Real estate sits at the centre of the climate transition — a major emissions contributor, a cornerstone of economic life, and an asset class with uniquely long time horizons. Yet the transition planning frameworks available to the sector had been designed elsewhere and retrofitted. They addressed disclosure. They didn't address the hard operational reality of actually transforming a physical asset portfolio.

BRAE convened and led a coalition to fix that. We brought together NGOs including IIGCC, the Green Finance Institute, GREEN, ShareAction and the Institute for Human Rights and Business, alongside industry bodies including AREF, Better Buildings Partnership, EPRA, INREV and ULI Europe, and real economy actors including institutional investors, investment managers, real estate companies, law firms and ratings agencies.

Building on the Transition Plan Taskforce Disclosure Framework, we developed practical guidance helping CEOs and boards lead credible transition planning processes - covering governance, strategy, risk management, metrics and targets. We also developed a draft accountability framework for assessors, creating coherence between ambition, disclosure, and scrutiny.

The process was structured around a core principle of genuine co-creation, not managed consultation. That meant enabling structured disagreement, not smoothing it away. The process is slower, but produces something innately more legitimate, and therefore more likely to be used.

THE WORK DIDN’T STOP THERE___

The guidance launched in early 2026 and is currently being refined through sector consultation, with finalisation expected mid-2026. Progressive organisations are already using it.

You can download the guidance here.
Find out more about how to contribute to the consultation here.