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Sustainable Finance & Business Continuing Professional Development
Climate Transition Planning
Climate transition plans reflect the seriousness and professionalism of climate management. Required by regulators and expected by investors, they are becoming a key element of emissions and corporate management.
Registration
- German
- hybrid
- 6 ECTS
- 4 , 900 €
- Next start: 06.09.2027
- 5 Präsenztage, 1 Präsentation (online), Klausur (online)
- Campus Rheingau
Climate transition plans as a sign of forward-looking emissions and corporate management
Through ten half-day content modules and one application module, you will gain a structured overview and in-depth insights into the forward-looking field of sustainable corporate management – a field of great economic and social relevance – with a particular focus on the development and implementation of climate transition plans. You will put what you have learnt into practice straight away and, as a final project, develop your first climate transition plan.
Concept in detail
An area well worth investing in.
The need for companies to draw up climate transition plans is driven by three factors: European regulation (CSRD, CSDDD, etc.), institutional investors’ demand for emissions transparency, and companies’ own efforts to professionalise their corporate governance. The programme covers all three aspects and thus provides substantial, practical know-how that is absolutely essential.
Staying at the cutting edge for 30 years.
For years, EBS University has been unrivalled in its expertise in the fields of sustainable finance and sustainable management. By focusing on specialists and executives, the ‘Climate Transition Planning’ certificate programme takes this expertise to the next level. The programme’s lecturers are all proven experts in the fields of carbon accounting, reporting and management; they are regulatory specialists and actively involved in drawing up transition plans in corporate practice. Their commitment underscores the programme’s unique character.
What we value.
At EBS, we take a practical, implementation-oriented approach and develop leaders with foresight. That is why we place great emphasis on the direct transfer of knowledge. We achieve this, on the one hand, through guided ‘real-life cases’: concrete, practical examples closely tailored to the programme – and, on the other hand, through forward-thinking interaction with one another, with an eye on the world around us. And the best place to start is within your own organisation.
Your Opportunities Going Forward
Graduates of the "Climate Transition Planning" certificate programme are equipped, with the title Climate Transition Planner (EBS), to build and advance a successful career in the new, growing field of sustainable finance - particularly in carbon accounting, green controlling, ESG regulation, and related areas.
11 Modules, Depth of Content and Practical Relevance
The "Climate Transition Planning" certificate programme comprises ten content modules delivered over five days, plus a transfer module featuring an online presentation of your climate transition plan.
Assessment for the certificate programme consists of a 90-minute online examination, together with the development of a climate transition plan as group work, presented online.
Below you will find a detailed overview of the course content.
Module 1: Planetary Boundaries and Sustainable Development
- The relationship between climate and biodiversity
- Ecosystem services as the foundation of all economic activity (climate regulation, carbon sequestration, resource availability, etc.)
- Threats to ecosystem services and tipping points
- Planetary boundaries: current status
- The significance of the Sustainable Development Goals and international agreements
- Aligning "opportunities for ecosystems" with "opportunities for the economy"
- The path forward with climate transition plans
Module 2: Climate Transition Plans as a Strategic and Management Tool
- Definition and characteristics of climate transition plans (core elements, compatibility, sector-specific factors, etc.)
- Regulation and frameworks (overview)
- Key starting points and drafting principles
- Purposes and benefits (compliance, communication, incentive plans, etc.)
- Quality (assurance, impact, etc.)
- Business strategy and climate transition plans
- Responsibilities within organisational structure and processes
Module 3: Carbon Accounting & Reporting
- Introduction to the GHG Protocol (principles, classification into Scopes)
- Fundamentals for calculating direct and indirect GHG emissions under the GHG Protocol
- Analysis of various GHG inventories for better classification of GHG emissions
- Overview of different measurement methods, understanding their advantages and disadvantages, and the corresponding data requirements
- Short case study on calculating GHG emissions
Module 4: CTP Frameworks for Corporates and Banks (I)
- Overview of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
- Introduction to PCAF (Financed Emissions) as a foundational understanding of GHG accounting in the financial industry
- Requirements under the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) and comparison with PCAF
- Understanding the frameworks of the Transition Plan Taskforce and the International Transition Plan Network (ITPN)
Module 5: CTP Regulation for Corporates and Banks (II)
- Understanding climate transition plan reporting under the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) and the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards
- Introduction to the scope and obligations arising from the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) in relation to climate transition plans
- Requirements from the European Central Bank (ECB) and the European supervisory authorities (ESMA, EBA, EIOPA)
Module 6: Carbon Market Instruments Supporting CTPs
- Fundamentals of carbon markets (hierarchy: avoidance, reduction, offsetting / regulated EU Emissions Trading System and voluntary carbon markets)
- Developments in the Voluntary Carbon Market (offsetting, insetting, removal / market development / players and areas of application)
- Quality assessment (quality criteria / double counting / certified standards and labels / EU Carbon Removal Certification Framework, CRCF)
- Carbon credits in corporate strategy (strategic areas of application / marginal abatement cost curve / operational implementation / governance)
- Case studies: analysis and discussion
- Risks and regulatory developments (terminology and regulation / price, transition, greenwashing and project risks)
Module 7: Climate Risk Analysis in the Context of Climate Transition Plans
- Definition, significance and role of climate risk analysis - CTP, ESRS, IFRS
- Relevance and distinctions between climate risks — physical and transition climate risks
- Approaches and tools for measuring climate risk
- Climate scenario analysis as a basis for strategic risk management
- Overview of different emissions pathways
- Deriving climate scenarios from emissions pathways
- Vulnerability analysis to identify weaknesses
- Resilience analysis to develop risk-mitigation strategies
Module 8: Strategic Integration of Climate Transition Plans and Operational Implementation
- Embedding the climate transition plan within business and sustainability strategy
- Target-setting methods / concrete definition of emissions reduction targets - short- and long-term, absolute and relative targets
- The role of offsetting strategies
- Identifying emissions reduction levers and planning measures
- Financial planning for transition measures
- Integration into strategic and operational management - SBSC, CAPEX/OPEX, EU Taxonomy, KPIs
- Integration into sustainability reporting - ESRS, ISSB
- Organisational embedding of the climate transition plan
Module 9: Banks (I): CTPs for Banking Institutions
- CTP relevance to financial system stability / Financial Stability Board
- CTP regulation and supervision for banks (in depth / ECB climate stress test, CSRD, EBA ESG guidelines, CRR)
- CTP frameworks for banks (in depth / TNFD, NZBA/GFANZ, CDP, UK TPT)
- Practical implementation and characteristics of a transition plan for financial institutions
- Using CTPs as a risk management instrument for banks
- Case studies and assessments
Module 10: Banks (II): CTPs in Corporate Lending
- Regulatory developments: the basis for corporate transformation plans
- Transition finance as a tool to support a climate-neutral economy
- Bank requirements for corporate transition plans regarding target-setting, dynamics, value chain inclusion, monitoring and EU Taxonomy relevance
- Climate transition plans in the credit decision process and their impact on lending terms
- Instruments for assessing transformation in line with the Paris climate goals
- Assessing transition plans in credit and capital markets
Transfer Module: Group Presentation and Discussion of Developed Climate Transition Plans
- Developing climate transition plans based on a case study, carried out as group work
- Presentation of the climate transition plans
- Discussion and feedback
The words of our practitioner experts will stay with you long
Academic Director:
Prof. Dr. Rolf Tilmes, EBS Executive School
Programme Director:
Dr. Thomas Schulz, Head of Sustainability Programmes, EBS Executive School
Unsere Lecturers
- Carsten Auel, Director, Sustainable Finance, Deloitte GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft Deutschland, Frankfurt am Main
- Viktoriya Brand, Chief Sustainability Office - Group Sustainability, Deutsche Bank AG, Frankfurt am Main
- Andrea Kämmler-Burrak, Principal, Horváth & Partner GmbH, München
- Dr. Valerie Köcke, Managing Director “Biodiversity in Good Company” Initiative, Head of Unternehmen Biologische Vielfalt - Ubi, Berlin
- Jan-Marten Krebs, Board Member, Sustainable AG, München
- Arved Lüth, Founder and Managing Director, good response GmbH, Frankfurt am Main
- Frank Sibert, Sustainable Advisory & Business Germany - Expert Energy Transition, BNP Paribas S.A., German Branch, Frankfurt am Main
- Dr. Nadine Sterley, Chief Sustainability Officer, GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft, Düsseldorf
- Rebecca Weigl, Deputy Head of Investor Relations, GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft, Düsseldorf
Organised by the Financial Times
The Financial Times has ranked the leading providers of executive education for 2026. EBS Universität's Executive School achieved an outstanding position nationally among open programmes. Among the criteria in which the Executive School particularly excelled were graduate satisfaction, programme design and faculty. The Financial Times Ranking confirms the excellence of the Executive School's programmes and underlines our commitment to enabling successful careers through further education.
What You Ideally Bring With You
The certificate programme is aimed at professionals, executives, heads of department, managing directors and board members from the following areas:
- Real-economy and financial-sector companies
- Strategic and operational corporate management
- Sustainability reporting
- Risk management
- Sustainability management, etc.
- Banks and insurance companies
- Those developing their own climate transition plans
- Lending/insurance divisions: corporate advisers, credit analysts, etc.
- Other financial service providers, e.g. ESG rating agencies
- Local government decision-makers
- Cities/municipalities
- Municipal utility companies
Target Audience & Requirements
- Proof of a completed degree from a university, university of applied sciences or vocational academy
or
- Evidence of suitability through relevant professional experience or further training, preferably in finance and/or sustainability, together with proof of general or subject-restricted higher education entrance qualification
An Investment That Pays Off
The total cost of the "Climate Transition Planning" certificate programme is 4,900 euro, including seminar materials, lunch and refreshments.
For members of BAI, B.A.U.M., CRIC, DAI, DIRK, FNG, ICV and VfU, and for graduates of EBS Executive School programmes, the tuition fee is 4,400 euro.
Examination at the first scheduled sitting is included in the tuition fee, as is the first resit date set by the Examinations Office. A fee of 180 euro applies for each subsequent resit registration.
This service is exempt from VAT pursuant to Section 4 No. 21 a) bb) of the German VAT Act (UStG).
Transition Plan Taskforce
A climate-related transition plan is an aspect of a company's overall strategy that sets out the company's objectives, actions or resources for transitioning to a lower-carbon economy, including measures such as reducing its greenhouse gas emissions.
Good to Know
Format: Hybrid
This certificate programme is delivered in hybrid format. Participation is possible both on campus and via Zoom.
Important Dates and Documents
Start date: 6 September 2027
- Block phase (Mon–Fri): 6–10 September 2027
- Presentations (Thursday, online): 23 September 2027
- Examination (Tuesday morning, online): 28 September 2027
Our Partners
The Bundesverband Alternative Investments e.V. (BAI), founded in Bonn in 1997, represents the interests of the alternative investment sector in Germany across all asset classes and products. Its membership spans every area of the professional alternative investment industry, with 300 national and international companies currently members of the association. The BAI is committed to helping professional investors in Germany diversify their capital more easily and effectively into alternative asset classes, with particular attention to the long-term security of German pension provision. It regards legislative reform and the ongoing development of the law in the interests of its members and their investors as a core part of its mission.
Under the acronym B.A.U.M. , the Bundesdeutscher Arbeitskreis für Umweltbewusstes Management e.V. has, since 1984, successfully and forward-looking-ly brought together economic, environmental and social issues — that is, the principles of sustainability. Today, with around 700 members, B.A.U.M. is an important information and contact network for sustainable business across Europe. B.A.U.M. sees itself as a strong voice for sustainably run companies and as a driver of sustainable development.
The Corporate Responsibility Interface Center (CRIC) e.V. – an association promoting ethics and sustainability in investment, is a non-profit organisation dedicated to giving greater weight to environmental, social and cultural considerations in business and society. To promote ethical, sustainable investment, CRIC engages in dialogue with business, politics and civil society. With more than 130 members across the DACH region, CRIC also works in an interdisciplinary and critically reflective way. Its focus areas include raising awareness of values- and impact-based investing, sustainable investment strategies, particularly engagement, and academic research.
As a strong voice for the capital markets, the Deutsche Aktieninstitut has represented the interests of listed companies and other key capital market participants since 1953. The Deutsches Aktieninstitut also serves as the secretariat of the Government Commission on the German Corporate Governance Code. It advocates for a strong capital market that enables companies to finance themselves effectively and contribute to society's prosperity.
DIRK – Deutscher Investor Relations Verband is the largest European professional association connecting companies and capital markets. We give investor relations (IR) a voice, representing around 90% of listed capital in Germany. As an independent centre of expertise, we help optimise dialogue between issuers, capital providers and relevant intermediaries, setting professional quality standards along the way.
The FNG – Forum Nachhaltige Geldanlagen is the professional association in Germany, Austria and Switzerland representing around 200 members committed to sustainability in the financial sector. Its membership includes banks, insurers, investment companies, asset management firms, wealth managers, rating agencies, financial advisers, academic institutions, NGOs and private individuals.
ICV is the centre of expertise for modern controlling, with its services benefiting controllers, CFOs, CEOs and managers alike. ICV understands controlling as a goal-oriented management process that can only be effective through collaboration between controllers and managers. Economic sustainability is our guiding principle. ICV is there for everyone involved in controlling, bringing together what belongs together but doesn't always come together in everyday practice, and which is stronger when it does.
The Verein für Umweltmanagement und Nachhaltigkeit in Finanzinstituten is a network, founded in 1995, of sustainable finance professionals from around 50 financial institutions across the DACH region (banks, insurers, investment companies and related associations). VfU's central aim is to promote and disseminate "sustainable finance", enabling substantial progress towards sustainable development.
Relevant for you
I will be happy to help you
Prof. Dr. Rolf Tilmes
Programme Director