techUK's take on the new UK Sustainability Reporting Standards

The government has now published the long awaited UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS) which will form the foundation of UK sustainability disclosures.

Overall we support how government has gone about this. The UK SRS are aligned with the global IFRS S1 and IFRS S2 standards developed by the ISSB, with S1 covering broader sustainability related information and S2 focused on climate reporting. Harmonised international standards remain the best way forward. Fragmented reporting frameworks are costly, confusing and ultimately distract companies from meaningful sustainability progress.

For tech firms, we recommend becoming familiar with the standards now. Scope and threshold creep are inevitable, and investors required to report will quickly start pushing requirements down to partners, suppliers and investees, so techUK members should expect to be asked for more sustainability information in line with these standards. Getting ahead while these standards are still voluntary creates space to learn, build internal processes and make mistakes without risking compliance issues, fines or reputational damage.

While the UK SRS are closely aligned with the global versions, the UK has made several pragmatic and helpful adjustments that do not expand requirements beyond the international baseline. These include aligning reporting timelines, deprioritising outdated SASB materials and softening the approach to scope 3 emissions reporting. Scope 3 is notoriously challenging for tech firms given the complexity of global supply chains, spanning semiconductors, electronics, cloud infrastructure and more. Under the UK SRS, the removal of fixed time limits for transitional Scope 3 relief means companies can omit Scope 3 emissions indefinitely, as long as they disclose the use of this relief. This is a sensible and business friendly change that makes voluntary adoption more realistic for tech firms.

Despite the voluntary nature of the standards today, as mentioned above the FCA is consulting (techUK is responding!) on how to make UK SRS aligned reporting mandatory for all listed companies. Exact dates are subject to consultation, so our advice is to get familiar now, and anyone firms reporting under TCFD (which will be replaced) will be in a strong position as the UK SRS follow the same risks and opportunities structure.

For those following all this there are still unresolved questions. The government has not decided on mandating climate transition plan and won’t do for months. We know ministers were keen to mandate them, but concerns about creating additional regulatory burdens, along with the EU stepping back from mandatory transition plan requirements in their Omnibus make this less likely. We are also still waiting for clarity on how UK SRS could be extended to private companies and non UK businesses operating domestically, and government acknowledges concern with their ‘economically significant’ private firm proposals in their response.

techUK - Committed to Climate Action

Visit our Climate Action Hub to learn more or to register for regular updates.

By 2030, digital technology can cut global emissions by 15%. Cloud computing, 5G, AI and IoT have the potential to support dramatic reductions in carbon emissions in sectors such as transport, agriculture, and manufacturing. techUK is working to foster the right policy framework and leadership so we can all play our part. For more information on how techUK can support you, please visit our Climate Action Hub and click ‘contact us’.

Latest Report

Upcoming climate events

Latest news and insights

28 Jan 2026

Davos 2026: realising resilience through nature and renewables

This piece explores discussions from Davos 2026 on building resilience through nature-based solutions and renewable energy, highlighting key themes and perspectives. It reflects on how these approaches can support long-term sustainability, resilience and economic transition.