UK SRS: What It Is, Who It Affects, and What Travel and Events Companies Should Actually Do
There is a new set of sustainability reporting rules in the UK, and a lot of confusing coverage about them. Here is the plain-English version — including the honest answer to the question most people are really asking, which is whether any of this applies to them.
What is SRS?
UK SRS stands for the UK Sustainability Reporting Standards. They are a new set of rules for how companies report climate and sustainability information to investors. There are two of them: UK SRS S1 covers sustainability matters generally, and UK SRS S2 covers climate specifically. The Government published both on 25 February 2026.
They are based on the international ISSB standards, which the UK has adopted with a few changes of its own. If your organisation has ever reported under TCFD, the structure will look familiar. The same four headings of governance, strategy, risk, and performance.
The most useful way to think about SRS is this: it is not a new way of measuring your carbon footprint. It is a new way of reporting it. The underlying measurement work (measuring your Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions is the same. What changes is how and where you present those results.
Who does it apply to?
2027 = UK Listed companies
That is expected to change. The Financial Conduct Authority has proposed making UK SRS S2 mandatory for around 515 UK-listed companies, for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2027. Separately, the Government has said it will consult later on whether to extend the requirements to large private companies.
But it is not irrelevant, and this is the part most people forget. A listed company that has to report its climate risks needs data from the businesses it buys from, so if you organise their conferences, run their staff travel, or anything really, this applies to you.
In practice, the first time most smaller businesses encounter SRS is not through a regulator. It is through a client questionnaire, a tender document, or a procurement team asking for emissions figures in a format nobody has asked for before. You can expect this to happen more from 2027.
What are the deadlines?
The dates below reflect what has been published and proposed as of August 2026. The FCA's final rules are not yet confirmed.
| Date | What happens | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | Proposed start of mandatory S2 climate reporting, for accounting periods beginning on or after this date. | Approx. 515 UK-listed companies |
| From 2028 | Scope 3 emissions expected to move to comply-or-explain under the FCA's proposals. | Listed companies in scope |
| From 2029 | Broader S1 sustainability disclosures expected on comply-or-explain. | Listed companies in scope |
The practical deadline for everyone else is earlier than any of these. If a client in scope needs your data for their 2027 reporting year, they will be asking for it during 2027 — which means you need a credible footprint before then, not after.
What needs to be included?
Both standards are built on the same four pillars. In plain terms:
- Governance. Who is responsible for climate and sustainability issues, and how it is overseen. Evidence that someone competent is actually reviewing this, and how often.
- Strategy. Which climate risks and opportunities affect the business, over what time horizons, and what that means for the business model. Usually the longest section, and the one that requires real thought.
- Risk management. How climate risk is identified and managed, and how that fits into the risk processes the business already has. Usually short.
- Metrics and targets. The numbers. Greenhouse gas emissions across Scope 1 and Scope 2, and most likely Scope 3. Plus reduction targets and how your results compare against them.
What doesn't need to be included?
- It is not everything you do on sustainability. SRS is aimed at investors, so it covers matters that could reasonably affect the company's finances. They do not need to know about community work and staff volunteering.
- You may be able to report on climate only. The UK version includes a relief allowing an organisation to disclose climate information alone and leave broader sustainability topics aside.
- Scope 3 can be deferred but with an important caveat. In the standard itself, the relief allowing Scope 3 to be left out has no end date. However, the FCA has proposed time-limiting it.
- It does not replace SECR. If you already report under the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting rules, those still apply. The Government has said it will look at the overlap, but for now they sit alongside each other.
Worth saying plainly: the reliefs are useful, Reporting can take far too long by including too much, this takes up time away from actually implementing change (as opposed to just talking about it).
How long does it normally take us?
We are typically 6 months quicker than those doing it themselves:
| Stage | Typical time | What actually slows it down |
|---|---|---|
| Measuring a full footprint including Scope 3 | 3–4 weeks | Not knowing what data to collect and what to do when it doesn't exist |
| Building the four-pillar disclosure | 1–3 weeks | Overthinking it. We cannot predict the future so keeping this simple is key. |
| Internal review and sign-off | 1–2 weeks | Not being able to answer questions about data gaps and "what happens if...?" questions. Luckily we have the data to answer those easily. |
Why hiring a consultant is best
If you are a small business that has been sent a client questionnaire, you may not need a consultant at all. Plenty of organisations can work through it themselves with some common sense and a lot of patience.
Where outside help genuinely pays for itself and more is in four situations:
- We have done this plenty of times before and have become very quick. We will have worked with more complicated businesses than yours too.
- Accuracy, no carbon footprint is ever 100% perfect, but getting in near 95% accurate makes the results far more useful for reduction and saving time in future years.
- ClarityBeing told what you do not have to worry about or being told it is good enough is so nice to hear from an expert.
- Results Reporting is boring but don't forget the aim of this is to try and save the planet. This work matters, so using the results to guide your future business is key.
Where to start
If you want to know more, we offer a free 30-minute conversation with anyone. Bring your questions and we will give you a straight answer about what applies to you, what does not, and what is worth doing now to get ahead. No obligation, if the answer is that you do not need us, we will say so.
You may also find our guide to complying with SECR rules useful, since the two sit alongside each other.
Last reviewed: August 2026. UK SRS is still developing and the FCA's final rules are expected to change.
