Sector Transition Plans: The Finance Playbook

Sector Transition Plans: The Finance Playbook, developed by the Transition Finance Council, provides a practical framework for embedding finance into sector transition plans and technology scale-up roadmaps. Many sectors face significant barriers in securing the capital required to reduce emissions and transform operations. This Playbook sets out how businesses, finance, and government can work together to close the “finance gap” and accelerate the transition. 

The Playbook has three core objectives:  

• Create an enabling environment for transition finance 
• Support the raising and deployment of transition finance from diverse sources 
• Inform national policymaking, business transition planning, and financing decisions.  

We are at a pivotal moment. Transition plans are being developed at pace, by businesses, sectors, and governments. Yet without a credible financial component, these plans risk falling short. This Playbook sets out a framework for ensuring that finance is not an afterthought, but a core element of sector transition plans, technology scale-up roadmaps, and policy design. 

The Rt Hon Chris Skidmore OBE, Chair of the Transition Finance Council’s Pathways, Policies, and Governance working group 

What the Playbook offers 

• A sector-agnostic framework for creating credible, financeable sector transition plans. 
• Guidance on co-creation processes, ensuring collaboration between businesses, finance, and government. 
• Practical steps for designing finance plans that identify financing needs, dependencies, risks and opportunities across sectors and value chains. 
• Insights from a literature review, industry roundtables, and a Call for Evidence. 
• Alignment with complementary work including the Net Zero Council sector planning guidance (October 2025), Transition Plan Taskforce Disclosure Framework, Transition Finance Market Review, and Transition Finance Guidelines. 

Who should use the Playbook? 

• Businesses: to shape credible roadmaps, map financing requirements, and attract investment. 
• Financial institutions: to identify and assess opportunities, inform capital allocation, and advocate for enabling policies. 
• Government: to provide strategic oversight, embed finance into transition planning, and ensure coherence across policy frameworks. 

Collaboration with the Net Zero Council:

The Playbook is designed to inform and complement the Net Zero Council’s forthcoming Sector Transition Plan Guidance (October 2025), ensuring alignment and integration where appropriate.

The Transition Finance Council and Net Zero Council have distinct but complementary roles, guided by a joint statement of collaboration. Both Councils are committed to working together on sector transition plans, ensuring their efforts are aligned and mutually reinforcing.

Download the statement of collaboration.