Less than three weeks to go until CISL welcomes global sustainability leaders to Cambridge for the CSO Forum: Shaping the industries of the future. During the session held at Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, discussions moved beyond the ‘business case’ for sustainability, focusing on real-world value creation, AI in practice, and the evolving role of the CSO as a driver of competitiveness, not just compliance. Now, in Cambridge, we build on that momentum. The June session, held at the University of Cambridge ahead of London Climate Action Week, will explore the forces reshaping markets today, from geopolitics and power dynamics to AI, capital deployment and breakthrough innovations, and what they mean for business strategy and leadership for sustainability. 📍 18 June: University of Cambridge College dinner 📍 19 June: Full-day Forum If you’re looking to sharpen your insight, influence direction, and connect with peers, a limited number of places remain. 👉 Find out more and register: https://lnkd.in/epSXwESV
Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)
Education
CISL, part of the University of Cambridge, develops leadership and solutions for a sustainable economy.
About us
CISL is an impact-led institute within the University of Cambridge developing industry leadership, sector pathways and commercially-viable solutions to transform markets for a sustainable future. For over three decades we have worked with leaders and innovators across business, finance and government to accelerate action. We believe wide-scale change can happen through markets and take an evidence-based approach to transition pathways which inform strategy, action and investment to enable an inclusive and resilient economy. Through our hubs in Cambridge, Cape Town and Brussels, and a global network of leaders and partners, we bring together insight, influence and action to accelerate market‑wide transformation.
- Website
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http://www.cisl.cam.ac.uk/
External link for Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)
- Industry
- Education
- Company size
- 51-200 employees
- Headquarters
- Cambridge
- Type
- Educational
- Founded
- 1988
- Specialties
- Sustainability, Education, Business, Innovation, Leadership, and Convening
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
The Entopia Building, 1 Regent Street
Cambridge, CB2 1GG, GB
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Get directions
Rue de la Science 23
The Periclès Building
Brussels, Brussels Region B-1040, BE
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PO Box 313
Cape Town, 8000, ZA
Employees at Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)
Updates
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🎡This June, global climate leaders will gather in the UK for London Climate Action Week. We are delighted to be partnering with Climate Action for the Week’s opening flagship event – the Climate Innovation Forum. Taking place in the Guildhall on Monday 22 June, the high-level event will bring together leaders from across business, policy, finance and technology, providing a powerful platform for collaboration, innovation and action midway between COPs. Hosted during London Climate Action Week, the forum convenes organisations across industry, finance, policy and technology to explore the innovations and partnerships needed to drive the transition to a net zero economy. We are pleased to be part of this important conversation and look forward to engaging with the community working to accelerate climate solutions. 👉Explore the programme: https://lnkd.in/e_8t-fPK #ClimateInnovationForum #ClimateAction #LCAW2026 #CIF26
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Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) reposted this
European businesses want the #ETS to be strengthened, not weakened. As the EU reviews its carbon pricing system, the ETS is facing growing political pressure. Some are questioning its role, citing the “carbon cost” for industry. As the European Union is adapting its climate legislation to be fully aligned with the target of 90% GHG reduction by 2040, this is not the time to dial down on ambition. The ETS has already driven significant emissions reductions - particularly in the power sector - and remains central to Europe’s climate and economic strategy. In our latest position, Corporate Leaders Groups and its members make a clear case that a strong, stable and predictable ETS can: 🔓Unlock private investment 🚀Acelerate innovation 📉Reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels 💪Strengthen Europe’s industrial competitiveness We call for reform that: 🛡️Protects the integrity and credibility of the ETS 💡Strengthens the wider enabling framework - including electrification, clean infrastructure and affordable low-carbon energy 💵Ensures strategic use of ETS revenues to support industrial transformation The EU ETS is not just a climate tool - it is a strategic economic instrument. As part of the EU’s post-2030 framework, reform must reinforce its effectiveness and ensure alignment with policies like CBAM to create a competitive, investable and decarbonised economy. Read the full position: https://lnkd.in/efwTcR7J Ingka Group | IKEA, Iberdrola, EDF, AVEVA, Vattenfall, SSAB, Volvo Cars, ACCIONA, Amazon, Ball Corporation, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Google, Microsoft, VELUX, ROCKWOOL Group, Signify, Unilever, H&M, Henkel, Nexi Group, Salesforce #CleanIndustrialDeal #EnergyTransition #EuropeanCommission
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Are you a student enrolled at a UK university and interested in building solutions in AI, computer science, engineering, sustainability, entrepreneurship, or related fields? This is for you. CISL is excited to announce a new partnership with Arculus System, a leader in edge AI and semiconductor innovation, to launch the 'Cambridge Edge AI Innovation for Sustainability Challenge 2026'. The central question is: How can we design smarter, more resource-efficient AI systems that support sustainable outcomes? ✍Register your interest to receive an information pack on how to apply: https://ow.ly/rjkZ50Z4BWA Selected participants will gain: ⚡The opportunity to work on frontier AI and sustainability challenges 📢 A chance to showcase finalist entries at a Cambridge forum with leading researchers and industry practitioners 💸A £6,000 first prize and recognition at a prize ceremony in Cambridge 🤝Potential internship or collaboration opportunities with Arculus System 👀First-hand exposure to Taiwan’s world-leading semiconductor industry 👉 Visit the challenge’s website for more information and key dates: https://ow.ly/GnXA50Z4BWB #AI #Sustainability #StudentInnovation #Cambridge #ClimateTech Viola Jardon | Cara Dewar
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Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) reposted this
Our inaugural Sustainability Leadership Insight Sharing Day and Dinner brought together leaders from across business, academia, policy, and climate advisory to Robinson College to exchange perspectives on the opportunities and challenges shaping the global sustainability agenda. We were especially honoured to host the event in partnership with Her Highness Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President and CEO of Frontier25. Many thanks also to Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) for helping shape the programme, particularly the roundtable discussions and networking sessions. Key takeaways included: - Sustainability leadership requires collaboration across sectors and geographies. - Organisations are increasingly moving from ambition-setting to implementation and measurable impact. - Innovation, data, and partnerships will be critical to delivering long-term climate and business resilience. - There is growing demand for leadership that combines commercial insight with environmental responsibility. Thank you to our special guest speakers for sharing their expertise and insights: - Her Highness Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Frontier25 - Lindsay Hooper, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) - Wendy Niu, BSI - David Phillips, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies - Saad Alrubaian (Chart. PR, MCIPR) سعد الربيعان, CYLKA Communication & CSR| B Corp™️ - Annika House, Bridgestone Europe - Quentin Drewell, WBCSD – World Business Council for Sustainable Development - Elena Vydrine, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) #Sustainability #Leadership #ClimateAction #Innovation #Collaboration #Cambridge
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At a time when the scale of global challenges is accelerating, this piece is a clear call to action: universities and businesses each hold essential parts of the solution - but only through deeper, more strategic collaboration can we turn insight into real-world impact. At CISL, this is exactly where we focus our work: 🤝Strategic partnerships - working with organisations like CHANEL to embed sustainability capability into decision-making, ensuring long-term transformation, not just short-term commitments 🌿Our work with the A-Track consortium - translating Cambridge insight into commercially relevant outputs, bridging the gap between research and deployment 🚀Convening to scale innovation – through initiatives like Canopy (CISL) and our BSI accelerator, bringing together start-ups, corporates and academia to move solutions from discovery to delivery As Lindsay Hooper highlights in her recent blog for World Economic Forum with Jan Mertens, progress depends on connecting long-term research with near-term action, and creating platforms that enable collaboration across sectors. Read the full blog👉 https://lnkd.in/dPNhhCKu #WEF #WorldEconomicForum
#Universities and #businesses each bring something essential to solving complex global challenges: research depth, talent and long-term thinking on one side; capital, entrepreneurship and scale on the other. This partnership is underperforming – Lindsay Hooper from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) and ENGIE's Jan Mertens discuss here what can help close the gap. That could mean investing in people who can bridge both worlds to translate research into decision-ready insights or in stronger collaboration that could accelerate innovation and turn knowledge into collective progress. https://lnkd.in/dPNhhCKu
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Across Asia, the pace of economic growth, innovation and transition is accelerating, and so are the expectations on business leaders. That’s why we’re convening senior leaders for the Business & Sustainability Programme Asia Seminar, alongside Insignia Ventures Academy, the education arm of Southeast Asia venture capital firm Insignia Ventures Partners, to reflect on one key question: How do you lead effectively in the face of complex, systemic change? Over four days, participants will explore how to: 1️⃣ Navigate market and geopolitical uncertainty as well as competing, and sometimes conflicting, priorities 2️⃣ Translate global trends into strategic decisions, that build resilience today and help create the industries of the future 3️⃣ Build the confidence, leadership capability and influence to act with intent The programme combines Cambridge research with real-world insight, peer learning and candid discussion, creating the space leaders need to think differently and act with intent. All this happens against the backdrop of Singapore, which boasts a rich history of consequential leadership convergence in Asia, and continues to be an important destination for decision-makers in the region If you’re ready to step back and rethink your approach, explore the programme: https://lnkd.in/eMkA_BwV Phil Hazell Cressida Strachan Paulo J Yinglan Tan
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What does “system change” actually mean in practice - and how do we move from ambition to reality? Systemiq Ltd.’s Ground Truth survey is seeking insights from across the transition, tackling real tensions - from economic growth narratives to the trade-offs shaping emerging technologies like AI. ➡️ If you're working in this space, share your perspective and help build a clearer picture of where we are and what comes next: https://lnkd.in/ee2uaFde
❓ Is “system change” actually a useful way of thinking about the work we do? ❓ Can we still make a credible economic growth argument for the transition? And are our organisations being honest about the real costs and trade-offs some people face along the way? At #Systemiq, we created 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 to hear directly from the people working to build stronger, cleaner and fairer economies on these and other questions. 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆: https://lnkd.in/ee2uaFde The survey also explores some of the harder tensions shaping our work. For example: do the potential benefits of AI outweigh the fact that AI data centres are increasing fossil fuel demand – or not? Ground Truth is an attempt to understand what the growing field of people working on these issues actually thinks – and how we can use those insights to accelerate our work. It takes just a few minutes to complete, and findings will be shared during London Climate Action Week. Please tag or share with others working on systems change, sustainability and the transition.
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Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) reposted this
🏁 Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) Africa delivered the 33rd residential Sustainability Practitioner Programme (SPP) in Stellenbosch, South Africa, from 17-21 May 2026, bringing together mid to senior-level professionals from Eastern, Western and Southern Africa. 🌍 Over five immersive days, delegates explored the growing pressures shaping organisations and the leadership required to navigate an increasingly complex sustainability landscape. Through expert-led sessions, syndicate discussions, interactive exercises, and a field visit, they engaged deeply with: ✅ Global systems pressures, trends, and future scenarios ✅ Systems thinking and organisational complexity ✅ Integrating ESG and sustainability into core strategy ✅ Stakeholder expectations and sustainability disclosure ✅ Innovation and reframing how sustainability delivers value ✅ Leading sustainability change within organisations ✅ Personal action planning and leadership reflection 🍇 A highlight of the programme was our field visit to Hartenberg Wine Estate, where delegates explored the estate’s regenerative farming journey and reflected on how sustainability principles can move from strategy into lived operational practice. The visit created space for grounded conversations around stewardship, resilience, biodiversity, and long-term value creation. 💡 The programme also featured sessions including The World in 2035, The Power Game and a fireside reflection on What is Required for leaders and institutions responding to today’s sustainability challenges. As the programme closed, participants left with practical tools, stronger networks and action plans designed to help drive sustainability transformation within their own organisations and spheres of influence. Thank you to our amazing delegates - Beauty Manyara, Simelizwe Ncube, Piyush Dhawan, Alvin Kalideen, Mahendren Manicum, Lebogang Mashiloane, Zanel Kammeyer, Tumisho Grater, Sashen Singh CA(SA) GCB.D, Mary-Anne McNally CA(SA), MCom Accounting, Victor Munialo, Rashmi S., Molefe I. Pule, Ph.D., Baleseng Leeu, Ebere Okonkwo FCIS, Richard Biney, John Wainaina, Suweibatu Adam, Lisl Pullinger - and our faculty, contributors and programme team made up of Richard Calland, Susan Njoroge, Malcolm Gray, Sibusiso Nkomo PhD, Thabani B Mlilo, David Farrell, Nicola Robins, Andrew Millson, KHANYI MLAMBO, Carina Pillay and Jonathan Ntsiful for an amazing learning experience! We look forward to welcoming our next cohort in 2027! #Sustainability #Leadership #ESG #SystemsThinking #RegenerativeAgriculture #SustainableBusiness #CISLAfrica #SPP #ExecutiveEducation #Africa #SustainabilityLeadership
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Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) reposted this
It was an honour to join Her Highness, Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan - an alumna of our Masters in Sustainability Leadership – for a fireside chat last week. It is always a pleasure to hear from alumni about their real world impact, and it was a privilege to have the chance to talk to Her Highness, who has founded and leads multiple high-impact organisations, spanning climate action and gender parity. We discussed the need for effective policy action to enable the scaling of innovative solutions – with examples from the UAE of inclusive, challenge-focused dialogues which resulted in effective state interventions to tackle complex challenges. Her Highness also highlighted the importance of engaging in ways that are culturally relevant, and the power of storytelling – noting that Western models of activism are less effective in the regions in which she works than models of change grounded in history, faith, culture and identity. She reminded us that, in just a few decades, the UAE has reinvented itself, and now has real grounds for confidence that it can reinvent itself again, to thrive in a carbon and resource constrained world. Her Highness spoke warmly of the importance of community - of a peer network to sustain momentum, and to spark new ideas and possibilities. We know that the network is of huge value to many who join Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) programmes, and it was wonderful to see so many alumni, even from the very first year of our Masters programme nearly two decades ago. Thank you to Her Highness and Frontier25 for generously sharing insights, to Robinson College, Cambridge for hosting, and for all those who contributed to the day’s discussions. Beverley Cornaby, Elodie Cameron, Louise Drake, Gillian Secrett, Jennifer Greggs, John MacArthur, Zoë Arden, Shyrose Osman, Brishni Mukhopadhyay, CFA, Nick Ashton, Viola Jardon, Wendy Niu, Martin Sutton FCA FRSA
Her Highness Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President and CEO of Frontier25 and The Climate Tribe, joined Lindsay Hooper, CEO of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, for a fireside chat at Robinson College, Cambridge, University of Cambridge. The conversation explored Her Highness’ leadership journey, the UAE’s connection with its natural environment, and the country’s growing role as a global leader in sustainability solutions. Speaking about meaningful climate leadership, Her Highness highlighted the importance of scaling existing solutions, removing barriers to innovation, and embedding sustainability into organisations beyond checklists. The discussion reflected a clear message: climate leadership belongs in every sector, and progress depends on the people and institutions willing to carry it forward. شاركت سمو الشيخة شمّا بنت سلطان بن خليفة آل نهيان، الرئيس والمدير التنفيذي لفرونتير25 وذا كلايمت ترايب، في حوار في كلية روبنسون بجامعة كامبريدج، إلى جانب ليندسي هوبر، الرئيس التنفيذي لمعهد كامبريدج لقيادة الاستدامة. تناول الحوار مسيرة سموّها القيادية، وعلاقة دولة الإمارات ببيئتها الطبيعية، ودور الدولة المتنامي كقائد عالمي في حلول الاستدامة. وخلال حديثها عن القيادة المناخية الفاعلة، أكدت سموّها أهمية توسيع نطاق الحلول القائمة، وإزالة العوائق أمام الابتكار، وترسيخ الاستدامة داخل المؤسسات بما يتجاوز قوائم الالتزام. وعكس الحوار رسالة واضحة مفادها أن قيادة العمل المناخي لها مكان في كل قطاع، وأن التقدم يعتمد على الأفراد والمؤسسات القادرة على دفعه إلى الأمام.