The Climate-Integrated Enterprise
Richard Clissold-Vasey
Strategic Advisor on climate-integrated business performance.
I work with strategy leaders to identify where climate and resource pressures could weaken the business plan before they become performance problems. Together, we establish which areas of exposure are real and material, uncover why they have not been addressed, and define the changes needed in planning, investment and governance.
The issue is not simply climate risk. It is whether the assumptions behind growth, margin, investment and resilience still hold, and whether the business is equipped to respond.
Over 30 years working in strategy execution and transformation, I have seen plans falter when their assumptions no longer match reality. Climate and resource pressures are widening that gap. I now spend my time helping leaders bring these realities into the decisions that shape the business.
Why business plans develop hidden weaknesses
The assumptions behind the plan are changing
The assumptions behind the plan are changing. Energy, carbon cost, water, supply reliability, regulation and customer expectations are now business variables that can affect margin, resilience, investment returns and competitiveness.
Many plans have not caught up
Many plans have not caught up. These pressures are often understood somewhere in the organisation, but not translated into the business plan, capital allocation, portfolio choices or operating decisions early enough to matter.
Weak assumptions become performance problems
Weak assumptions become performance problems. When material variables are missed or underweighted, investment can be mispriced, trade-offs are resolved too late and opportunities to move earlier than competitors can be lost.
Energy and carbon costs, water availability, supply reliability, regulation and customer expectations are changing. A business plan that assumes yesterday’s conditions will continue can overstate margins, promise growth the business cannot deliver, or commit capital to investments that earn less than expected. Responding late can also leave competitors better placed to meet new customer needs.
Which parts of your business plan depend on conditions that are changing?
Your margin forecast may assume that higher energy and material costs can be passed on without losing sales. Your growth plan may depend on suppliers delivering more, just as water shortages or extreme weather constrain their production. A new facility may meet today’s investment criteria but face higher operating costs, unreliable water supplies or additional regulatory requirements during its working life.
These pressures can affect several parts of the plan at once: a supply disruption can reduce sales, increase costs and delay the returns expected from an investment.
Procurement, Operations or Sustainability may already see the warning signs. Before the next board discussion, have those signals changed the forecast, the investment case or the actions agreed by the people accountable for delivery?
48% within two years
In CDP’s 2026 analysis, companies expected 48% of their reported extreme-weather risks to materialise within two years. This puts many of these risks inside the current planning cycle.
Source: CDP, 12 May 2026. Company-reported risk expectations, not a forecast for every business.
What Needs to Change
Climate integration requires practical changes to how strategy is developed, investment is assessed, governance works and delivery is managed. The work is to identify where climate and resource pressures are not entering core decisions, then adjust the planning processes, governance forums and delivery routines that shape business performance.
Explore the work in more detail
If you are considering how climate and resource pressures affect the business plan, start with the briefings. If you are looking for practical ways to assess gaps in planning, governance, investment or delivery, explore the tools.
