Courses

Masterclass in Transition Finance

In brief

Details

Dates8 - 22 May 2025
Durationx3 sessions of 90 minutes
LocationOnline
FeesFree
Contactp3sa@smithschool.ox.ac.uk

Overview

To deliver the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the UN SDGs, it is necessary that finance and financial services be provided to support, enable, and encourage companies, countries, and individuals to transition toward those objectives. Transition finance is the overarching framework for enabling finance for this transition. Given the crucial role of the public sector in providing the enabling environment for this transition, the Masterclass will provide public servants and third sector representatives with a foundational understanding of transition finance. The Masterclass will provide participants with an understanding of key concepts, new asset classes, market insights, and topics to effectively navigate developments throughout this emerging field and discover and mobilise levers of change.

Dates:

  • Session one, Foundations of Climate Transition Finance - Thursday 8 May- 16.00 – 17.30
  • Session two, Scaling Transition Finance for Impact - Thursday  15 May - 12.00-13.30
  • Session three, Panel Discussion – Expert Perspectives on Transition Finance - Thursday 22 May - 12.00-13.30

Objectives

By the end of this Masterclass participants will be able to:

  • Understand the strategic role of financial institutions in scaling climate transition finance.
  • Learn about the instruments, metrics, and tools financial institutions deploy to foster a credible transition.
  • Gain insights into the regulatory landscape shaping the involvement of financial institutions in transition finance.
  • Analyse real-world challenges and innovative solutions from financial institutions driving the transition to a low-carbon economy.

 

Masterclass syllabus

Session one

This session will provide a comprehensive understanding of the principles, scope, and importance of transition finance, setting the stage for more detailed discussions in Session 2.

Focus Areas:

  • Introduction to Transition Finance
    • Definitions and goals
    • Scope and credibility
    • Principles and taxonomies
  • Sustainability-linked Finance/Instruments
    • Asset classes
    • Principles and frameworks
    • Examples: Transition bonds and SLBs
  • Transition Plans: Disclosure and Credibility
    • Need for regulation
    • Transition Plan Taskforce
    • Preparation and assessment

Session two

This session will explore the instruments, mechanisms, and policies that enable scaling transition finance, focusing on practical applications and regional/national strategies.

Focus Areas:

  • Sector-Specific Pathways:
    • Decarbonisation strategies for energy, steel, and cement sectors and the role of financial institutions in financing these transitions​.
    • How sectoral decarbonization pathways guide financial decisions​
    • Challenges in designing credible transition plans for these sectors​
  • Instruments and Mechanisms:
    • Market landscape of transition bonds, sustainability-linked bonds, and blended finance​.
    • Examples of successful use cases in developed and emerging markets.
  • Policy Archetypes Driving Transition Finance:
    • Industrial Policies: Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), REPowerEU, Japan’s Transition Finance Framework​.
    • Taxonomies: European Union and ASEAN taxonomies, their structure and relevance​.
  • Barriers to Scaling Transition Finance
    • Climate transition finance metrics.
    • Policy inconsistencies, lack of private sector engagement, and limitations in emerging markets
  • Business Case Study:
    • Analysing the scaling of advanced transition technologies and the integration of financial instruments and policy incentives to support sector-wide decarbonsation.

Session three

This panel session with industry experts will explore:

The Role of Financial Institutions:

  • Driving innovation in climate finance products and scaling impact​.
  • Balancing risk and return in funding hard-to-abate sectors​.

Global and Regional Challenges:

  • Financial institutions' role in addressing financing gaps in emerging markets and developing economies

Credibility and Integrity:

  • How financial institutions can combat greenwashing and ensure robust transition planning​.

Future Directions:

  • Emerging financial instruments and regulatory trends shaping the next decade of transition finance​.

 

Application form – collection notice

Information collected in the Application Form above will only be used for the purpose of evaluating your application to the Masterclass in Transition Finance at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment (SSEE), School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE), University of Oxford, and will not be made available to third-parties. Information provided will only be kept for as long as is necessary to fulfil this purpose. Information is handled, stored and disposed of in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998. By supplying this information you are consenting to the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, SoGE holding and using it for the purposes for which it was provided. For more information, please see the SoGE's Privacy Policy.

In brief

Details

Dates8 - 22 May 2025
Durationx3 sessions of 90 minutes
LocationOnline
FeesFree
Contactp3sa@smithschool.ox.ac.uk