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Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)

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We support our clients by building their capacity to understand leading practice in setting targets, to comply with new disclosure requirements and to develop impact metrics for use in commercial decision-making as well as for investment purposes. 

 

Our clients recognise the need to set ambitious targets to respond to the risks that they face, to address negative impacts across their value chain and to optimise their positive impacts upon society and the environment. Importantly, they recognise the need to set targets that are informed by what the science tells us is necessary rather than what is convenient or deemed possible for the business.

In a context in which investors are increasingly seeking disclosure of sustainability related risks and many stakeholders are seeking ambitious action to address business impact, they also recognise the importance of measuring and disclosing their progress to enable a better informed dialogue with stakeholders and to build trust.

Contact us to find out how we can help you.

 

Understanding leading practice


We help clients to understand leading practice in relation to setting goals, including setting science-based targets for reducing negative impact and setting goals aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals to enable investors and stakeholders to understand the positive impact of the business. 

 

Responding to new disclosure requirements


We help clients to understand the implications of new disclosure requirements, including the expectation of disclosure in line with the recommendations of the Taskforce on Climate-Related Disclosures (TCFD). We work with main board directors to build understanding of the implications of TCFD for their fiduciary responsibility and corporate governance structures, and we provide context on the commercial implications of climate change to inform their strategic decision-making and their engagement with management, investors and regulators. 

 

Developing impact metrics


Drawing upon our significant expertise in measuring the impact of business on nature and society, we support our clients to develop simple and practical metrics that take account of the relevant context and which inform business and investment decision-making.

 

Case studies


CISL worked with the risk function and main board of a major UK financial institution to support their readiness to measure and disclose their climate related financial risks in line with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) disclosure framework.


We worked closely with luxury group Kering, parent company to international brands including Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen and Puma to develop a pilot-stage metric that allows Kering to measure the impact of its suppliers on regional biodiversity based on yield, and land use type and intensity data.


We engaged with a group of leading institutional investors to develop a framework that enables investors to calculate and communicate the social and environmental impacts of their portfolios using a simplified set of six environmental and social themes relevant to investors. It takes as its starting point the recently adopted United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and converts them through a careful process of clustering, prioritisation and simplification into a set of six impact metrics for investors.