The mid-sized and smaller pension schemes in the UK are under tighter rules as new reporting regulations are requiring more detailed information.

The UK has been one of the fastest countries to adopt the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) reporting requirements into law. This covers corporates, regulated financial institutions, and pension schemes.

Large pension schemes in the country have to report climate risks in line with TCFD guidance since last October. This is also part of the Occupational Pension Schemes Regulations 2021.

According to a law firm associate, the trend goes towards demanding more and more detailed information. He also added that:

“The aim is clearly a good one. That said, the regulations are detailed and it is going to be quite an uphill battle for smaller schemes to comply. There will be a challenge to find the time and resources.”

The requirements stem from the 2017 recommendations of the Financial Stability Board (FSB), which was a forum set up in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis.

Pension Schemes as Responsible Stewards

Schemes in the UK have to disclose four measures in their accounting which include:

the total carbon emissions of all the scheme’s assets;
a measure of the intensity of such emissions per unit of currency;
a measure of the trustees’ own choices in relation to climate factors; and
a measure of the extent to which the scheme’s investments align with the aim of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
The last measure has become compulsory only recently. This obliges trustees of the schemes with the Paris goals as their 3rd measure to find a new one.

Speaking on the recent change in reporting for pension schemes, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Secretary noted that it’s to support trustees in their climate disclosures.

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