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Dear Maria,
We are failing to keep pace with the climate and nature crises, and trends continue to head in the wrong direction. Therefore, the importance of this year's UNFCCC climate convention could not be underestimated.
COP29 presented a crucial opportunity to bring together international efforts and to send a clear signal about the scale, speed and funding needed. The fortnight was filled with dramatic moments and results were mixed at best, with developing nations bitterly disappointed by the final finance deal. However, a text on carbon markets was finally agreed and several ambitious NDC figures announced.
The conference also assembled global voices, encouraging collaboration and a push toward competitive sustainability. The CISL delegates convened many high-level events aimed at galvanising strong business leadership, unlocking private sector participation and forging networks.
Next month, we take a look back at 2024, and the progress, setbacks and impact we have seen across the year. And with finance key at COP29, as well as October's Biodiversity COP16, we'll be launching 2025 with a finance-focused campaign - to move commitments into action by shifting global financial flows toward a more sustainable future. |
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CISL experts' immediate reactions to COP29 deal |
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Points of contention at COP29 included the absence of the phrase 'fossil fuels' in the text, a lower than hoped New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG), and a long-awaited deal on carbon markets - the outstanding negotiation from the Paris Agreement. Meanwhile, ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) were announced, notably from the UK. Here, our CISL experts react to what the COP29 final agreement from Baku, Azerbaijan, means and what comes next. |
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Analysing this year's complex and contested COP |
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CISL Chief Systems Change Officer, Eliot Whittington, unpacks the COP29 outcomes - which some describe as an important breakthrough while others call a betrayal of promises - in a year of intense political upheaval with a rise of nationalism. What is certain is that we need to be doing more globally and collaboratively. |
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How can governments unleash the power of the private sector? |
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Net zero is essential to securing long-term market resilience and economic prosperity. The question remains, however: how can the transition be accelerated, and how can we achieve a fair transition that strengthens global stability? In an opinion piece for Reuters, CISL Interim CEO, Lindsay Hooper comments on the potential governments have to unlock the power of markets and the private sector to lead that transition. |
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CISL COP29 events round-up |
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The UK Corporate Leaders Group, Corporate Leaders Network, Centre for Sustainable Finance and the Aviation Impact Accelerator teams were busy at COP29 convening panels, roundtable discussions and contributing to a number of pivotal debates. We take a look at the key takeaways from those events. |
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Why leaders need to understand systemic sustainability |
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We invite you to listen to this 20-minute conversation between Lindsay Hooper, CISL's Interim CEO, and Chandran Nair, Founder and Chairman of GIFT.ed. They explore the shifts needed across markets, businesses and leaders to deliver a new business-as-usual - one where sustainability is rewarded and unsustainable activity becomes commercially unviable. |
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What is sustainability innovation? |
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Fostering innovation for sustainability and profitability must be a key part of the leadership agenda to accelerate economy-wide change. Jie Zhou, Head of International Engagement for CISL's Innovation team, explains how established businesses and startups can pursue sustainability innovation. |
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Postgraduate courses: Applications for 2025 entry to our postgraduate programmes are now open, download the brochure here or find out more below.
Sustainable Business postgraduate programmes:
Sustainable Built Environment postgraduate programmes: Self-paced online learning: Online 8-week short courses:
Online course bundles:
CISL's Business & Sustainability Programme (BSP): Leadership Laboratories: CISL's Sustainability Practitioner Programme (SPP): CISL's Non-Executive Board Director (NED) Programme: |
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| Webinar: What are your next sustainability leadership steps? from 13:00 GMT
Specifically for Postgraduate Certificate in Sustainable Business students or alumni interested in continuing their studies, join Dr Tanja Collavo to find out more about the next stage in your sustainability leadership journey. Register here |
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| Launch of CISL's Competitive Sustainability Index from 13:00 – 14:30 CET
Join us online for the launch of CISL's second Competitive Sustainability Index edition. The Index measures the EU's competitive performance in the context of the transition to a clean, just and competitively sustainable economy. The event will bring together policymakers, business leaders and civil society representatives in a discussion about the need to redefine the EU's competitiveness approach in a rapidly changing global landscape.
Register here |
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| CLG UK Net Zero Parliamentary Business Showcase from 12:30 – 15:30 GMT
House of Commons, Terrace Dining Room A
Sponsored by Julia King, The Baroness Brown of Cambridge. The event, open only to Corporate Leaders Group UK members to attend, aims at demonstrating business commitment, innovative ideas and achievements in delivering net zero and climate adaptation goals. We hope to engage with parliamentarians across all parties to ensure a constructive debate about the practicalities of delivering net zero. |
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| Better business: how can we re-think business models for nature positive outcomes? from 12:00 - 13:00 GMT
Sign up for a webinar exploring our report on business model transformation, launched at the Biodiversity COP16 in Cali, Colombia, last month, as part of our A-Track project. We'll be looking at how businesses can participate in this ongoing project over the next three years through a series of planned workshops, hackathons and pilots, benefitting from the expertise of CISL's innovation, business advisory and policy.
Register here |
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| Meet the Postgraduate Directors webinar from 12:00 - 13:00 GMT
Learn more about our postgraduate offering from the Course Directors of our part-time postgraduate programmes. They will provide an overview of our programmes, outline the admissions process and answer any questions that you have regarding our Sustainable Business and Sustainable Built Environment courses. Register here |
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| Meet the faculty delivering our Leadership Lab - Systems Thinking for Complex Sustainability Challenges from 14:00 GMT
Join us for a webinar introducing the faculty for the two-day residential 'Systems Thinking for Complex Sustainability Challenges' Leadership Lab; the team will talk about the learning objectives, details of what their sessions will cover and what delegates can expect to gain by attending this two-day short course.
Register here |
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| Green Growth Summit 2024: A new cycle for climate and competitiveness – Putting the EU on the road to success
The 2024 Green Growth Summit will address the central role of climate and the Green Deal in increasing EU competitiveness, and how to put the EU on track to achieving the climate objectives towards 2030 and 2040. Find out more |
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A day in the life of a Master's in Sustainability Leadership student |
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Three of CISL's part-time postgraduate students share a day in their life while on their residential weeks in Cambridge. Sonia is a student on stage two of the Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Business, Kristin and Barbora are students on the Master's in Sustainability Leadership programme. |
Read about their experiences here: |
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Why integrate sustainability into all business functions |
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Oliver Dudok van Heel, CISL fellow and course lead for Sustainable Business Foundations, discusses why all functions need to play a role in driving their company's sustainability transformation – starting with the leadership team. |
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| Dr. Ellie Standen, CISL Senior Associate and Postgraduate Supervisor, explains how levies break, dividends divide and it's time to take back the power industry into the public sector. |
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Read news and updates involving our Network members.
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CISL's Network event in Hong Kong
It was wonderful to see so many CISL Network members who attended CISL's Network event in Hong Kong, held in collaboration with the International Chamber of Sustainable Development and the World Green Organisation. |
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University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership,
The Entopia Building, 1 Regent Street, Cambridge, CB2 1GG, UK
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