They identify change that needs to occur within a given system (corporate or policy) and then work in sectoral or cross-sector groups to take practical action towards achieving this change.
The leaders groups and associated collaboratories focus on issues where business is able to have a significant impact on policy and peer behaviour, where collective action is beneficial.
Leaders groups are business-led, focusing on the development of messages for policy makers, condensing knowledge into tools and operating frameworks, supporting the creation of investment vehicles, drawing lessons from case examples, and developing valuation methods. A wide variety of expertise and evidence is drawn upon to support the groups, including Cambridge University research.
Themes and Range
The current leaders groups are managed under three themes: Climate, Natural Capital and Finance.
They include cross-sectoral initiatives such as The Prince of Wales's Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change and the Cambridge Natural Capital Leaders Platform.
Business plays an important enabling role in sectoral groups such as banking, pensions, insurance and professional services.
Forthcoming Groups
New leaders groups are being explored in retail and food manufacture, pharmaceuticals, energy, extractive, ICT and the built environment.
A financial system that values the long term
There is a growing recognition in the finance sector that it has a pivotal role to play in advancing sustainability, and that the risks of not doing so are mounting for both business and reputational reasons.
The challenge for CPSL is to maximise the opportunity of working across the three major finance sectors (investment, banking and insurance) in a way that brings to bear the greatest influence on other sectors and government.
Programmes for 2011–12
Investment: P8
Banking: Banking Environment Initiative
Insurance: ClimateWise