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Climate transition planning & finance

There is growing international momentum around climate transition plans coming from both the private sector and policymakers, with investors increasingly demanding more detailed disclosures on business strategies for decarbonisation and adaptation to a low-carbon future. Several countries, including the UK, are considering mandatory transition plans.

Transition plans are crucial for achieving net zero as they provide vital information for investors and lenders enabling them to make better decisions about capital allocation, as well as guide companies in adjusting their business models and operations and defend against greenwashing claims. The UK has been proactive in setting best practice standards for these plans, with the Transition Plan Taskforce (TPT) issuing final recommendations and sector-specific guidance. The TPT’s work has attracted significant interest from other jurisdictions, and the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) has since taken over responsibility for the TPT materials to help streamline global transition planning.

The EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD/CS3D) will require companies to develop transition plans aligned with the Paris Agreement's goals which contain time-bound targets for 2030 and five-year increments up to 2050, with annual updates detailing the progress made towards achieving the targets. There is also increasing pressure on the financial sector to develop transition plans, as evidenced by a discussion paper jointly produced by AFME and Linklaters.

Transition planning is also instrumental in enabling transition finance. For example, the UK is conducting a Transition Finance Market Review (TFMR) with the aim of becoming a global leader in transition finance. And as we saw at COP28 in December 2023, there is much more engagement around the delivery of finance to organisations in emerging markets and developing economies to enable them to transition to a lower carbon future. In Asia, there is a drive to accelerate the efforts of financial institutions to direct finance to transition activities, including through the use of taxonomies, taking into account that businesses across various jurisdictions in Asia are at different points of their “climate journey”. The question of how to blend development finance and commercial finance (blended finance) will continue to be a key focus for markets in the Global South.

Featured content

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TFMR provides blueprint for unlocking transition finance in the UK and globally

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Latest developments on transition plans

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Climate transition plans: Current and emerging frameworks for the European financial services sector

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‘Nimble and pragmatic regime” needed to unlock transition finance

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Charting the Course: Facilitating finance for the transition to a sustainable economy

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Webinar: How to produce accurate and robust climate transition plans

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Video: How to use the new UK TPT guidance to get started on climate transition planning

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UK TPT publishes final recommendations on credible and robust climate transition plans

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Plants

UK TPT publishes final version of sector-specific guidance on climate transition plan disclosures, including for the financial sector

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Transition Finance Market Review launches call for evidence to explore how the UK can become a global hub for transition finance

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EU Commission publishes sustainable finance package including Taxonomy Delegated Acts and FAQ

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ESG — Impact on Capital Raising of Uncertainty

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Singapore

Singapore's proposed guidelines on transition planning for financial institutions

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The Monetary Authority of Singapore publishes the Singapore-Asia Taxonomy

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How Linklaters can help

  • Supporting on the development and disclosure of transition plans, including reviewing for alignment with existing and emerging legal requirements as well as transition planning-related guidance and frameworks
  • Legal review of transition plan disclosures to mitigate potential litigation and greenwashing risks, including ensuring disclosures are balanced and include a clear articulation of challenges and dependencies and appropriate use of disclaimers

  • Advising on the effectiveness of transition strategies and governance frameworks to effect transition
  • Advising on legal and other risks associated with setting, disclosing and delivering against climate targets as well as how to mitigate these
  • Advising on strategies to maximise opportunities offered by the energy transition and advising on transactions involving traditional, transitioning, and renewable technologies and systems

  • Advising on various sustainable financing options, such as green and sustainability-linked bonds, loans, derivatives and other products
  • Providing legal guidance on structuring project finance for renewable energy projects, including in relation to environmental and sustainability laws and soft law standards
  • Guiding clients through the complexities of mandatory and voluntary carbon markets

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