In the years following the Paris Agreement, corporate net-zero target commitments surged. However, as many companies approach their near-term targets, the spotlight is shifting and a new challenge has emerged: transition planning.
It has become clear that small, incremental changes won’t cut it. Investors, regulators, and stakeholders are scrutinising net-zero targets and demanding more than promises—they want to see real, actionable plans for delivery. This is being backed up by new frameworks like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) which include transition planning as a mandatory part of corporate strategy and non-financial disclosures.
At Simply Sustainable, our Climate and carbon team partners with clients to create clear, actionable Transition plans that move beyond targets and tackle the “how”. We blend deep sector expertise, stakeholder engagement and robust modelling to build tailored transition plans that are science-aligned, realistic and backed up by strong governance structures.
The structured approach to transition planning
Whilst we tailor all our plans to the sector and client, there are some key elements that are always consistent:
Net-zero goals
Comprehensive coverage of scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, with interim milestones to ensure steady progress.
Target alignment
Evidence that the trajectory towards the target aligns with a 1.5-degree scenario.
Decarbonisation levers
Concrete steps for reducing emissions, phasing out carbon-intensive assets, and engaging supply chain partners.
Investment and funding
Clear allocation of financial resources to support decarbonisation efforts and long-term sustainability.
Governance and integration
Defined oversight structures to ensure climate targets remain a strategic priority.
Stakeholder engagement
Collaboration with investors, regulators, and partners to build support, gain buy-in and drive collective action.
Risk management
Identification and mitigation of both physical climate risks (e.g., extreme weather events) and transition risks (e.g., regulatory shifts, market changes).
Our tailored process
At Simply Sustainable, we have developed a six-step process to developing Transition plans:
Baseline carbon footprint and emissions hotspot analysis
This is the first and often most important step, a robust baseline carbon footprint will create the foundations of your transition plan. For more information on our approach to footprinting, please click here.
Supply chain mapping
Developing a visual supply chain map will help you understand which parts of your supply chain to address first and identify stakeholders to engage. We will map out your supply chain on a page, identifying key areas for decarbonisation and identify emissions hotspots based on the scope 3 emissions. This sets the foundation for effective stakeholder engagement.
Stakeholder engagement
Gathering insights, challenges and opportunities from stakeholders is a vital stage in the development of any transition plan. Through surveys and interviews we engage with your customers, suppliers, investors, shareholders and employees. In collaborative workshops with individual areas of the business, we create the foundations of our modelling and, ultimately, the KPIs and targets sitting behind the transition plan.
Understanding levels of ambition and setting targets aligned to the science
Climate science acts as the minimum level of ambition when it comes to setting net-zero targets, ensuring our clients are on 1.5°C trajectory. We work closely with you to understand your stakeholder expectations and internal levels of ambition. Using our sector knowledge, we will model ambitious, yet realistic targets for you. For more information on our approach to setting Science Based targets please click here.
Net-zero pathway modelling
Our approach to net-zero modelling builds on your level of ambition and provides a robust framework for aligning with science-based targets. Our Climate and carbon team will research multiple carbon reduction scenarios considering government and sectoral decarbonisation pathways, as well as internal carbon reduction levers. Following this, we model the impact of these reductions across every area of your business, accounting for business growth, acquisitions or other expected changes to the company.
KPIs and targets
Long-term net-zero targets can feel both daunting and distant. We take your long-term targets and, combined with the outputs of our modelling, break them down into short-term KPIs and targets. These form the basis of the actions sitting within your transition plan and will guide you across the short, medium and long term to meet your net-zero targets.
Once the transition plan is in place, we will guide key stakeholders through the key steps towards implementing the Transition plan, ensuring that the correct governance structures are in place to meet immediate targets/KPIs as developed in prior steps.
At the end of this process, a bespoke Transition plan which provides the framework for achieving net zero emissions across your organisation will be developed. This will ensure that all targets set across your organisation are backed up by meaningful implementation and governance structures. If you would like to understand more about our bespoke six-step process and discuss how we can support your transition to Net Zero, please contact: Henry Unwin, our Head of Climate and carbon
Many companies can set a target to reach net zero but aren’t clear on the actions and steps to achieve it. Developing a transition plan enables a company to determine the steps required to reduce its emissions whilst bringing customers, suppliers and employees on the journey.”Will BournsSenior Consultant
Sustainability can be a complex landscape, we work with your organisation to fully equip your employees and stakeholders with the necessary skills and knowledge so everyone can engage in your strategies.
Given our comprehensive understanding of key sustainability disclosure standards, we will work with you to identify compliance gaps and alignment issues and offer strategies to enhance business performance across various reporting frameworks.
