Depend on it: why external enablers are now core board business

This note, developed with Chapter Zero, provides considerations and questions for non-executive directors (NEDs) as they work with fellow board members to set strategic ambition for transition plans and provide oversight for their operational delivery.

Directors are under pressure to show credible net‑zero strategies, yet many plans depend on external conditions that are not keeping pace—such as supportive policy, ready technology, reliable infrastructure, and access to skills and capital. These transition plan dependencies determine whether a company can realistically deliver on its climate commitments and protect long‑term value.

Understanding these dependencies is now core to good governance. In September 2025, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and Oxford Sustainable Finance Group published a practical guide on transition plan dependencies for companies. This note builds on that guidance. It helps boards set achievable ambition, avoid credibility and litigation risks, and steer strategy in a turbulent environment. It also highlights where companies must advocate for the policy and market shifts required to make their transition plans possible.