New Climate-related Financial Disclosure Regulations for UK Companies

On 19 January 2022 the Companies (Strategic Report) (Climate-related Financial Disclosure) Regulations 2022 (the “Regulations”) were published in the UK. As of 6 April 2022, these Regulations are now in force. Companies that are subject to the Regulations will need to comply with the new reporting requirements for accounting periods ending on or after 6 April 2022.

What do the Regulations do?

The Regulations amend the Companies Act 2006 and expand the type of companies that are required to provide information in accordance with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (“TCFD”) as part of their strategic reports. The Regulations require mandatory disclosure of material information in the four TCFD categories: Governance, Strategy, Risk Management, and Metrics / Targets.

It is mandatory for companies that are subject to the Regulations to disclose climate and sustainability-related information outlined in the Regulations in the non-financial information section of their strategic reports. The information required to be provided depends on the type of company, for example, AIM companies are subject to less extensive requirements. These reports will be publicly available, accessible free of charge and filed at Companies House.

Similar requirements will also apply to certain limited liability partnerships (LLPs) in the UK. The LLP Regulations amend The Limited Liability Partnerships (Accounts and Audit) (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2008 and require certain LLPs to incorporate TCFD-aligned climate disclosures in their annual reports.

In-scope companies should familiarise themselves with the new reporting requirements and be aware of the potential for overlap with other reporting requirements. The BEIS Guidance offers additional detail on the expected disclosures. In general, companies and LLPs will be required to disclose the following information:

  • a description of the governance arrangements of the company or LLP in relation to the assessment and management of climate-related risks and opportunities;
  • an explanation of how the company or LLP identifies, assesses and manages climate-related risks and opportunities;
  • details of the processes the company or LLP uses to identify, assess and manage climate-related risks and how these processes are integrated into the overall risk management process of the company or LLP;
  • identification of the principal climate-related risks and opportunities arising in connection with the operations of the company or LLP;
  • a description of the actual and potential impacts of the principal climate-related risks and opportunities on the business model and strategy of the company or LLP;
  • an analysis of the resilience of the business model and strategy of the company or LLP, taking into consideration different climate-related scenarios;
  • a description of the targets used by the company or LLP to manage climate-related risks and to realise climate-related opportunities and of performance against those targets; and
  • the key performance indicators used to assess progress against targets and a description of the calculations on which those key performance indicators are based.

Which companies do the Regulations apply to?

The Regulations apply to UK companies that are:

  1. AIM / traded companies;
  2. Banking companies;
  3. Authorised insurance companies;
  4. Companies with a high-turnover;

Provided that each such company has more than 500 employees (or together with its subsidiaries has more than 500 employees).

Are there any exemptions to the Regulations?

A company will not be subject to the Regulations if it is a subsidiary and annual climate-related disclosure is included in its parent company’s strategic report for the group. To be exempt, the parent must be a UK company (or LLP) and the strategic report must be prepared for a financial year that ends on or before the subsidiary’s financial year. The report must also include non-financial and sustainability information in respect of the subsidiary.

UK subsidiaries of a non-UK parent:

However, where a U.K. subsidiary has a non-UK parent that reports on a consolidated basis, the exemption does not apply. This means a non-UK parent may be exempt but their UK subsidiaries may be subject to the Regulations.

Non-UK companies with UK subsidiaries should be aware that their UK subsidiaries may fall within the scope of the Regulations and consider whether their strategic reports should be on an individual or consolidated basis with respect to their UK subsidiaries.

If you have any questions about this post, please contact Drew D. SalvestNatalie A. StewartRebecca Green any of the attorneys in our Banking and Finance Industry Group or the attorney in the firm with whom you in regular contact.

Duane Morris has an active ESG and Sustainability Team to help organizations and individuals plan, respond to, and execute on Sustainability and ESG planning and initiatives within their own space. We would be happy to discussion your proposed project with you. For more information, please contact Brad A. MolotskyDavid AmerikanerNanette HeideDarrick MixVijay BangeSteve Nichol, or the attorney in the firm with whom you are regularly in contact.

 

The HM Treasury’s Roadmap to Sustainable Investing: Overview and Key Considerations for Businesses

On 18 October 2021, the HM Treasury published a policy paper titled “Greening Finance: A Roadmap to Sustainable Investing” (the Roadmap) that sets out the government’s long-term strategy to green the financial sector.

The Roadmap outlines a three-phase strategy to achieve this goal. The first phase is “informing” where sellers of investment products, financial services firms and corporates will be required to report information on sustainability. The second  phase is “action” where this information is mainstreamed into business and financial decisions. The third is the “shift” phase; ensuring financial flows across the economy shift to align with the UK’s net zero commitment.

The Roadmap sets out the government’s strategy to achieve phase 1 through economy-wide Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR), the UK Green Taxonomy and Investor Stewardship. Each of these are outlined below.

1. SDR: what will businesses have to report on?

The SDR’s aim is to combine existing and new sustainability disclosure requirements in one framework for corporates, asset managers / owners and creators of investment products. The framework will be implemented through legislation, with sector-specific requirements being determined by government departments and regulators. The Roadmap emphasises that these new requirements will go further than existing disclosure requirements (such as those required by the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures) by requiring reporting on environmental impact. SDR will also go beyond the FCA’s existing ESG framework by requiring asset managers / owners and creators of investment products to substantiate ESG claims in a way that is both comparable and accessible. SDR will also require disclosure with reference to the UK’s Green Taxonomy. Certain firms will have to publish transition plans, detailing how they intend to align with the government’s net zero goal by 2050. 

Certain UK-registered companies and listed issuers, including financial services firms, will need to disclose information about how they identify, assess and manage sustainability factors arising from their global operations in their Annual Reports. Financial services firms that manage or administer money for investors will need to disclose the sustainability-related information that clients and end-consumers need to make informed decisions about their investments. Investment product firms will need to disclose, at product level, the sustainability-related information that consumers need to make informed decisions about their investments.

2. UK Green Taxonomy

The lack of commonly accepted definitions makes it difficult for companies and investors to clearly understand the environmental impact of their decisions and can lead to issues such as greenwashing. To address this, the government is implementing the UK Green Taxonomy (the Taxonomy) that outlines criteria that specific economic activities must meet to be considered environmentally sustainable and “Taxonomy-aligned”.

Reporting against the Taxonomy will form part of SDR. Certain companies will be required to disclose the proportion of their activities that are Taxonomy-aligned. Providers of investment funds and creators of investment products will have to do the same for the assets that they invest in and products they create.

The Taxonomy has six objectives: Climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, sustainable use and protection of water and marine resources, transition to a circular economy, pollution prevention and control and protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems. Each of the environmental objectives will be underpinned by a set of standards known as Technical Screening Criteria (TSC). To be considered Taxonomy-aligned, an activity must meet three tests. It must make a substantial contribution to one of the six environmental objectives, do no significant harm to the other objectives (this aims to ensure that activities which support one objective do not have a significant adverse impact on another) and meet a set of minimum safeguards: these are minimum standards for doing business, constituting alignment with the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Although Taxonomy-alignment will be determined by reported data rather than projections, the Taxonomy also recognises companies that are working to meet environmental objectives in the future. For example, due to technological constraints, some economic activities cannot currently be conducted in a way which is aligned with net zero-ambitions. For a number of these activities, the TSCs will set the threshold for Taxonomy alignment at the “best-in-sector” emissions level. These are known as “transitional activities”. Secondly, some companies will report on the proportion of their capital expenditure that is Taxonomy-aligned. This will enable these companies to demonstrate their investment in producing green activities in the future.

3. Investor Stewardship in Green Finance

The Roadmap outlines the government’s expectation that the pensions and investment sectors should seek to integrate ESG considerations into investment decision-making, monitoring and engagement strategies, escalation and collaboration (with other investors) and voting practices. For example, when exercising their shareholder rights,  being ready to vote against directors, corporate actions or other resolutions.

Next Steps

The key dates and developments to look out for are:

  • November 2021 – discussion papers on SDR disclosures, consumer-facing product-level SDR disclosures and the sustainable investment labelling regime
  • Q1 2022 – consultation on two of the environmental objectives under the Taxonomy (climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation)
  • 2022 – consultations on SDR disclosures, consumer-facing product-level SDR disclosures and the sustainable investment labelling regime
  • End of 2022 – legislation on draft TSCs for climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation
  • End of 2022 – government expects pensions and investment sector organisations to have published a high-quality net zero transition plan
  • Q1 2023 – government to consult on expansion of TSCs and standards for remaining four environmental objectives under the Taxonomy
  • End of 2023 – government to assess progress on its expectations for stewardship within the UK pensions and investment sectors

Key Considerations for Businesses

Although companies will have adequate notice before becoming subject to disclosure requirements, in order to be prepared companies are advised to review existing disclosure practices and determine the additional information required to be disclosed and the processes in place for gathering that additional information. Companies are also advised to keep up-to-date with the key consultation and implementation dates outlined above.

If you have any questions about this post, please contact Drew D. Salvest, Natalie A. Stewart, Rebecca Green any of the attorneys in our Banking and Finance Industry Group or the attorney in the firm with whom you in regular contact.

Duane Morris has an active ESG and Sustainability Team to help organizations and individuals plan, respond to, and execute on Sustainability and ESG planning and initiatives within their own space. We would be happy to discussion your proposed project with you. For more information, please contact Brad A. Molotsky, David Amerikaner, Nanette Heide, Darrick Mix, Vijay Bange, Steve Nichol, or the attorney in the firm with whom you are regularly in contact.

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The opinions expressed on this blog are those of the author and are not to be construed as legal advice.

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