Comprendre les mécanismes favorisant la transition au sein des taxonomies

The report identifies six key mechanisms that taxonomies use to manage the transition of high-emission activities: periodic review of evolving criteria, forward-looking criteria, gradation, specific measures, sunset dates/phase-out guidelines, and transition plan requirements. It analyzes these mechanisms across different taxonomy archetypes—binary, 'traffic light', mixed, and standalone—and provides case studies from the EU, Australia, Singapore, Rwanda, and China to demonstrate their practical application. The document emphasizes that while no single mechanism is inherently superior, their credibility depends on robust governance, science-based pathways, and the avoidance of carbon lock-in.

• The report identifies six 'Taxonomy Transition Mechanisms' used to recognize and facilitate a credible transition of an activity over time: evolving criteria reviews, forward-looking criteria, gradation, measures, sunset dates or phase-out guidelines, and transition plan requirements.
• Taxonomies generally follow four design archetypes: binary (aligned or not), 'traffic light' (green, amber, red), mixed (combining binary and transition measures), and standalone (focused specifically on rapid decarbonization).
• The EU taxonomy defines transition activities as those for which there are no 'alternatives à faibles émissions de carbone, techniquement et économiquement réalisables'. These activities are considered to contribute substantially to climate mitigation if emissions are significantly below the industry average and they do not lock in assets incompatible with climate neutrality.
• The Australian taxonomy focuses on high-emission activities that play a 'rôle stable ou croissant à long terme' in the transition according to Paris-aligned scenarios, utilizing a decision tree to determine eligibility for 'green' or 'transition' labels.
• Singapore's 'traffic light' taxonomy introduces 'amber measures'—building blocks of transition such as specific technologies or processes—that allow for the recognition of partial improvements even if the overall activity is not yet fully aligned with a green pathway.
• Gradation mechanisms, which provide multiple levels of ambition, carry a high risk of 'éco-blanchiment' (greenwashing) and may delay decarbonization if they are not combined with clear sunset dates to prevent activities from remaining in 'transition' indefinitely.
• The use of 'measures' (whitelists of eligible technologies) is particularly useful for SMEs or sectors with limited data, but it risks 'verrouillage' (lock-in) of inadequate practices if the lists are not updated regularly to reflect technological advances.
• Transition plan requirements increase the credibility of a taxonomy by ensuring that individual investments are part of a 'stratégie claire et crédible' for reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the entity level, rather than being isolated actions.
• China's 2025 Green Finance Project Catalogue uses a binary approach and incorporates elements of transition activities based on the 2024 NDRC Guidance Catalogue for the Green and Low-Carbon Transition Industry.

APA

Boulle, B., & Rolla, I. P. (n.d.). Comprendre les mécanismes favorisant la transition au sein des taxonomies. Climate Bonds Initiative. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/FR_Transitions-in-Taxonomies.pdf

Chicago

Boulle, Bridget, and Isabella Piuzana Rolla. Comprendre les mécanismes favorisant la transition au sein des taxonomies. Climate Bonds Initiative, n.d. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/FR_Transitions-in-Taxonomies.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Boulle |first1=Bridget |last2=Rolla |first2=Isabella Piuzana |title=Comprendre les mécanismes favorisant la transition au sein des taxonomies |publisher=Climate Bonds Initiative |url=https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/FR_Transitions-in-Taxonomies.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{boullendcomprendre, author = {Boulle, Bridget and Rolla, Isabella Piuzana}, title = {{Comprendre les mécanismes favorisant la transition au sein des taxonomies}}, institution = {Climate Bonds Initiative}, url = {https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/FR_Transitions-in-Taxonomies.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }