Linklaters has a series of Quick Guides that provide an overview of key sustainability disclosure regimes in the UK, EU and other jurisdictions. Click here to view all our Quick Guides.
This Quick Guide deals with climate disclosure rules in the UK Listing Rules (“UKLR”) – also known as the “CRFD regime”.
Last updated on: 5 September 2025
Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (CRFD) under the UK Listing Rules | |
In a nutshell | The UK has two main sets of rules for the disclosure of climate change issues by companies – the climate-related financial disclosures (“CFD”) regime under the Companies Act 2006 (“CA 2006”) and the climate-related financial disclosures (“CRFD”) regime under the UKLR. The CRFD regime applies to companies listed in the UK whether they are UK-incorporated or not (while the CFD regime is for UK-incorporated companies only). The government is consulting on how to implement the International Sustainability Standards Board (“ISSB”) standards (IFRS S1 and IFRS S2) into UK law in the form of new UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (“UK SRS”). These would introduce a wider sustainability disclosure regime that is focused not just on climate change issues. The Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) intends to consult in Q3 2025 on what changes will need to be made to the UKLR in light of the UK SRS. |
Mandatory or voluntary? | Mandatory – but on a “comply or explain” basis |
Who does it apply to? | Companies with a listing of equity shares in the equity shares (commercial companies) category of the UKLR |
When does it apply? | Listing Rules requiring different types of UK listed company to provide information about CRFD were originally introduced in 2021 and 2022. These requirements were carried over into the latest version of the Listing Rules -see UKLR 6.6.6R(8), effective from 29 July 2024. |
What is required? | This regime is overseen by the FCA. UKLR 6.6.6R(8) requires UK listed companies to state in their annual financial report whether they have made CRFD that are consistent with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (“TCFD”) recommendations and recommended disclosures and where these disclosures can be found. Although UKLR 6.6.6R(8) means listed companies can provide CRFD information on a “comply or explain” basis, they would ordinarily be expected to make TCFD-aligned disclosures rather than explain why they have not complied. If the company has not included some, or any, TCFD-aligned financial disclosures in its annual report, it must:
UKLR 6.6.8G to UKLR 6.6.12G provide guidance on determining whether the CRFD are consistent with the TCFD recommendations and recommended disclosures. In April 2025, the FCA published a Primary Market Technical Note on TCFD-aligned climate-related disclosure requirements for listed companies (TN/802.2), which provides further guidance on the FCA’s disclosure expectations. |
Penalties for non-compliance | The FCA has powers to investigate breaches of the UKLR and to take action as a result, which may include public censure and/or fines. |
Interaction with Companies Act 2006 | The CRFD regime in the UKLR and the CFD regime under the CA 2006 are similar but not identical. According to the government’s guidance on the CFD regime, UK companies with more than 500 employees that are within the scope of the CRFD rules under the UKLR will be subject to both the CFD under the CA 2006 and the CRFD under the UKLR. The guidance states that as both sets of requirements are based on the TCFD recommendations, there is a high degree of consistency between them. It points out that the main difference between the two regimes is that the UKLR directly reference the TCFD recommendations while the 2022 Regulations made under the CA 2006 are aligned with the TCFD recommendations but do not directly reference them. The guidance also advises that where a UK listed company is subject to both regimes, disclosure in accordance with the CRFD is likely to involve the use of similar information to the disclosure required by the CFD and is therefore normally likely to meet the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. Despite the significant overlap, there are some key differences between the two regimes, in particular:
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Future changes | The UK government is seeking to implement the ISSB sustainability disclosure standards (IFRS S1 and IFRS S2) into UK law in the form of the UK SRS. The UK SRS will require new areas of disclosure and will require greater depth of reporting, which will involve additional costs for business. The FCA intends to consult in Q3 2025 on what changes will need to be made to the UKLR to reflect the UK SRS. See Quick Guide on the UK SRS. |
Other information | There are similar but separate rules on climate disclosures for asset managers and asset owners which are also administered by the FCA. The ESG Sourcebook introduced new TCFD-aligned disclosure rules for asset managers and asset owners that came into effect on 1 January 2023. For more information, see our blog post. The Department for Business and Trade announced in October 2024 plans for an “ambitious” consultation in 2025 on further proposals to simplify and modernise the UK’s non-financial reporting framework, which is not limited to sustainability disclosures. |
Legislation & guidance |
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Linklaters materials |
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