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Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)

CISL Conversations 

Hear from global professionals tackling real-world sustainability challenges across business, policy and finance. CISL Conversations brings you thought leadership from across industries, sectors, and continents. We explore best practices, systemic risks, strategic insights, and the latest research.

Subscribe on: Amazon Music | Google podcastsRadioPublic | Spotify | Stitcher | Apple podcasts and other platforms coming soon.

Our goal? To help you unlock transformative change for people, nature and climate and deliver a better future.

CISL Conversations launches with our exclusive mini-series: The Future of Boards.

 

What history can teach us about sustainability, climate negotiations, and international leadership

A CISL Conversation between Shruti Kapila, Professor of History and Politics and the University of Cambridge and Lindsay Hooper, Executive Director and Chief Impact Officer at CISL. Lindsay and Shruti discuss India's long-standing environmentalism and culture of civil disobedience, individual versus collective action, and the need to move away from Western-centric narratives.

 

How a technology-enabled sustainability revolution starts with individual leadership

A CISL Conversation between Paul Gilding, independent writer, corporate strategy adviser, sustainable advocate, and CISL Fellow, with Lindsay Hooper, Executive Director for Education at CISL. Here, Paul and Lindsay discuss the transition to a sustainable economy, and the roles of business and financial institutions, technology, leadership, and international summits like COP28.

 

Introducing the Series

As a companion piece to CISL’s blog series on Board Leadership and Governance, Professor Richard Calland – who leads our work with boards – introduces a series of interviews exploring a full range of current issues and challenges with board directors and experts in the arena of board leadership and governance. 

 

 

Commercial resilience in a time of crisis

In the first podcast, going live 19 January, Richard speaks with Maria Hjorth, who sits on the boards of six companies in Denmark. She has clear views on the changing role of boards at this moment of global crisis, sharing our view that it is vital for the future commercial resilience of companies that their boards step up and provide strong leadership on how to resolve the acute dilemmas that the CEO and executive management face. 

Listen on: Amazon Music | Google Podcasts | RadioPublic | Spotify | Stitcher | Apple Podcasts coming soon 

 

Business as usual is dead: rethinking boardroom leadership

In the second podcast, going live 23 January, CISL Fellow and former President of the Board of Alstrom Power Philippe Joubert shares his experience of sitting on boards across the globe, in the context of his regular message – that Business as Usual is Dead – a shift in paradigm that has profound implications for how boards think about their legal duties and organise themselves to provide the leadership needed.

Listen on: Amazon Music | Google Podcasts | RadioPublic | Spotify | Stitcher | Apple Podcasts coming soon 

 

Why are regulations a boardroom issue?

In the third podcast, going live 30 January, CISL Fellow Dr Victoria Hurth – whose expertise spans marketing and sustainability but who is passionate about the binding role that governance plays in linking organizational purpose with commercial strategy – explains how the ISO37000 standard was developed (she played a leading role) and what it means for board directors who are serious about raising their game in the light of the mounting global poly-crisis confronting humanity.

Listen on: Amazon Music | Google Podcasts | RadioPublic | Spotify | Stitcher | Apple Podcasts coming soon 

 

Diversifying your board for a VUCA world

In the fourth podcast, going live 6 February, Patrick O’Sullivan, the former chair of South African multinational insurance house Old Mutual, discusses the role that the Chair plays, as well as the complex subject of diversity in the composition of the board, and how significant it is for any board that wants to be able to understand, grasp and navigate the VUCA world in which business must now operate.

Listen on: Amazon Music | Google Podcasts | RadioPublic | SpotifyStitcher | Apple Podcasts coming soon

 

China's Envirotech Landscape: Meet the Innovators

As the world’s highest carbon emitter and largest producer of renewable energy technology, China carries a significant responsibility to accelerate the global pathway to a decarbonised economy. In these two episodes, we hear from a diverse panel, including academics, business leaders and environmental experts, to gain an insight into the latest industry innovations, policy settings and business trends that are advancing China towards a sustainable future.

Listen on: Amazon Music | Google Podcasts | RadioPublic | SpotifyStitcher | Apple Podcasts coming soon

 

'The Limits To Growth' to an 'Earth for All' (Guest Lecture)

The next ten years must see the fastest economic transformation in history. Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Co-President of the Club of Rome and CISL Senior Associate, shares insights from her latest book, ‘Earth for All: A survival guide for humanity’. Hosted in collaboration with the Club of Rome, Cambridge Centre for Environment Energy and Natural Resource Governance, and the Anglia Ruskin University Global Sustainability Institute. Recorded live at the Entopia building, Cambridge, February 2023.

Listen on: Amazon Music | Google Podcasts | RadioPublic | SpotifyStitcher | Apple Podcasts coming soon

 

'Earth for All': why we need urgent economic systems change

An interview with Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Co-President of the Club of Rome and CISL Senior Associate. Here, Sandrine takes questions on her new book 'Earth for All'. Hosted in collaboration with the Club of Rome, Cambridge Centre for Environment Energy and Natural Resource Governance, and the Anglia Ruskin University Global Sustainability Institute. Recorded live at the Entopia building, Cambridge, February 2023.

Listen on: Amazon Music | Google PodcastsRadioPublic | SpotifyStitcher | Apple Podcasts coming soon

 

The role of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in a sustainable economy

ACISL CEO Clare Shine interviews World Trade Organisation co-founder and Professor of law, James Bacchus (Jim Bacchus). They discuss the need for more collaboration, reforms, and the role of the WTO in achieving COP goals.

Recorded live at CISL's Cambridge headquarters, in our world-class sustainably retrofit Entopia building.

Listen on: Amazon Music | Google PodcastsRadioPublic | SpotifyStitcher | Apple Podcasts coming soon

 

China's Envirotech Landscape: Panel Discussion

In this session, we hear from a diverse panel, including academics, business leaders and environmental experts, to gain an insight into the latest industry innovations, policy settings and business trends that are advancing China towards a sustainable future. Moderated by Professor William Hurst, Deputy Director at the Centre for Geopolitics, Cambridge University.

Listen on: Spotify | Amazon Music | Google Podcasts | RadioPublic | Stitcher | Apple Podcasts coming soon

 

Subscribe on: Amazon Music | RadioPublic | Spotify | Stitcher | Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, and other platforms coming soon.

The Future of Boards

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not represent an official position of CISL or The University of Cambridge.