News and views

IR Society News Consultation Responses Policy & Positions 8 August, 2022

The IR Society response to the Proposed European Sustainability Reporting Standards issued by EFRAG.

Informed 2 August, 2022

The Summer 2022 issue of Informed provided full coverage of the IR Society's annual conference, a feature on the 'E' in ESG, and a preview of this year's Best Practice Awards.

IR Society News Consultation Responses Policy & Positions 1 August, 2022

The IR Society welcomed the publication of the ISSB Exposure Drafts IFRS S1 General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information, which is based on those developed by the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), and called for as much harmonisation and convergence with existing and emerging standards and frameworks in reporting as possible. The Society also noted that international collaboration in the development of any global baseline for sustainability reporting will be essential for the creation of a disclosure system that can be implemented globally with a consistent approach across markets, thereby optimising reporting efficiency for companies falling under multiple reporting regimes. The Society called for flexibility around the location of sustainability-related financial disclosure, provided the core information is still required to be included within the annual report and accounts, and suggested that any sustainability-related disclosure requirements should recognise that reporting entities may not to be able to obtain complete and accurate, or even estimated, data from entities in the value chain that are beyond the reporting entity’s control.

IR Society News Consultation Responses Policy & Positions 1 August, 2022

The IR Society welcomed the publication of the ISSB Exposure Draft IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosure, which is based on those developed by the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), and called for as much harmonisation and convergence with existing and emerging standards and frameworks in reporting as possible. The Society also noted that international collaboration in the development of any global baseline for climate reporting will be essential for the creation of a disclosure system that can be implemented globally with a consistent approach across markets, thereby optimising reporting efficiency for companies falling under multiple reporting regimes. The Society called for flexibility around the location of climate-related financial disclosure, provided the core information is still required to be included within the annual report and accounts, and suggested that any climate-related disclosure requirements should recognise that reporting entities may not to be able to obtain complete and accurate, or even estimated, data from entities in the value chain that are beyond the reporting entity’s control.

IR Society News Informed 28 July, 2022

Informed is the quarterly journal of the IR Society, providing a round up of IR Society and industry news and a range of special features on topical IR issues.

20 July, 2022

The Secondary Capital Raising Review (SCRR) was launched in October 2021 and tasked with making recommendations on how further capital raising processes by companies that are already listed could be made more efficient. Yesterday, the SCRR published the outcome of this review, making a series of recommendations to the Government, FCA and the Pre-Emption Group (PEG).

IR Society News Consultation Responses Policy & Positions 18 July, 2022

The IR Society responded to the UK’s Transition Plan Taskforce’s call for evidence, supporting the sector-neutral approach and calling for transition plan disclosure requirements to be high level and principles-based, to be underpinned by more detailed non-mandatory guidance (including practical examples). Metrics should be included in such non-mandatory guidance, to give companies the flexibility to determine their own data points / Key Performance Indicators for how they measure progress. The Society called for flexibility around the location of transition plan disclosures, provided the core information is still required to be included within the annual report and accounts, and suggested that any transition plan requirements should recognise that reporting entities may not to be able to obtain data relating to energy usage and emissions from entities in the value chain that are beyond the reporting entity’s control.

Consultation Responses 16 June, 2022

The IR Society has today responded to the SEC consultation on proposed climate-related disclosures, calling on the SEC to allow the use of the ISSB climate standard to meet the requirements of the SEC’s proposed rule for foreign issuers such as Form 20-F filers and companies with ADRs (American Depositary Receipts). This would be especially beneficial for those whose home market is likely to require the ISSB standards (like the UK), as it would avoid the need for duplicative reporting.

7 June, 2022

Last week, the government finally published its response to the BEIS White Paper. Reforms are proposed in relation to public interest entities, directors' accountability, corporate reporting requirements, auditors and the audit market, and the establishment of the new regulator, the Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority (ARGA).

26 May, 2022

The FCA has announced their vision for possible reforms to make the listing regime more effective, easier to understand and more competitive in order to attract more high quality, growth companies and to give investors greater opportunities, with comments due by 28 July 2022.

Industry News 12 May, 2022

The Transition Plan Taskforce, established last month, has issued a call for evidence on a Sector-Neutral Framework for transition plans, which it is proposed will be required to be disclosed by listed companies (and financial institutions) from 2023.

9 May, 2022

​May 9th 2022, London, UK: The Investor Relations Society (the Society) is pleased to announce the appointment of four non-executive Directors to the Board, effective 9th June 2022:

28 April, 2022

This FRC research report indicates that too many companies are failing to treat human rights issues in their workforce or supply chain as a principal source of risk or mainstream concern for boardroom discussion, with annual reports and modern slavery statements found to be lacking the information needed for shareholders and wider stakeholders to make informed decisions. Many companies treat this reporting as more of a compliance exercise, providing limited and often superficial commentary on this key business risk.

26 April, 2022

IR Society leads the way in excellence in Investor Relations

Industry News 21 April, 2022

The FCA have finalised their rules requiring listed companies to report information and disclose against targets on the representation of women and ethnic minorities on their boards and executive management.

31 March, 2022

The ISSB has launched a consultation on its first two proposed standards to develop a global baseline of sustainability disclosures for the capital markets. One sets out general sustainability-related disclosure requirements and the other specifies climate-related disclosure requirements. Comments due by 29 July 2022.

31 March, 2022

Although the effects of Covid-19 are still being felt, the FCA considers that issuers and their advisors have now adjusted to implications arising from the pandemic and so are now able to return to previous practices and methods of publishing appropriate financial information to support investor decision-making.

Informed 31 March, 2022

The main feature of the Spring issue of Informed is titled 'IR for retail investors'. It asks whether IROs are serving small investors well. A second feature is centred around investor feedback.

24 March, 2022

The IR Society has published updated ‘best practice’ guidance to help members in response to the current uncertainty and instability arising from recent world events and the wide range of financial sanctions imposed in response.

24 March, 2022

In response to investor demand for transparency around climate-change risk, the SEC has published a draft rule entitled the “Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors”, which is open for consultation for 60 days.