The UK Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has published this year’s list of organizations that have decided to comply with the provisions of the Stewardship Code for those investing money on behalf of savers including pensioners.
Stewardship Code 2020 is a requirement for UK institutional investors, as well as related organizations that provide consultancy services or data analysis. They provide responsible investment decision-making, management and oversight of citizens’ funds, which ideally creates long-term value for them and contributes to the sustainable development of the financial system of the country as a whole.
The Code includes 12 basic principles for asset managers and asset owners (and six other separate principles for service providers – consulting, data management, etc.), which are based on an even more ‘in-depth’ ‘apply and explain’ principle. To be included in the list, which is published once a year, UK organizations will have to demonstrate exactly how they followed the requirements of the Stewardship Code in the previous 12 months.
Applications from candidates for inclusion are accepted until October 31. The FRC has already published a list of those against whom a positive decision has been made. These are organizations that have successfully demonstrated to regulators their commitment to the principles of the Stewardship Code, that in the UK in a post-pandemic economic recovery and addressing important social and environmental issues is indeed very important to ensure long-term sustainability.
Approximately two thirds of all applicants (125 organizations) successfully ‘booked’ their place on the list this year. A total of 189 organizations applied to the FRC, of which 147 are asset managers, 28 pension funds and insurers and other asset owners, and 14 service providers, including data and information providers and investment consultants.