It is widely recognised that today's financial system does not actively reward long-term thinking. Often, it can actually work against efforts to build a sustainable economy.Our Centre for Sustainable Finance draws on the work of CISL’s leadership groups across the financial system; bringing together our research and education programme on sustainable finance. We work long term with over 50 financial institutions from across five continents. With support from academics and expert practitioners, we develop solutions to challenges firms cannot tackle alone and impact both policy and market practice.Across our leadership groups in insurance, banking and investment, we have developed particular expertise in three key areas of sustainable finance: |
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Risk and resilienceEmbedding resilience to environmental risk in routine financing decisions. |
Positive impactEnabling investors to achieve positive impact against the Sustainable Development Goals. |
InnovationHarnessing the digital revolution to direct capital to sustainable business models. |
Sustainable finance leadership groups |
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ClimateWise (global insurance)ClimateWise comprises 25 leading insurers, reinsurers, brokers and industry service providers who share a commitment to reducing the impact of climate change on society, as well as the insurance industry. |
Banking Environment InitiativeSome of the world’s largest banks working to lead their industry in directing capital towards environmentally and socially sustainable economic development. |
Investment Leaders GroupLeading investment managers and asset owners with over US $5 trillion under management working to help shift the investment chain towards responsible, long-term value creation. |
Latest news and thought leadership
Mapping the evolving complexity of large hydropower project finance in emerging economies
This paper is the second in a series of working papers emerging from the CISL’s contribution to the FutureDAMS project, with a specific focus on the questions around sustainable finance for sustainable hydropower projects in developing countries.
Bank 2030: Accelerating the transition to a low carbon economy
30 January 2020 – This report authored by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership’s (CISL) Banking Environment Initative (BEI) highlights the need for banks to develop an ‘active mindset’ in order to accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy.
ClimateWise Principles Independent Review 2019
17 December 2019 – The ClimateWise Principles Independent Review for 2019 is a milestone for ClimateWise members, representing the first year of reporting in full alignment with the Recommendations of the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
Multi-sector collaboration between blue chips, start-ups and banks delivers new model to improve the sustainability of global supply chains without increasing production costs
17 September 2019 – A successful experiment by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), bringing together Sainsbury's, BNP Paribas, Unilever, Barclays, Standard Chartered and Rabobank, has shown how a new model of blockchain and other data sharing technologies can enhance the sustainability of global supply chains without increasing production costs.
Trado: New technologies to fund fairer, more transparent supply chains
17 September 2019 – There is a growing understanding of the transformative potential of harnessing digital innovation and financial technologies to improve the sustainability of global supply chains. This report details the learnings and methodology of the collaborative project Trado, convened by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL).
