Corporate reporting – government response to consultation on assurance of sustainability reporting

The government has published its response following its consultation on an oversight regime for assurance of sustainability reporting. The government launched the consultation on its proposals to strengthen regulatory oversight of providers of third party assurance services for sustainability-related financial disclosures in June 2025, with a view to building trust in the UK sustainability assurance market and recognising the important role of assurance in delivering decision-useful sustainability-related information (see our blog post here).

Following the feedback received and broad support for its consultation proposals, the government has confirmed that:

• the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) will establish and administer a voluntary oversight regime for sustainability assurance in the UK, with an interim public register to be established by mid-2026 (and in due course, once the FRC is put on to a proper statutory footing, the sustainability oversight regime will become one of its legislative functions (see our blog post here for an update on the proposals to reform the FRC));
• sustainability assurers will be able to opt in to the regime by registering with the FRC, subject to meeting eligibility criteria which will be developed in due course; and
• the regime will be profession-agnostic and both firms and individuals will be able to be registered.