind, concentrates opportunity in the hands of the few, or fails to deliver measurable results in a short timeframe is not the future we're working toward. We're focused on solutions that enhance social equity, expand economic opportunity, and produce real, tangible impact.

The Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation's support directly enables us to deepen this work — to move faster, reach further, and engage more meaningfully with the communities, policymakers, and industries shaping Canada's economic future.

Building a Clean Economy That Works for Everyone

One of the things that makes this partnership so meaningful is the alignment of values at its core. The Roadburg Foundation doesn't just fund climate work — it funds work aimed at urgent, systemic change. That framing resonates deeply with how we approach our mandate.

Transitioning Canada’s economy will touch every community, from coast to coast to coast: from workers in energy-producing regions navigating industry shifts, to Indigenous communities leading careful utilization of the lands and resources under their management in accordance with their beliefs and practices, to cities designing infrastructure for a low-carbon future. Getting this transition right means centring the voices and needs of the people most affected — and building the policy, financial, and institutional frameworks that make equitable outcomes not just possible, but proven.

With partners like the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation behind us, we're better positioned to do exactly that.

Looking Ahead

We are energized by this new partnership and deeply grateful to the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation for their confidence in our work. Philanthropy that takes on climate change with urgency and ambition is a powerful force — and we're proud to be working alongside a foundation that embodies both.

There is a lot of work ahead. And we're ready for it.

To learn more about the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation, visit roadburgfund.org.