Our latest thought leadership and research aims to inform and equip decision makers across business, finance and policy to lay the foundations for a sustainable economy.
Raising the ambition for nature: A fashion, apparel, and textile sector primer on the first Science-Based Targets for Nature
28 June 2023 - The University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL),The Fashion Pact and Conservation International have created the first industry specific primer to navigate the new target-setting guidance from the Science Based Targets Network.
Navigating low carbon disruption: Systems thinking and dynamic system drivers in power, road transport and agriculture
27 June 2023 – A report by the team behind the Prince of Wales Global Sustainability Fellowship in Radical Innovation and Disruption examines how systems thinking can help businesses and other stakeholders characterise, anticipate and influence low carbon market disruption.
Market driven decarbonisation: The role of demand-led innovation in supporting emission reductions in foundation industries.
24 May 2023 - A policy briefing by the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) examines how UK markets can better drive decarbonisation in foundation industries such as steel, cement ands.
Roadmap: Identification and integration of nature-related risks and impacts in underwriting and insurance brokerage
12 April 2023 – New roadmap from CISL’s ClimateWise charts a path for the insurance sector towards nature-positive underwriting and explores the industry’s role in supporting the transition of its clients towards a sustainable economy.
The path towards a socially just Fit for 55 package: How have social elements of the Fit for 55 package evolved in the context of the climate, energy, and cost-of-living crises?
March 2023 - This report was developed by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) to explore the ways social issues have been included in climate policies by the European Commission.
Innovation for Sustainability: The driving force of circular economy start-ups
28 March 2023 – The Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and the Tsinghua-Cambridge Joint Research Initiative interviewed 60 start-up founders from various sectors to better understand the role of entrepreneurship in a circular economy transition. This new report offers insight into the alternative practices of innovative circular businesses seeking commercial success and positive social impacts that may not be achievable through classic commercial strategies.
22 February 2023 – The University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), supported by Intuit and the We Mean Business Coalition (WMBC), spoke to 15 SMEs who have taken steps to decarbonise their business to share insight on the path to Net Zero for small and medium enterprises.
Financial innovation for SME net zero transition: Role of banks and buyers
17 January 2023 – The University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), We Mean Business Coalition (WMB) and the SME Climate Hub have published a new report highlighting the role of commercial banks and multi-national corporations in helping small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) reach net zero.
Competitive Sustainability Index: New Metrics for EU Competitiveness for an Economy in Transition
8 December 2022 - The publication of the first edition of the Competitive Sustainability Index (CSI) has been welcomed by Paolo Gentiloni, European Commissioner for the Economy, as a ground-breaking new approach to measuring the EU’s competitive sustainability performance, the EU’s strategy for global leadership in the sustainability transition.
