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Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)

Why innovation matters


Digital technologies, from blockchain to big data, are transforming financial services. There is a growing appreciation of the transformative potential of harnessing this digital revolution to support broader efforts to direct capital to sustainable business models. 

Pockets of promising innovation are evident around the world. But these are the exception, not the rule.

 

What is CISL is doing about it?


Cambridge produces world-renowned research in this area, ranging from its Big Data Strategic Research Initiative to the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance and the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, which Cambridge hosts. 

Cambridge is also Europe’s most successful technology cluster. Underpinned by world-leading science, there are over 4,300 companies in the Cambridge Cluster including 16 $1bn firms. 

Against this backdrop, CISL leads finance and business collaborations to prove sustainable fintech concepts in practice. We also work with governments and industry groups to embed what we learn into broader innovation processes.

 

Our work and thought leadership


Read more at: Bank 2030: Accelerating the transition to a low carbon economy

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.


Read more at: Trado: New technologies to fund fairer, more transparent supply chains

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).


Read more at: Understanding investments’ sustainability performance to enable more sustainable investment choices

Understanding investments’ sustainability performance to enable more sustainable investment choices

October 2018 – The concept note proposes a new approach that would help pension beneficiaries make better decisions regarding the sustainability performance of their pensions.


Read more at: Catalysing Fintech for Sustainability: Lessons from multi-sector innovation

Catalysing Fintech for Sustainability: Lessons from multi-sector innovation

October 2017 – This report presents recommendations on how to design collaboration between multinationals, financial institutions and start-ups in order to better harness fintech to help solve sustainability challenges in the real economy.


Rewiring the Economy

This work is a powerful example of putting into practice Rewiring the Economy, CISL's ten-year plan to lay the foundations for a sustainable economy.

Task 6: Innovate financial structures to better serve sustainable business.