WHAT DID WE DO IN 2024?

In our Global Compact Communication on Progress January 1 to December 31, 2024, we report on our work under the categories of human rights, anti-corruption, environment, governance, and labour, as well as our contributions to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Our theory of change

Our Theory of Change outlines the logic behind our work, how our actions lead from immediate relief to long-term impact.
Vision

A world where displaced people have a safe and dignified place to call home

Our long-term goal

Displaced people live a better everyday life, on their way to a permanent home

What we aim to achieve

Displaced people have a better physical living environment

Displaced people have improved access to social infrastructure

How we contribute

Longer-term funding is secured for humanitarian shelter programmes

The shelters are better, more affordable and designed with improved environmental and health impact

The shelters are available where and when needed, in the right quality and with minimal environmental impact

Together in crisis

With generous contributions from the IKEA Foundation, H&M Foundation, Swiss Re Foundation, SAP, Bygg-Göta Foundation, Fondation David et Mehra Rimer, and others, we responded with shelter, classrooms and clinics to sudden-onset emergencies and protracted displacement situations, providing people with better shelter when and where it was most needed.
Farchana Refugee Camp in eastern Chad. Photo: Björn Wallander, 2024

We started developing shelters in 2010 to provide displaced people with safety, dignity, and hope on their path towards a more stable life in a permanent home.

ABOUT US

We remain committed

Figures at a glance


Shelters


Countries


Students &  teachers supported in Morocco

We made shelter possible

In 2024, over 2,000 shelters were implemented in several countries with UNHCR, UNDP, IOM, IFRC, Save the Children, CARE, El Minuto de Dios, and YachtAid Global. They became homes, clinics, classrooms, and safe spaces for more than 10,000 people displaced by conflict and disaster.

With the UN Humanitarian Response Depot, we delivered quickly from global hubs. Our team provided training and technical guidance to adapt shelters to local needs, helping communities live safer, healthier, and more dignified lives.

We trained the Moroccan Red Crescent in shelter assembly and insulation techniques on-site in Morocco.

Human rights

We support human rights, focusing on the rights to shelter, education, health and protection, with our partners. Here are some highlights from 2024.

Environment

We team up with humanitarians, businesses, and researchers to make our shelters better and our environmental impact smaller.

EU compliance

In 2024, we continued to strengthen our collaboration with suppliers to…

Labour practices

We are committed to ethical, inclusive, and responsible practices that support the rights, well-being, and dignity of everyone we work with.

We respect and promote fundamental human rights in all areas of our work.

We champion equal opportunities for all, regardless of background or identity.

We maintain zero tolerance for discrimination in any form.

We uphold our employees’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining through a formal collective agreement.

We follow a systematic work environment management plan to promote health, safety, and well-being in the workplace.

Last-mile delivery of shelters after the earthquake in Morocco

Anti-corruption

Better Shelter maintains a clear and proactive stance against corruption. In line with our ethical framework:

We are committed to counteracting corrupt practices and only collaborate with partners who share this commitment and maintain clear anti-corruption policies.

We do not accept gifts, benefits, reimbursements, or entertainment from suppliers, partners, or other stakeholders.

We prohibit all forms of bribery, kickbacks, and similar undisclosed monetary arrangements.

All suppliers must sign our ethical framework to ensure these standards are upheld throughout our value chain.

Internally, we have implemented preventive mechanisms, including authorisation grids and payment control systems, to detect and deter misconduct.

Our open communication policy supports confidential and secure reporting of suspected misconduct. This enables us to respond quickly and responsibly with training, remediation, and corrective actions where necessary.

Photo: UNHCR/Colin Delfosse

Governance

We are guided by clear principles and structures that promote responsible governance, ethical conduct, and risk management.

We have a code of conduct regarding human and labour rights, environment and anti-corruption.

We have formal governance structures to provide strategic oversight and support in sustainability topics.

We have processes in place for our senior executives to regularly review potential risks related to the business model.

We have processes in place to identify, assess, and mitigate strategic market risks, operational risks, and sustainability risks.

Testing local techniques on our shelter frames with SEEDS and volunteers. Photo: Chloé Tiziani

Other initiatives

What Makes a Home

With the creative project What Makes a Home, launched in 2024, we explore displacement and how people transform temporary shelters into homes.

Last year, the photographers Björn Wallander, Ci Demi and Ali Haj Suleiman captured the complexities of displacement, grief and uncertainty, alongside moments of normalcy.

The photos (some of which are in the slideshow above) were exhibited during Climate Week and the UN General Assembly in New York City and made possible with generous support from the Fondation Mehra et David Rimer.

The Sustainable Development Goals

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) lay out a common plan for a fairer, more sustainable world. They guide everything we do, from how we work to who we work with.

Develop shelters that are safe for people and the environment. Invest in R&D to reuse and recycle shelter materials in the safest possible ways. 

Conduct R&D to identify alternatives to plastics. Strengthen knowledge exchange with partners and donors. Improve the shelters’ environmental performance through continuous monitoring and evaluation.

Extending our shelters’ lifespan through incremental improvements and exploring alternative materials through ongoing R&D.

Develop comprehensive information for partners on materials, reuse, repurposing, and recycling. Create simple, visual Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials for the people living in our shelter units.

Design shelters that protect people and have a minimal environmental impact. Ensure all packaging is recyclable or reusable by 2030, with a 5% reduction target. Cut plastic waste and lower fossil fuel use in production.

Map and evaluate the capabilities of recycling facilities to handle plastics near humanitarian settings. Develop decommissioning guidelines for current shelter units.

Strengthen private sector partnerships to co-create durable and alternative technical solutions and tools. Compile best practices on waste management and develop key messages and Q&A packs for partners.

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