skip to content

Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)

Working papers are circulated for discussion purposes only. Their contents should be considered preliminary and are not to be quoted without the authors' permission. All views expressed are those of the author.

Community Health Enquiry

20 September 2021

September 2021 – This working paper summarises insights from pioneering interventions that promote community mental health.

An analytical framework for understanding risk and risk mitigation in the context of financing large hydropower projects in low-and lower-middle-income countries

12 February 2021

February 2021 – The purpose of this framework is to provide potential financiers and investors with a better understanding the risk profile of these projects to improve their likelihood of obtaining sustainable finance.

Developing the EU’s ‘competitive sustainability’ for a resilient recovery and dynamic growth

16 November 2020

17 November 2020 – This thought-starter paper has been prepared with a view to sharing some initial ideas on the a concept of ‘competitive sustainability’, which lies at the heart of the European Green Deal (EGD) and the EU’s growth strategy. Upcoming investment and policy decisions, such as those on the Covid-19 Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs) and the new EU Industrial Strategy need to focus on this new approach to competitiveness to ensure the EU stands to secure advantage and benefit from the economic opportunities, jobs and emissions reductions from the transition to climate neutrality.

Exploring the multiple contributions of the arts and humanities to leadership

28 October 2020

October 2020 – This working paper summarises three emerging narratives about the distinctive contribution of the arts and humanities to leadership.

Mapping the evolving complexity of large hydropower project finance in emerging economies

30 March 2020

This paper is the second in a series of working papers emerging from the CISL’s contribution to the FutureDAMS project, with a specific focus on the questions around sustainable finance for sustainable hydropower projects in developing countries.

Clean fuel switch: Exploring the multiple benefits of biogas

18 February 2020

February 2020 – This working paper explores the benefits of enabling a community in Kenya to switch from cooking with traditional fuels to using biogas which is created through the natural process of anaerobic digestion of organic waste.

Walking the talk: Understanding consumer demand for sustainable investing

14 October 2019

22 October 2019 – This study, commissioned by the Investment Leaders Group (ILG), provides insight into how decision-making behavior is influenced by the availability of information on the environmental and social impact of funds alongside standard financial data.

The future of sustainable business: Reflections from 30 sustainability leaders

18 December 2018

December 2018 – In a period of urgent environmental and social challenges, it's clear that business as usual cannot deliver the required response at the pace and scale required to achieve a positive impact. This working paper highlights the challenges and opportunities faced by businesses during periods of change, outlining the leadership required to deliver positive actions.

Soil health: Evidence review

4 July 2017

July 2017 – Many leading food and beverage sector organisations have demonstrated progress in managing natural capital impacts in their direct operations, including greenhouse gas emissions and waste. Many recognise, however, that the largest impacts occur in their upstream value chains, particularly on farms where raw materials are produced. A key natural capital resource is soil, and managing soil health is one way in which businesses may be able to reduce their negative land use impacts.

The commercial logic to measuring natural capital

8 June 2017

June 2017 – The launch of the Natural Capital Protocol has led businesses to become more aware of their impacts and dependencies upon the natural environment. However, a need has been identified to link to commercial drivers to these impacts and dependencies across businesses. Simple metrics and key performance indicators that relate these two could be a next step to embedding natural capital into business operations and strategies. This working paper sets out the outcomes of a small piece of qualitative research. It explores the use of different metrics for standard business processes by sustainability professionals and their relationship to natural capital measures.

Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership Working Papers

Working papers are circulated for discussion purposes only. Their contents should be considered preliminary and are not to be quoted without the authors' permission. All views expressed are those of the author.

General enquiries

info@cisl.cam.ac.uk

Contact Adele Williams, Director of Communications

Adele Wiliams

| T: +44 (0)1223 768451