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Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)

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How does the built environment create value for people, nature and climate as demands on the sector grow?

With a reputation as one of the most environmentally burdensome industries which also has a fundamental opportunity to support healthy and resilient societies, the built environment sector needs to find a way to lead the transition to a sustainable economy.  

The operation, maintenance and construction of our buildings, towns and cities account for typically the largest – or among the largest – share of any country’s, and any individual's, carbon footprint and impact on natural resources; but also provide among our greatest opportunities to strengthen the resilience of our societies, maximise shared social benefit, and create safe, secure and enjoyable futures for all.

Experts agree that the sector's role in exacerbating global challenges and its potential to provide solutions to these challenges is of critical importance today. There is an urgent need to for radical change in the sector, and conversations about this seem louder today than ever.

 

Insights for built environment professionals


Sustainable real estate - a constellation of risks and opportunities

First published in The Lighthouse, this blog by Munish Datta
explores the constellation of risks and opportunities for
sustainable real estate.

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Sustainable real estate - reflections and next steps

Building on the blog by Munish on the constellation of risks and opportunities in sustainable real estate, Lucy Bruzzone considers how and why stakeholders must make the transition to sustainable practices and gives recommendations for further reading

Read the blog

 

Collaborative leadership? It’s what a sustainable
future in the built environment sector requires.

Dr Tim Forman describes how 'shared leadership' was central to
the refurbishment of Entopia.

Read the blog

Building Entopia

Discover the story behind the world-leading sustainable retrofit of Entopia, CISL's new home in central Cambridge.

Read the case study

 

 

 

Education on a sustainable built environment


For over three decades, CISL has been at the forefront of sustainability education. We have a deep understanding of the changing global context and access to a wealth of world-leading research into sustainable business. Our programmes draw upon leading academics, practitioners and innovators to help inform business strategy and inspire action. 

Sustainable Real Estate: Creating a Better Built Environment 

For professionals who want to understand
the sustainability challenges facing the real estate sector.

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Postgraduate programme for the
built environment

Explore the importance of building
knowledge and leadership skills to drive
real change through collaboration.

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Executive Education (open application and custom)

Identify innovative and commercially compelling approaches to address sustainability challenges.

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Postgraduate student stories


Hear from postgraduate students on the Sustainability Leadership in the Built Environment courses how have shared their experience of the programme and detailed what an average day looks like for them during a residential workshop in Cambridge, UK.
 

 

"I am invigorated and stimulated by the discussions [...]. I challenge my beliefs and biases, and I am more intentional about actively listening"

Sonia Green-Browne, Principal Engineer, Graphite Engineering Ltd.

Read more

 

 

"I would be lying if I didn’t say that there
is a lot to take in on an average day! I feel like I am learning many new ideas and insights which I can reapply in my field of work."

Neiad Adams-Austin, Traffic Engineer, London Borough of Waltham Forest 

Read more

 

 

"The huge merit of the part-time course structure is the opportunity to apply what we have learnt to the real world immediately after we absorbed the lectures."

Emi Sugiyama, Sustainability Consultant, PwC Japan

Read more

 

 

Sustainable built environment innovation and collaboration opportunities


For over three decades, CISL has built individual and organisational leadership capacity and capabilities and created industry-leading collaborations, to catalyse change and accelerate the path to a sustainable economy. To discuss how we can work with you to support you in your transformation, please get in touch.

Find out more about CISL Canopy and Accelerator opportunities, which foster sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship through our community of founders, startups, corporate intrapreneurs, investors and systems change experts. 

 

Resources and research


Read more at: Risk Sharing in the Climate Emergency: Financial regulation for a resilient, net zero, just transition

Risk Sharing in the Climate Emergency: Financial regulation for a resilient, net zero, just transition

November 2021 – The University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) launches a call to action at COP 26 finance day urging policymakers, financial regulators and industry to expand risk sharing systems at scale to tackle the Climate Emergency.


Read more at: On the Borderline: The EU CBAM and its place in the world of trade

On the Borderline: The EU CBAM and its place in the world of trade

October 2021 - The CISL report ‘On the Borderline: the EU CBAM and its place in the world of trade’ shows unilateral action is risky but may be needed to achieve net zero by 2050.


Read more at: The future of sustainability in the built environment - a Q&A with Munish Datta
Building change logo

The future of sustainability in the built environment - a Q&A with Munish Datta

27 September 2021 - Munish Datta is director at UK Green Building Council where he is responsible for leading the organisations membership strategy and enabling the delivery of its mission to radically improve the sustainability of the built environment. As a Fellow at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, he also empowers senior business leaders & organisations to tackle critical global challenges.


Read more at: Targeting Net Zero: A strategic framework for business action
Targeting Net Zero

Targeting Net Zero: A strategic framework for business action

Introduction A net zero emission economy will be essential to maintain a stable global climate. The private sector has a critical role in delivering this and there is a growing body of evidence to demonstrate that it makes good business sense to act. Business action on climate change can inform...


Read more at: Achieving Zero
Achieving Zero

Achieving Zero

The transition to zero is underway. The private sector has a critical role in delivering this transition and there is a growing body of evidence to demonstrate that it makes business sense to act. Forward looking companies understand this. They are harnessing climate action as driver of innovation...


Read more at: UK business and policy leadership for net zero: analysis of progress to reduce emissions

UK business and policy leadership for net zero: analysis of progress to reduce emissions

May 2021 – A report from University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership analyses the progress the UK has made towards reducing emissions and meeting its 2030 targets, and looks at the role that policy and clear, sector-specific ambitions have played in supporting the transition.


Read more at: The case for retrofitting
Retrofit

The case for retrofitting

5 May 2021 – Tim Forman, Deputy Course Director for the Sustainability Leadership for the Built Environment (IDBE) Master’s and Postgraduate Certificate, discusses the need for a radical shift in thinking and in preparedness to invest in the energy efficiency of buildings and built environments in order to achieve real impact.


Read more at: Let’s Discuss Climate: The essential guide to bank-client engagement

Let’s Discuss Climate: The essential guide to bank-client engagement

The University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership’s (CISL) Banking Environment Initiative has published a new guide to bank-client engagement, which aims to address the need for a market-wide transformation in how banks and their corporate clients interact.


Read more at: Finding common ground between investors and industry
Tower Bridge

Finding common ground between investors and industry

30 March 2021 – The built environment industry must challenge the notion that sustainability is ‘too hard’ to integrate. Paul Jaffe, Asset Manager at British Land reflects on his experience of the two-year Sustainability Leadership for the Built Environment (IDBE) programme and how this helped him form solutions and encourage change for investors and the wider industry.


Read more at: The sustainability agenda can be the launch pad for change in the built environment
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The sustainability agenda can be the launch pad for change in the built environment

24 March 2021 – The built environment industry has a long way to go in order to break down the silos between practitioners and 'build better'. Dr Kayla Friedman, Course Director for the Sustainability Leadership for the Built Environment (IDBE) Master’s and Postgraduate Certificate, identifies the key change agents within the sector and outlines what they can do to catalyse the shift to sustainable project delivery.


Living Lab

Help us to achieve our vision of turning our award-winning sustainably retrofitted office and innovation hub into a Living Lab for sustainability innovation.

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Advisory Services

Find out how we help organisations build long-term resilience, gain competitive advantage and identify new opportunities
for value creation aligned with a transition to a sustainable economy.

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Canopy

A community of impact-led startups, entrepreneurs and small businesses accelerating solutions to global sustainability challenges.

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Webinar series - Building natural connections

In 2021, the Future Spaces Foundation (FSF) and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) collaborated to host three panel discussions on how the interdependence of nature, society and economy can be leveraged to provide solutions for a sustainable built environment. 

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CISL Conversations

Hear from global professionals tackling real-world sustainability challenges across business, policy and finance.

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