How the UK is tackling the “alphabet soup” of sustainability disclosures

Ahead of London Climate Action Week, we’re exploring how the UK is adopting International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) standards.  

This episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast is the latest in our ongoing series about global ISSB adoption. Sustainability-related reporting is well established in the UK, and in today’s episode we speak to Sally Duckworth, Chair of the UK Sustainability Disclosure Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). The TAC was formed to provide recommendations to the UK government on adoption of the ISSB standards.  

“We want to eliminate what's often called the ‘alphabet soup’ of fragmented reporting by promoting consistency and comparability,” Sally tells us. 

Sally says companies’ understanding of risk has evolved in the face of geopolitical conflicts and climate-related disasters. "People now see risk with a much broader lens, looking at what's happening in their ecosystem as a whole — and clearly, sustainability forms a key part of that.” 

We also speak to ISSB board member Richard Barker, who explains how the UK fits into the broader global context of countries adopting ISSB standards. Richard joined us on stage for our podcast event recorded live in London on April 29,and you can hear the full interview here: Live in London: How sustainability is evolving into a broader conversation about resilience | S&P Global 

Listen to our interview with the Chair of the Canadian Sustainability Standards Board here: Why Canadian Sustainability Standards Board Chair calls sustainability disclosures “table stakes” 

Read our latest quarterly tracker on ISSB adoption here: May 2026 – Where does the world stand on ISSB adoption? | S&P Global 

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