TO BE PUBLISHED July 2026
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This conference will examine priorities for the UK’s non‑financial reporting framework.
It takes place following publication of the Government’s UK Sustainability Reporting Standards in February 2026 for voluntary use, and will look ahead to the expected consultation later this year on changes to the Companies Act 2006 to mandate the application of UK SRS for large UK businesses.
Sustainability Reporting Standards implementation
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to consider the way forward for implementation of UK SRS S1 and S2. We expect discussion on early practical experience from voluntary adoption, and on possible approaches to mandatory adoption as the Government prepares to consult on scope and timing.
As the Financial Conduct Authority considers responses to the consultation on sustainability disclosure requirements for listed issuers, delegates will assess how UK SRS will sit alongside the Companies Act and UK Listing Rules, and considerations for co-ordination of these frameworks as reporting requirements develop.
Practical implementation issues will be discussed, such as materiality assessment, data collection, internal controls, and digital reporting. Attendees will also explore implications for firms operating across multiple jurisdictions, including the interoperability of UK SRS with EU corporate sustainability reporting and other global regimes, and opportunities for reducing duplication.
Sustainability assurance regime
The conference will also examine next steps for the UK’s sustainability assurance and environmental, social and governance ratings system, following the Government’s January 2026 response confirming a voluntary registration regime for sustainability assurance practitioners, operated by the Financial Reporting Council.
Attendees will consider how the regime can most effectively support market confidence, address concerns about greenwashing, and promote competition and capacity in the assurance market. Standards and competencies required for high-quality assurance will also be considered, including the role of digital tools and data analytics, and how assurance and ratings can better support investor decision-making and stewardship.
Pay gap reporting
With the potential for new mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting as part of the proposed Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, further sessions will consider the future of social and workforce-related disclosures. Approaches to the design of such reporting frameworks to best support meaningful organisational change will be assessed, alongside implications for employers in the context of policy aims to simplify corporate reporting, including an optimal balance of transparency with proportionality - particularly for mid-sized companies and those with complex workforce structures.
Overall areas for discussion include:
- implementation of UK SRS:
- preparing for transition to UK SRS S1 and S2 - implications for listed and unlisted companies
- interaction with existing Companies Act and FCA consultation on listed issuers’ sustainability disclosure requirements
- consultation on mandatory application of UK SRS - scope, timing and proportionality
- assurance and oversight:
- voluntary oversight regime for sustainability assurance practitioners - registration, quality and independence
- building capacity and competition in the assurance market - skills, standards and innovation
- role of assurance and ESG ratings in addressing greenwashing and supporting investor confidence
- governance and organisational readiness:
- board-level responsibilities for sustainability and non‑financial reporting - reskilling finance, risk, and sustainability teams
- embedding sustainability into strategy, remuneration and risk management
- SMEs, supply chains and proportionality:
- indirect impacts on SMEs through supply-chain data requests - standardisation and support
- tools and guidance to support smaller entities in data collection and reporting
- investor needs:
- ensuring comparable sustainability information for investors
- alignment between corporate reporting and Sustainability Disclosure Requirements for financial products
- social and workforce‑related reporting:
- potential new mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting - metrics, transparency and action planning
- using workforce data to support organisational change and accountability
