Making Climate Finance Work

In recent years, the challenge of mobilising and directing capital towards climate action has moved to the forefront of global debate.

Although public investment remains key to sparking new financial tools, the focus is shifting to the private sector’s role in scaling and speeding up the transition.

Yet critical questions remain: who should shoulder the risks, and who should design and deliver effective incentives?

How can governance frameworks, regulatory systems, and corporate decision-making ensure that climate finance not only drives meaningful action but also remains fair, transparent, and aligned with long-term sustainability goals?

Two Cambridge partners are launching a new open access journal that will feature articles by academics and expert practitioners on corporate climate governance.

The Cambridge Forum on Corporate Climate Governance will connect interdisciplinary insights with practical perspectives, bridging academia, policy, and practice.

The publication will publish an issue next year on ‘Making Climate Finance Work – Insights from Ethics, Economics and Law’.

The journal will be published by Cambridge University Press with the Centre for Climate Engagement at Hughes Hall. It will advance understanding and solutions in climate finance and governance.

Research focus

Cambridge Forum on Corporate Climate Governance will take a themed-issue approach, with future issues covering material topics including Global Trade, Nature & Biodiversity, Human Rights, Family-Owned Businesses, European Regulation and its Global Impacts, New Business Models and Cognitive Diversity in the Boardroom.

The journal is helmed by experts in the field of climate governance from leading institutions around the world: Penn Carey Law; University of Pennsylvania; the Centre for Climate Engagement at Hughes Hall; The American University in Cairo, Egypt, Corporate Responsibility Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School, and the Centre for Commercial Law in Asia, Singapore Management University, Singapore.

In the issue, ‘Making Climate Finance Work’, the conversation pivots to the dynamics of finance: how public and private sources can interact, how risks are allocated, and how governance structures can align incentives with climate goals. The journal invites authors to reflect through lenses of ethics, economics, and law. The guest editors for this issue work at the University of Groningen and the University of Illinois.

Key results 

·       The journal was announced in January 2025, and the first call for abstracts in March attracted a wide range of submissions from around the world.

·       In July, a call for abstracts for the finance issue encouraged submissions especially from under-represented regions — Africa, South America, Southeast Asia. 

·       CCE held a discussion event to celebrate the launch of the journal in June 2025, exploring corporate governance and climate action with Singapore Management University, the Centre for Climate Engagement, and Cambridge University Press.

·       The November 2025 launch will bring together Editors-in-Chief, academics, and industry leaders to discuss the changing landscape of corporate climate governance and boardroom priorities.

·       A workshop is planned in January 2026 to further interdisciplinary synthesis among authors before final submission.

Challenges, Next Steps, and Impact

Launching a new academic journal is never without challenges. One key hurdle is generating high-quality submissions early, especially from underrepresented researchers or geographies.

Next steps include disseminating the call widely, mentoring potential authors, cultivating a strong peer review process, and running the planned workshop to enhance cross-disciplinary coherence.

"The launch of Cambridge Forum on Corporate Climate Governance marks a pivotal step forward in addressing one of the most pressing issues facing corporate boards today," said Dr Eldrid Herrington, Editor-in-Chief and Head of Academic Engagement, CCE.

"As businesses worldwide navigate the complex transition to a net zero economy, the need for clear, actionable insights has never been greater. Our publication will bridge the gap between academic research and practical application, offering high-level analyses that resonate with board directors, legal experts and practitioners alike.”