News and views

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.

3 March, 2022

In its Review Outcome paper, the UK government has set out its plans for the reform of prospectuses following its 2021 review of the prospectus regime as recommended by the Hill Review of the listing regime, which focused on ways to enhance the attractiveness of the UK capital markets and adopt a more flexible framework following Brexit.

3 March, 2022

The government has published plans to reform to the UK’s financial services regulatory framework for capital markets, with the aim of ensuring that the UK’s regulatory regime for secondary markets is fair, outcomes-based and supports competitiveness, whilst maintaining the highest regulatory standards.

10 February, 2022

The Takeover Panel is consulting on removing the restriction on a bidder purchasing target shares through an anonymous order book during an offer period.

10 February, 2022

On 3 February 2022, ESMA published a call for evidence on market characteristics for ESG rating providers to help develop a picture of the size, structure, resourcing, revenues and product offerings of the different ESG rating providers operating in the EU.

10 February, 2022

The FRC has written to the ISSB expressing strong support for the development of global standards for sustainability reporting and the UK adoption of those standards, and commenting on the Sustainability Disclosure Prototypes published by the Technical Readiness Working Group.

3 February, 2022

The European Commission has taken a major step towards including investments in gas and nuclear-based energy in the list of sustainable activities under the new EU taxonomy classification system, with the Taxonomy Complementary Climate Delegated Act proposing criteria and disclosure rules for their inclusion.

3 February, 2022

According to new PWC research, CEOs see cyber-attacks as the most serious threat to their companies over the next 12 months.

3 February, 2022

Independent research commissioned by the Financial Reporting Council builds on similar research in 2020, reinforcing the case for developing standards for Audit Committees to help promote a more consistent approach to audit quality. The research, conducted by YouGov, is based on in-depth interviews with Audit Committee Chairs (ACCs) discussing how they carry out their role.

2 February, 2022

ESMA's proposed amendments to its Suitability Guidelines provide a better idea of how it expects sustainability considerations to be built into the suitability process, ahead of sustainability preferences becoming integrated into the MiFID II suitability requirements from August 2022. The proposed amendments would increase the anticipated burden on asset managers and those providing investment advice.

26 January, 2022

The World Economic Forum has published the 17th edition of its Global Risks Report, which identifies the tensions that will result from a divergent recovery.

Industry News 26 January, 2022

It is fantastic to see the recognition of IR and its growing importance as featured in this week’s Times article by Patrick Hosking. This is supported by the recent findings from our MiFID II research conducted by The London School of Economics and The University of Glasgow, in conjunction with the IR Society, with MiFID regulation creating both opportunity and challenges for IR.

26 January, 2022

The FRC has published for comment its 3-year Plan for 2022-25, acknowledging the FRC’s continued commitment to being an effective and transparent regulator as it prepares to transition to the Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority.

26 January, 2022

The FRC has launched the application process for its Stakeholder Insight Group (SIG), a new cross-stakeholder panel that will represent preparers, investors, audit committee chairs and other key parts of our stakeholder universe including reporting framework owners and civil society groups.

26 January, 2022

Aviva Investors will hold investee companies accountable to a wider definition of sustainability in 2022, with companies set to be judged against expectations on biodiversity and human rights, as much as climate and executive pay.

6 January, 2022

The FCA has published two Policy Statements confirming final rules and guidance to promote better climate-related financial disclosures.