Morning, Tuesday, 9th December 2025
Online
This conference will examine next steps for transition finance policy and regulation in the UK. It will be an opportunity to discuss priorities for supporting growth in the transition finance market, guidance needed for transitioning entities and capital providers, and practical implementation routes of transition plans.
Bringing stakeholders and policymakers together, the agenda looks at strategies for developing a robust transition finance market - with the UK’s sustainable finance market identified as a priority growth subsector in the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy. Following the DESNZ consultation on transition plans, and with the Transition Finance Council considering stakeholder responses to its Transition Finance Guidelines, delegates will assess the way forward for strengthening market frameworks and assurance mechanisms, aligning with international frameworks, and areas where regulatory clarity might be needed to enable development of the transition finance market to support wider economic, industrial, and net zero objectives.
Policy direction
Sessions will consider next steps for supporting market growth. Areas for discussion include pension reform and unlocking defined contribution investment in transition assets, as well as implications for market clarity of the Government’s decision not to proceed with a UK green taxonomy. Attendees will assess the coordination needed between government, regulators and the TFC to ease the burden on entities, considering the development of UK Sustainability Reporting Standards, the Transition Plan Taskforce disclosure framework, and evolving sustainability assurance regime.
Transition finance guidelines
There will be discussion on Transition Finance Guidelines at entity-level and supporting confidence for capital providers, including tackling concerns around establishing thresholds and criteria for assessing the credibility of transition strategies - particularly for hard-to-abate sectors. Differentiating between credible transition, greenwashing, and green asset investing will be a focus, as well as how guidelines might work across asset classes, deal structures, and financing instruments.
Approaches to building credible sector-specific pathways will be discussed in the context of the TFC’s recently published Finance Playbook in September 2025. Stakeholders will consider practicalities for standardisation, how investment needs and financing mechanisms might be mapped, and best practice for identifying key risks.
Transition plans
With DESNZ considering responses to its consultation on implementation routes, attendees will assess the future policy direction in relation to developing and disclosing transition plan-related information. They will consider how to address risk of duplication alongside existing reporting requirements and concerns around increased compliance burden on smaller entities, alongside clarity needed for listed companies - with the FCA intending to consult on strengthening its transition plan expectations.
Market signals & investor confidence
Further discussion will focus on how recent developments are influencing capital flows into decarbonisation, looking at the strength and clarity of metrics and transition signals being sent to the market. Delegates will assess implications for investor confidence, the consistency and comparability of disclosure and reporting frameworks, as well as next steps for market testing and innovation - particularly in light of the Government’s decision not to proceed with a standalone Transition Finance Lab.
Overview of areas for discussion
- market growth: next steps for the TFC - impact of the UK’s Trade Strategy on the export of sustainable finance services
- Industrial Strategy: investment pathways for IS-8 subsectors - public-private financing through the National Wealth Fund and British Business Bank
- investment mobilisation: tools such as guarantees and blended finance models - how government can support underinvested sectors
- legal risk and accountability: expectations on boards and assurance providers - governance implications for market confidence
- business responsibilities: implications for different scales and varying sectors, including SMEs and those within complex or high-emission value chains - guidance and transitional support
- assurance market: priorities for assurance providers in supporting trust and accountability - impact of changing regulatory expectations on business planning, compliance costs, and issuer-investor relationships
- international: UK credibility in meeting COP29 transition finance goals - supporting transitions in lower-income countries - supporting alignment with infrastructure development, trade and export
- wider impact: investment patterns at sector and regional level - place-based Industrial Strategy ambitions - forthcoming Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Department for Business and Trade; HM Treasury; and The Scottish Government.
