July 2015, Updated November 2017 – Rewiring the Economy is CISL’s ten-year plan to lay the foundations for a sustainable economy. It is built on ten interconnected tasks, delivered by leaders across business, government and finance. Rewiring shows how these tasks can be tackled co-operatively to build an economy that encourages sustainable business practices, delivering the social and environmental progress demanded by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Global economic development has enhanced the quality of life and wellbeing of billions of people. However, inequality is rising, conflict and insecurity are a constant concern, ecosystems are being degraded, resources depleted and greenhouse gas levels are climbing. These trends are detrimental to communities, environments, businesses and long-term economic prospects. If some simple measures are taken to align the economy with sustainable development it need not be this way.
Rewiring the Economy is CISL’s ten-year plan to lay the foundations for a sustainable economy. It is built on ten interconnected tasks, delivered by leaders across business, government and finance. These tasks are not unique to the plan. Rather, Rewiring the Economy shows how they can be tackled co-operatively to build an economy that encourages sustainable business practices, delivering the social and environmental progress demanded by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
It is our ambition for the plan to become a strategic compass bearing for business, government and finance leaders around the world. Clearly its tasks will need to be grounded in different institutional and geographic contexts to make an impact. With this in mind we hope the plan will inspire new collaborations and enable a fundamental change in how the global economy is harnessed for the public good.
Visit our main Rewiring the Economy page.
Citing this report
Please refer to this report as University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). (2015, July; updated 2017, November). Rewiring the Economy: Ten tasks, ten years. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.
