UK Stewardship Code
Published: 30 September 2023
3 minute read
The UK Stewardship Code 2020
The UK Stewardship Code 2020 sets high stewardship standards for those investing money on behalf of UK savers and pensioners, and those that support them. Stewardship is the responsible allocation, management and oversight of capital to create long-term value for clients and beneficiaries leading to sustainable benefits for the economy, the environment and society.
The Code applies to:
- Asset owners such as pension schemes, insurers, foundations, endowments, local government pension pools and sovereign wealth funds.
- Asset managers who manage assets on behalf of UK clients or invest in UK assets.
- Service providers such as investment consultants, proxy advisors, data and research providers that support asset owners and asset managers to exercise their stewardship responsibilities.
| Name | The UK Stewardship Code 2020 |
|---|---|
| Publication date | 23 October 2019 |
| Type | Code |
| Format | PDF, 235.2 KB |
UK Stewardship Code 2020 Signatories
The FRC has released the UK Stewardship Code 2020 signatory list. The signatory list was updated on 21 February 2024.
The next deadline to apply to become a signatory is 30 April 2024 for Asset Managers and Service Providers and 31 May 2024 for Asset Owners.
UK Stewardship Code 2020 Review roundtables
As part of the Financial Reporting Council’s review of the UK Stewardship Code 2020, the FRC is holding a series of roundtable discussions on the efficacy of the 2020 Code. We would like to hear of any areas for potential improvement and the extent to which the Code continues to meet its stated purpose.
The events are designed for asset managers, asset owners, corporates and service providers. There will be a list of questions circulated in advance of the event that will form the basis of the discussion. The roundtables are taking place at the FRC, 125 London Wall EC2Y 5AS.
| Date | Group |
|---|---|
| 26 March 2024 | Service Providers |
| 16 April 2024 | Corporates |
| 17 April 2024 | Asset Managers |
| 18 April 2024 | Corporates |
| 24 April 2024 | Asset Managers |
| 30 April 2024 | Asset Owners |
| 1 May 2024 | Service Providers |
| 7 May 2024 | Asset Owners |
Please email [email protected] to express your interest in attending, specifying a date. If you are unable to attend but are interested in feeding in your thoughts, please email them to [email protected].
Review of Reporting
The Review of Stewardship Reporting 2022 gives an overview of reporting from 2022 so far and outlines the FRC’s expectations for 2023 stewardship reporting, including some changes to the application deadlines. It will be useful for anyone preparing a report in application to the Code, whether an existing or prospective signatory.
This Review provides guidance on our expectations of reporting on two areas, adding to those we have covered in previous publications. The areas covered are:
- Engagement and exercising rights and responsibilities
- Setting expectations, monitoring and holding to account third-party managers
Effective Stewardship Reporting: Examples from 2021 and expectations for 2022 analyses reports from the first applications to the revised Code. The report focuses on four areas:
- Market wide, systemic risk and well functioning markets
- Non-listed equity
- Outcomes
- Engagement reporting
Our webinar on Investment stewardship also features highlights from the review and an insightful discussion with two Stewardship Code signatories.
The Principles
The Code comprises a set of 12 ‘apply and explain’ Principles for asset managers and asset owners, and a separate set of six Principles for service providers.
Become a signatory
To become a signatory to the Code, organisations must submit to the FRC a Stewardship Report demonstrating how they have applied the Code’s Principles in the previous 12 months. The report may cover any 12-month period beginning after 1 January 2020. The FRC will assess the report and if it meets our reporting expectations, the organisation will be listed as a signatory to the Code. Once listed, organisations must annually report to remain signatories.
The next deadline to apply to become a signatory is 30 April 2024 for Asset Managers and Service Providers and 31 May 2024 for Asset Owners.
Research
We have published research which explores the early impact of the revised Stewardship Code on the practice and reporting of asset managers and asset owners. The FRC commissioned this independent research in March 2021, carried out by a team of researchers from Minerva Analytics, the Durham University Business School and the Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London to better understand the current stewardship practices of asset managers and asset owners and to assess the impact of the revised 2020 Code.
- The Influence of the UK Stewardship Code 2020 on practice and reporting (PDF)
- Annex 1: Methodology, survey and interview questions from the Influence of the Stewardship Code research (PDF)
| Name | The Influence of the UK Stewardship Code 2020 on practice and reporting |
|---|---|
| Publication date | 5 July 2022 |
| Type | Report |
| Format | PDF, 3.0 MB |
| Name | Annex 1: Methodology, survey and interview questions from the Influence of the Stewardship Code research |
| Publication date | 5 July 2022 |
| Format | PDF, 1005.8 KB |