10 December 2024 - In the wake of the Draghi and Letta reports, and Commission President Von der Leyen’s prioritisation of competitiveness at the core of her second-term political agenda, the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) is launching the updated 2024 edition of the Competitive Sustainability Index (CSI).

Supported by Breakthrough Energy,  this edition assesses the EU's competitive performance in transitioning to a clean, just, and competitively sustainable economy and spotlights key areas for improvement.

Download CISL's 2024 Competitive Sustainability Index: Shaping a new model of European competitiveness ‘Beyond Draghi’: Summary for policymakers

Download CISL's 2024 Competitive Sustainability Index: Shaping a new model of European competitiveness ‘Beyond Draghi’: Full report

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Endorsed by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) as a best-in-class index when first published in 2022, the second edition of the Competitive Sustainability Index (CSI) offers an updated and extended analysis, maintaining the original framework and approach while addressing the EU’s increasingly complex economic and political challenges. As the EU enters a critical five-year policymaking period leading up to 2030, this edition is particularly relevant, incorporating a complementary set of indicators for 11 key international competitors, including the USA, China, and the UK. This expanded scope enables a comparative assessment of the EU's performance within a shifting global landscape, alongside the core analysis of the 27 Member States and their innovation ecosystems.

Unlike conventional approaches rooted in ‘sustainable competitiveness’, the CSI provides a forward-looking, integrated, and nuanced perspective, reflecting the latest insights on economic growth, innovation, and sustainable development. By aligning economic, social, governance, and environmental dimensions, the CSI seeks to inspire new policy thinking that supports EU countries, value chains, and companies in attracting investment amidst an urgent global transition toward truly sustainable development.

The second edition of the Competitive Sustainability Index (CSI) has been extended and updated to provide fresh insights into the EU’s competitive performance against major global partners and rivals, including the US and China. This updated analysis spans a pivotal two-year period during which the EU has navigated multiple crises: emerging from the Covid pandemic, addressing the energy market shocks caused by the illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, grappling with heightened inflation, and responding to the competitive challenges posed by the US Inflation Reduction Act. These developments, alongside China's increasingly assertive industrial strategy in key growth areas like cleantech, energy, and mobility value chains, underscore the urgency for a robust EU response.

This edition of the CSI delivers a comprehensive assessment of the EU's recent performance, emerging challenges, and strategic opportunities within this evolving global landscape. It highlights critical areas for improvement and offers strategic, policy, and process recommendations to strengthen the EU’s competitive edge. Crucially, the report calls for innovative, forward-looking approaches that move beyond outdated economic models, enabling the EU to craft a long-term strategy while addressing immediate challenges. This is critical to consider as the EU focuses on the EU's competitiveness through a new Competitive Compass and drafts their Clean Industrial Deal.

The report’s structure is designed to reflect this rapidly shifting international context, situating the analysis of the EU’s 27 Member States within a broader global perspective to better inform strategic decision-making and align with the demands of a more competitive and dynamic world.

The approach, data and resulting Index have also been statistically assessed and approved by the JRC. For more information, JRC Statistical Audit of the CSI 2024 can be found here.

Citing this report

University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). (2024). 2024 Competitive Sustainability Index Shaping a new model of European competitiveness ‘beyond Draghi’: Summary for policymakers. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. 

University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). (2024). 2024 Competitive Sustainability Index Shaping a new model of European competitiveness ‘beyond Draghi’. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

Watch the launch event of CISL’s 2024 Competitive Sustainability Index