About Us

The Climate Governance Initiative empowers board directors on every continent to take climate action by enhancing their knowledge and skills in climate governance. Our rapidly-growing network of Chapters in over 70 countries worldwide reaches more than 100,000 board directors. We are hosted by the Centre for Climate Engagement at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge.

We are the Climate Governance Initiative

Our Mission, Vision & Values

Our mission is to mobilise boards to accelerate the transition to net zero and build climate resilience.

Our vision is that a critical mass of boards proactively govern their organisations to ensure they fully contribute to resolving the global climate challenge.

Our values underpin everything we do. We are impact focused, collaborative and entrepreneurial in spirit.

Impact focused – We are highly motivated to make a difference through effective climate governance, using impact as a lens for our decision making.

Collaborative – We work with others who share our goals to achieve our mission, valuing the importance of collaboration over competition.

Entrepreneurial – We are fast acting, creative and learn from our actions and those of others.

All Chapters have signed up to our Charter, and commit to upholding the values of the Climate Governance Initiative.

Our Ambition 2025

We see the next years as critical in our response to the global challenge posed by climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report 2021 signals a ‘code red’ for humanity and emissions globally need to be halved by 2030 to ensure the average temperature rise does not exceed 1.5 degrees by 2050. 

The business community must act now to move from pledges to action, yet lacks the tools, skills and expertise to do so effectively, to create climate-related opportunities and respond to risks. Boards are uniquely placed to drive this change, asking the right questions and providing robust challenge for the long-term resilience of the companies they oversee.

Our ambition is for boards to be transformed through implementation of the World Economic Forum Principles for Effective Climate Governance. 

This will be evidenced by an increase in board director engagement with activities across the Climate Governance Initiative, the progress of companies over the next three years and an overall increase in the number of companies with transition plans compatible with a 1.5 degrees scenario. The Chapters of the Climate Governance Initiative have an instrumental role to play for this Ambition to be realised, with the support of the Governing Board and Secretariat.