Publications

28 January 2026 - This report sets out examples of how CISL has worked over the past year with leaders and innovators across business, finance and government to shape the markets of the future.Download the report.About2025 was the year sustainability stopped sitting comfortably in the world of global goals, models of change, flagship projects, glos…

27 January 2026 – This paper reviews South Africa’s 2025 G20 Presidency and assesses how it advanced a Global South–led development agenda amid global geopolitical fragmentation and constrained cooperation. Download the paperThis report from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) examines South Africa’s performan…

11 December 2025 – In an age of turbulence, effective leadership uses the energy and opportunity of disruption to create more thriving economies, societies and futures. This report updates the Leadership Capabilities for the 21st Century framework, published in 2023. It both incorporates feedback on its application in practice since publishing and …

4 December 2025 - A new report by ClimateWise provides a framework for insurers to drive co-ordinated governance to address financial system vulnerabilitiesDownload the reportAboutClimateWise has published a new report outlining the critical role of insurers in advancing systemic risk governance.The research warns that whilst physical climate impac…

21 October 2025 – This paper explores how country-led investment platforms in Africa can align development, climate and finance priorities through transformational leadership. Download the paperThis paper from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) analyses the emergence of country-led investment platforms as mec…

6 October 2025 – A primer by CISL and A-Track partners examines what financial institutions can already do – today – to scale action on nature Download the reportAboutNature (positive) finance is often narrowly perceived only as nature conservation finance, or ‘financing green’ with low financial returns, making it unsuitable and unattractive for p…

30 Sept 2025 – This policy brief, produced by CISL and Dalberg Research, examines factors shaping food consumption behaviours among urban households with children aged 6–23 months and highlights strategies to improve diets of young children as urbanisation proceeds in Kenya. Download the reportAboutDespite strong policy commitments, less than one t…

 30 Sept 2025 – This policy brief, produced by CISL, Save the Children (UK and Kenya), examines costs and affordability of nutritious diets for typical households with children aged 6–23 months in Busia Kenya, and highlights strategies for addressing diet affordability gaps for families with young children. Download the reportAboutDiet affordabilit…

 30 Sept 2025 – This policy brief, produced by CISL and the University of Leeds, assesses the impacts of projected 2050 climate scenarios on food production and nutrition security in Kenya, using both national and subnational data from Busia County in Western Kenya. Download the reportAboutBy 2050, climate change is expected to reduce maize yields …

11 September 2025 – Ahead of COP30 in November, CISL’s new briefing sets out the likely negotiations, the elements needed for a successful outcome, and the leadership we need to see to help shape a just, nature-positive and resilient global economy. These insights will be invaluable for businesses planning to engage with COP30, as well as policymak…

29 July 2025 – A new report by CISL commissioned by Cambridge City Council with funding from the Council and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund identifies actionable strategies for scaling up energy efficiency and low carbon technology retrofits across Greater Cambridge, in support of the Council’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 20…

24 July 2025 – The first in our new Future Visions series, a new report by CISL Fellow Paul Gilding argues that a major market-driven disruption of the global food system is not only imminent but already underway, challenging industry assumptions and highlighting both the risks and opportunities of inevitable transformation.   Download the reportAb…

10 July 2025 – Despite the promise of blended finance to mobilise private capital in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) at scale, persistent risk perceptions, ecosystem fragmentation, and structural barriers continue to hinder scale. This practitioner-led report distils insights from key stakeholders to unpack the current perceptions…

8 July 2025 - Developed in partnership with the British Standards Institute, the primary goal of this publication is to identify the "tipping point" for achieving trust in circularity and accelerating its adoption. Through in-depth stakeholder interviews and a global survey, the research aims to understand and address barriers to trust, drive behav…

26 June 2025 – A use case developed as the result of a collaboration between CISL and three banks DBS, OCBC, UOB and supported by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), shows how banks can build internal capacity to better understand the nature risks and dependencies in their portfolios exemplified on the palm oil industry. Download the report.…