Sectors

Transforming the systems and sectors where change happens

The transformation of the global economy will be shaped by what markets value. But real progress is delivered in specific sectors and places, where investment decisions are made, infrastructure is built, food is produced, homes are retrofitted and health outcomes are shaped.

It is at this sectoral and local level that sustainability ambitions are tested and turned into action. These transitions are where progress can stall or accelerate. If market don’t form, or don’t value long-term sustainability outcomes, then solutions won’t scale.

That is why CISL focuses on priority systems and sectors with the greatest influence over climate, nature and health outcomes, and on the geographies where leadership, collaboration, innovation and investment can combine to drive change.

Our approach to systems innovation

Across most sectors, many viable solutions already exist. They fail to scale because the barriers are systemic: incentives, infrastructure, skills, supply chains, finance and regulation interact at once. No single organisation can remove these barriers alone.

CISL takes a systems innovation approach. We work with sector experts to identify commercially credible pathways, diagnose barriers to progress, and align partners to remove them. This includes working through testbeds such as the Living Lab, where new approaches can be tested in real world conditions, addressing policy barriers, and working with major organisations to develop ‘demand-side’ pull.

A core part of this work is building support and alignment behind new visions for critical sectors including food, agriculture, energy and the built environment. Using our foresight, we convene academics, entrepreneurs, corporates, investors and policymakers to scale market-based solutions, address structural barriers and create the incentives needed for change. We translate what works into practical tools, leadership education and policy engagement that enable wider adoption across sectors and markets.

From ambition to delivery

By coordinating the ideas, technologies, policies and capabilities required for change, CISL helps organisations move from ambition to delivery and from pilots to new market norms. Our focus is on sector‑level transitions that are commercially viable, socially inclusive and environmentally credible, and that can scale beyond individual projects or places.