National Treasury invited the public on 22 October to comment on a consultation paper that proposes a Climate Transition Planning and Disclosure Framework for South African financial institutions. Written comments close on 10 December 2026.

According to the Treasury statement, the framework would guide financial institutions as they build and use transition plans. Treasury wants it to follow international good practice but to fit South Africa’s own priorities and sectors.

Treasury put the country’s investment needs for climate mitigation, adaptation and a just transition at an average of 4.4% of gross domestic product a year through to 2050. It said banks and investors have a part in steering finance towards that transition. Treasury tabled the medium-term budget this week; see our MTBPS report.

The statement also said that lenders and investors depend on information from companies in the wider economy when they judge climate risks and weigh investments. Treasury said planning inside financial firms therefore has to be backed by credible transition plans from the companies they finance.

What the paper covers

The consultation paper has three parts:

  • Foundations: why transition plans matter for managing climate risk, with the international frameworks and emerging practice.
  • The South African context: how exposed the financial system is to climate risk, and how ready the sector is to plan.
  • Proposals: a national framework for financial sector plans, with design principles, features and the conditions it needs.

Treasury said a workable setting would need consistent policy, incentives across the economy, standard and accessible data, and guidance in proportion to each institution’s size.

Who is asked to respond

Treasury is asking for views from financial institutions, companies, industry associations, regulators, policymakers, civil society and academics. It wants input on the proposed direction and on how the framework is designed. Replies should be specific, and should speak to design, implementation, proportionality and what credible planning needs. Treasury said the process is also meant to link institutional strategy, financial decisions and national development goals, and to keep the framework proportionate, and to make transition planning and disclosure more consistent across the sector.

Submissions go to Vukile Davidson at transitionplanning@treasury.gov.za. The statement does not say when Treasury will publish a final framework or whether any part of it will become a binding rule.

The comment period runs for seven weeks, from 22 October to 10 December 2026. The statement gives no later date for the next step. Comments close on 10 December 2026. For other Treasury and Reserve Bank rule-making in progress, see our story on the Reserve Bank’s payments notice for non-banks, which also has a published timeline.