Institute for Sustainability Leadership
Knowledge made purposeful
The Institute for Sustainability Leadership (ISL) is a Center of Excellence that facilitates knowledge exchange, bringing together business leaders, academics, policymakers, and civil society to accelerate the transition toward a more regenerative and sustainable economy. By connecting knowledge with action, the ISL translates cutting-edge research into practical insights, fosters cross-sector collaboration, and supports the development of leaders who take an active role in helping us achieve a more prosperous and equitable society by addressing complex global challenges.
It generates business-relevant knowledge through research projects, case studies, and frameworks, convenes leaders through executive forums, conferences, and workshops, and builds strategic alliances with leading institutions such as the Business Schools for Climate Leadership and the Future of Capitalism initiative.
Sustainability is already changing dominant business models, and IESE recognizes that business schools play a fundamental role in driving this transition.
Challenges such as climate change, poverty, global health, and social inequality are complex and marked by deep uncertainty. Addressing them requires not only technological innovation but also profound institutional transformation across financial, corporate, and public sectors. This involves rethinking strategies, business models, investment practices, policies, and consumer behavior. Ultimately, it calls for a redefinition of the role of business in society—from minimizing harm to actively serving as a force for positive social and environmental impact.
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Research pipeline in sustainable leadership.
People, Work, and Inclusion
Corporate Sustainability and System Change
ESG Policy, Disclosure & Corporate Performance
Circular Operations, Supply Chains & Industrial Decarbonization
Responsible and Impact Investing
Climate & Nature Finance
Cities and Society
Elvira, M. (2025/2026). The Gendered Impact of Job Insecurity on Entrepreneurship: Evidence from Spain.
Elvira, M. (2025/2026). The Long Shadow of Intersectionality? A Longitudinal Perspective on Migrant Women’s Pay Disadvantage.
Elvira, M. (2025/2026). Parental Leave Policy, Firm HR Practices, and Career Outcomes for Men and Women.
Carrera, C. (n.d.). The Impact of Fashion Second-Hand P2P Platforms on Charities’ Financing Opportunities and Secondary Markets.
Carrera, C. (n.d.). The Impact of Geopolitical Disruptions on the Supply Chains of Materials Critical for Clean Energy Technologies.
Carrera, C. (n.d.). Recycling and Product Design as Scarcity Mitigation Strategies for Materials Critical for Clean Energy Technologies.
Rizzi, C., Brahm, F., Li, X., & Teng, N. (n.d.). Early Stage Climate Capital and Climate Impact.
Sáez de Tejada, A. (n.d). Circular Economy in Apparel (Project 1).
Sáez de Tejada, A. (n.d.). Circular Economy in Apparel (Project 2).
Yavuz, M. (n.d.). Influence of Irrelevant Alternatives in Interpretation of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Results.
Yavuz, M. (n.d.). Interactive Preference-Based Optimization with Unknown Value Function: Application to Sustainable Sourcing in the Apparel Supply Chain.
Very, M.-A. (n.d.). Acquiring Sustainability Through M&A.
Bonetti, P., Kadach, I., & Ormazabal, G. (n.d.). Corporate ESG Performance and Reporting: Disclosure Regulation, Fracking, and Water Quality; Climate-Related Disclosure Within Supply Chains.
Bonetti, P. (n.d.). “License-to-Operate”: Methane Emissions Over the Life Cycle of O&G Wells.
Raney, R., Ormazabal, G., & Jacob, M. (n.d.). Do Consumers Have to Pay for ESG? Examines Whether Firms Pass on Supply-Driven ESG Expenses to Consumers.
Pacheco, D. (n.d.). How Entrepreneurs Communicate and Sell Environmental Benefits While Integrating Additional Value Propositions.
Pacheco, D. (n.d.). Corporate Venture Capital in Climate Tech and, More Broadly, on Social Mobilization and How Firms Respond to Pressures from NGOs.
Pacheco, D. (n.d.). Female Entrepreneurs: Exploring Effective Ways to Remove Growth Barriers in Emerging Economies.
Linares, C. (n.d.). How Institutional Distrust Breeds One-Sided Leadership: A Consistency-Based Account.
Linares, C. (n.d.). Beyond General Competence: Revealing Undetected Facial Biases in Evaluations of Individuals’ Creativity.
Boulongne, R., Young-Hyman, T., & Berrone, P. (n.d.). From Tradition to Transformation: Exploring the Shift to Stakeholder-Oriented Ownership.
Boulongne, R., & Lazana, L. (n.d.). Committed to the Cause? Examining Employee Reactions to B Corp Certification.
Boulongne, R., & Lazana, L. (n.d.). The Architecture of Commitment: A Multi-Method Study of Signal Design and Valuation.
Ferraro, F., & Cavicchini, A. (n.d.). The Carbon Footprint of Corporate Purpose.
Ferraro, F., & Castiglia, L. (2026). Benefiting from Culture Wars: The Success of Entrepreneurial Ventures in Contested Issue Domains.
Berrone, P. (n.d.). What Role Do Impact Companies and Responsible Investors Play in Building Social Cohesion and Equity?
Berrone, P. (n.d.). What “Territorial Lab” Models Make It Possible to Scale Academic Impact and Strengthen Community Resilience?
Berrone, P. (n.d.). How Can Companies, Investors, and Local Communities Simultaneously Generate Economic Value and Social Cohesion in Vulnerable Urban Environments?
Shin, J. (n.d.). The Propagation of Environmental Performance Through Supply Chains.
Shin, J. (n.d.). Fuel Prices and Carbon Emissions: The Role of Structured Management Practices.
Boulongne, R., Aguilera, R., Berrone, P., Federo Acosta, R. T., & Zollo, M. (2025). Governing Stakeholders: Authority, Commitment, and the Mechanisms of Stakeholder Governance. Journal of Management.
Boulongne, R., Pacheco, D., & Berrone, P. (2025). Firm Resilience in the Wake of Collective Violence: The Double-Edged Impact of Firm-Community Alignment. Strategic Management Journal.
Suárez, J. L. (n.d.). Reconciliation Between Sustainability and Profitability: The Case of Abadía Retuerta.
Suárez, J. L. (n.d.). The Designing and Implementation of a Nature Credit Market in the Line of the EU Roadmap Towards Nature Credits.
Initiatives nurtured by the ISL.
Vice-presidents and founding members.
Founding members.
Videos.
Outreach.
The Institute for Sustainability Leadership is committed to impacting a broad audience by connecting with industry, other like-minded research initiatives and the public at large to promote sustainable leadership while developing learning and materials for the IESE community, and we’re built to engage. Contact us at ISLiese@iese.edu to get started.
Gatherings with finance, company and community leaders
Collaboration with sustainability research initiatives
Sustainability-focused learning and materials
Leadership team.
Leadership team.
Academic Director
Fabrizio Ferraro
Professor
Strategic Management
Executive Director
Fernanda Accorsi
