The number of signatories to the UK Stewardship Code has reached 291 organisations, the UK Financial Reporting Council (FRC) announced Wednesday. They represent £57.3 trillion in assets under management, and include 197 asset managers, 75 asset owners, and 19 service providers,
These signatories are the last to report under the 2020 code ahead of the transition to the UK Stewardship Code 2026, a news release said. The new UK Stewardship Code came into effect on 1 January 2026, with this year designated as a transition year for its implementation.
“Existing signatories that submit a renewal application during 2026 will remain on the signatory list throughout the transition period, reflecting their status under the 2020 code,” the release said, “while new applicants not included on this final 2020 signatory list will be able to apply to become signatories for the first time under the updated framework.”
The FRC’s revisions to the UK Stewardship Code are intended to support long-term sustainable value creation while significantly reducing the reporting burden for signatories. In October, nonprescriptive guidance from the FRC presented some of the types of information organisations may wish to include in reporting to help explain their approach to stewardship.
“We listened carefully to over 1,500 stakeholders in developing the 2026 code, and the result is a code that maintains high standards while sharpening the focus on signatories’ stewardship activities and their outcomes,” Mark Babington, the FRC’s executive director of regulatory standards, said in the release. “We look forward to supporting signatories through this transition.”
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