Get started with UK SRS: where to begin
UK Sustainability Reporting Standards are new, voluntary today, and surrounded by a lot of detail.
This page is the short route in: what UK SRS is, whether it applies to you, what it asks for, when it matters, and how to start — each step pointing to the page that covers it in full.
The where-to-begin path
There is no single document to read and no form to file.
Getting started with UK SRS is mostly about orientation — understanding what the standards are, whether they reach you, and on what timetable.
We suggest working through five questions in order.
Each one has a page that answers it in full, so this page stays deliberately short: it is a map, not the territory.
| Step | The question | Where it is answered |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What is UK SRS? | What is UK SRS — S1 and S2 |
| 2 | Am I in scope? | Who needs UK SRS |
| 3 | What does it require? | UK SRS requirements |
| 4 | When does it matter? | UK SRS deadlines |
| 5 | How do I implement it? | UK SRS implementation guide |
What UK SRS is
UK SRS are the UK-endorsed sustainability reporting standards.
They come in two parts: UK SRS S1, the general requirements for sustainability-related financial disclosures, and UK SRS S2, which covers climate-related disclosures.
The Department for Business and Trade published both standards on 25 February 2026, and they are available for voluntary use by any entity straight away[1].
They are the UK versions of the ISSB’s international standards, adjusted with a small number of UK-specific amendments[2]. If you are new to the subject, our plain-English explainer of S1 and S2 is the place to begin.
Working out whether you are in scope
Today, no entity is required to report under UK SRS — the standards are voluntary as published[1].
What you need to establish is whether you fall within the FCA’s proposed mandatory rules. CP26/5 would apply UK SRS to companies in specific UK Listing Rules categories, broadly the larger primary-listed companies[3].
If you are an unlisted or private company, you are not in the first proposed wave — though a separate government consultation on large private companies is expected[2].
Our who needs UK SRS page sets out the categories and the proposed reliefs.
What the standards ask for
UK SRS S2 follows the familiar four-pillar structure — governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics and targets — that many companies already know from climate-related reporting.
In practice that means disclosing how the board oversees climate-related risks and opportunities, how they affect strategy, how they are managed, and the metrics — including greenhouse gas emissions — used to track them.
UK SRS S1 extends the same disciplined approach beyond climate to other material sustainability topics. The full picture, pillar by pillar, is set out in our UK SRS requirements page.
When it matters: the timeline
The dates that shape your planning are proposals, not yet law. The FCA published CP26/5 on 30 January 2026 and the consultation closed on 20 March 2026[3].
The FCA expects to publish its Policy Statement, with final rules, in autumn 2026[3].
If the proposals are adopted, mandatory UK SRS S2 reporting would begin for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2027, with Scope 3 emissions and UK SRS S1 phased in afterwards on a comply-or-explain basis[3].
The full sequence, including the later comply-or-explain dates, is laid out in our deadline tracker.
How to implement it
Implementation is less daunting than it first appears, because much of the groundwork already exists for companies that have reported climate risk before.
A sensible sequence is climate first: apply UK SRS S2, then build towards the broader UK SRS S1 framework as the comply-or-explain dates approach[3].
The FRC has published guidance on how the standards fit together and what voluntary adoption involves, which is a useful reference as you plan[4].
For a structured walkthrough of data, governance and assurance work, see our UK SRS implementation guide.
The first three things to do
One: settle scope and timing. Confirm whether the FCA proposals are likely to reach you, and map the proposed dates against your own reporting cycle before doing anything else[3].
Two: take stock of what you already report. Many companies already produce TCFD-aligned climate disclosures that map closely onto UK SRS S2, so the starting point is rarely a blank page.
Three: identify the gaps. Compare your current reporting against what the standards require, and plan the data, governance and assurance work against a realistic timetable rather than a rush.
Getting started with UK SRS: frequently asked questions
Where should I start with UK SRS?
Start by understanding what the standards are, then work out whether they apply to you. UK SRS S1 and S2 were published by the Department for Business and Trade on 25 February 2026 and are currently voluntary for any entity. The fastest orientation is to read what UK SRS is, check whether you fall in scope of the proposed mandatory rules, review what the standards require, and then map the timeline against your own reporting cycle before deciding how to implement.
Do I have to report under UK SRS now?
Not yet. As published on 25 February 2026, UK SRS S1 and S2 are available for voluntary use only — no entity is required to apply them. The FCA has proposed making UK SRS S2 mandatory for in-scope listed companies for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2027, but that proposal will not take effect until the FCA publishes its Policy Statement, which it expects in autumn 2026. Until then the mandatory dates are proposals rather than law.
How do I know if I am in scope?
The FCA CP26/5 proposals would apply to companies in specific UK Listing Rules categories — broadly, larger primary-listed companies. If you are an unlisted or private company, you are not in the proposed first wave, though a separate government consultation on extending UK SRS to large private companies is expected. Our who-needs-UK-SRS page walks through the categories and the proposed reliefs in detail.
What is the difference between UK SRS S1 and S2?
UK SRS S1 sets the general requirements for disclosing sustainability-related financial information; UK SRS S2 covers climate-related disclosures specifically. They are designed to work as a pair — S1 provides the framework and S2 is the first topic-specific application. Under the FCA proposals, S2 climate reporting would come first, with S1 following on a comply-or-explain basis.
What are the first practical steps to take?
Three things. First, confirm whether and when the rules are likely to apply to you by checking the proposed scope and timeline. Second, take stock of what you already report — many companies already produce TCFD-aligned climate disclosures that map closely to UK SRS S2. Third, identify the gaps between your current reporting and what the standards require, so you can plan data, governance and assurance work against a realistic timetable.
- UK Sustainability Reporting Standards: UK SRS S1 and UK SRS S2 — GOV.UK / Department for Business and Trade · Standards published 25 February 2026; available for voluntary use
- UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (guidance) — GOV.UK / Department for Business and Trade · What UK SRS are, the standards, and the government process
- CP26/5: Aligning listed issuers’ sustainability disclosures with international standards — Financial Conduct Authority · Published 30 Jan 2026; closed 20 Mar 2026; Policy Statement expected autumn 2026
- Sustainability reporting developments — frequently asked questions — Financial Reporting Council · FRC guidance on the UK SRS framework and voluntary adoption