Climate Scenario Analysis Guide

Master forward-looking climate risk assessment and transition planning for UK SRS S2 compliance.

TCFD-Aligned & UK SRS S2 Ready

What is Climate Scenario Analysis?

Climate scenario analysis is a forward-looking process that explores how your business might be affected under different climate futures. Required by UK SRS S2, it helps organisations understand potential climate risks and opportunities over different time horizons.

Why It's Required

  • UK SRS S2 mandatory requirement
  • TCFD pillar 2 (Strategy) compliance
  • Enhanced risk management
  • Strategic decision-making support

Key Benefits

  • Identify climate risks and opportunities
  • Test strategy resilience
  • Improve capital allocation
  • Enhance stakeholder confidence

UK SRS S2 Requirements

Under UK SRS S2, organisations must conduct scenario analysis that is:

  • • Appropriate to their circumstances
  • • Based on reasonable and supportable assumptions
  • • Covers relevant time horizons
  • • Includes physical and transition risks
  • • Uses climate-related scenarios
  • • Considers different warming pathways
  • • Evaluates strategic and financial impacts
  • • Updates regularly as conditions change

Climate Scenario Categories

Physical Risk Scenarios

Explore how changing physical climate conditions could impact your operations, supply chains, and markets.

Acute Physical Risks

  • • Extreme weather events (storms, floods, heatwaves)
  • • Supply chain disruptions
  • • Infrastructure damage
  • • Business interruption costs

Chronic Physical Risks

  • • Rising temperatures and sea levels
  • • Changing precipitation patterns
  • • Ecosystem and biodiversity changes
  • • Long-term operational impacts
Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs)

Transition Risk Scenarios

Assess how the transition to a low-carbon economy could affect your business model and competitive position.

Policy & Regulatory

  • • Carbon pricing and taxation
  • • Net zero regulations
  • • Disclosure requirements
  • • Sector-specific mandates

Technology & Markets

  • • Clean technology adoption
  • • Changing consumer preferences
  • • Stranded assets
  • • Competitive dynamics
Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs)

Scenario Analysis Implementation Framework

1

Define Scenarios & Time Horizons

Select appropriate climate scenarios that align with your business context and UK SRS S2 requirements.

Recommended Scenarios for UK Organisations

Orderly Transition

1.5°C pathway with early, smooth policy action

Disorderly Transition

Late, abrupt policy changes causing disruption

Hot House World

3°C+ warming with limited climate action

2

Identify & Assess Climate Risks

Map how different climate scenarios could affect your business across operational, strategic, and financial dimensions.

Risk Categories
  • • Physical asset exposure
  • • Supply chain vulnerabilities
  • • Regulatory compliance costs
  • • Market demand shifts
  • • Technology obsolescence
Impact Assessment
  • • Probability and magnitude
  • • Time horizon analysis
  • • Financial quantification
  • • Interconnection mapping
  • • Cascading effect analysis
3

Evaluate Strategic Options

Test the resilience of your current strategy and explore adaptation and mitigation options under different scenarios.

Adaptation Strategies
  • Infrastructure hardening
  • Supply chain diversification
  • Geographic rebalancing
  • Insurance and hedging
Mitigation Strategies
  • Decarbonisation investments
  • Low-carbon technology adoption
  • Business model innovation
  • Portfolio reallocation
4

Quantify Financial Impacts

Translate climate risks and opportunities into financial metrics that inform strategic planning and risk management.

Revenue Impact

Market demand changes, pricing effects

Cost Impact

Operational costs, adaptation investments

Asset Impact

Impairment, stranded assets, valuations

UK Climate Risk Scenarios

Physical Climate Risks for UK

Temperature Rise

+2-4°C by 2080s, increased heatwave frequency

Precipitation

Wetter winters, drier summers, extreme events

Sea Level Rise

30-70cm rise by 2080s, coastal flooding

Extreme Weather

More frequent storms, floods, droughts

UK Transition Scenarios

Net Zero by 2050

  • • Carbon budgets and interim targets
  • • Sectoral decarbonisation pathways
  • • Carbon pricing mechanisms
  • • Green finance requirements

Delayed Action

  • • More aggressive later policies
  • • Higher carbon prices post-2030
  • • Stranded asset risks
  • • Market volatility

Policy Failure

  • • Insufficient climate action
  • • Competitive disadvantage
  • • International trade barriers
  • • Reputation and litigation risks

Getting Started with Scenario Analysis

Our Scenario Analysis Services

Assessment & Planning

  • Climate risk materiality assessment
  • Scenario selection and customisation
  • Impact pathway mapping
  • Financial quantification frameworks

Implementation & Reporting

  • UK SRS S2 compliant reporting
  • Executive workshop facilitation
  • Board presentation materials
  • Annual update and monitoring

Ready to Start Your Climate Scenario Analysis?

Our climate risk specialists can guide you through the entire process, from initial scoping to UK SRS S2 compliant reporting.

Future-Proof Your Business Strategy

Master climate scenario analysis and meet UK SRS S2 requirements with confidence.