Insights

Addidat and Indigo: Independent Governance are excited to collaborate for a third successive year to offer insights into gender diversity on the boards of AIM-listed companies. Despite the progress made in the previous two years, it is disappointing to note that this year the ratio has remained stubbornly static. Our latest report reveals that just 1 in 6 directors is a woman, which is unchanged from last year. In addition to this, all-male boards have increased to 38%, further highlighting the persistent barriers to change. It’s time for a shift in perspective, one that prioritises equality, inclusion, and accountability in boardroom appointments.

The new ISS UK and Ireland proxy voting guidelines will apply to all general meetings from today onwards, as they look to adapt to significant shifts in governance and voting expectations.
In this latest IndigoINSIGHT we explore some of the key changes to the voting guidelines, which aim to reinforce accountability and transparency, and will need to be considered ahead of AGMs this year.

The English social housing sector comprises of roughly 1,600 not-for-profit landlords or private registered providers, between them providing housing for approximately 6 million people across England. However, the social housing sector faces complex governance challenges due to varied legal structures, stakeholder expectations, and regulatory standards. In this latest IndigoINSIGHT we explore some of these challenges.

Subsidiary companies must sometimes navigate a labyrinth of regulations. For subsidiaries, and particularly those of multinational organisations, aligning the parent company’s policies and strategies can be both challenging and interesting.

Read here some important matters to take into consideration when deciding on your subsidiary governance framework and some tips on how to make it effective and workable.

Earlier this year, the Financial Reporting Council announced revisions to the UK Corporate Governance Code, aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability of UK public limited companies. In this fourth and final edition in our series of indigoINSIGHTs on the updates, we focus on how and where boards should report against the Code, the timings of the changes and how compliance will be monitored.

Following the FRC’s publication of the UK Corporate Governance Code 2024 and associated guidance, the clock is now ticking for boards to fully understand the key changes and take action to review and update their governance arrangements where necessary. Our latest indigoINSIGHT explores the next steps for boards to consider in preparation for the new requirements.

The FRC have announced revisions to the UK Corporate Governance Code to enhance transparency and accountability for UK public limited companies, aiming to foster growth and competitiveness and attract investment. Key changes include clarifying reporting focus on board decisions, promoting diversity, strengthening risk management and introducing malus and clawback clauses in directors’ contracts. The revised Code will come into effect for financial years starting on or after 1 January 2025.

As the world looks to COP26 to deliver global commitments that will save the world from the escalating risks of climate change, our latest indigoINSIGHT examines how a combination of regulation and reporting requirements, investor pressures and changing stakeholder expectations are shaping not only companies’ environmental policies but also their response to the full range of ESG challenges.

It can be difficult to understand the full impact of ESG issues when looking at each in isolation. We welcome the thoughts of Boglarka Radi who explores why ESG is so crucial right now, and the importance of connecting the E, the S and the G.

Summer 2021 will bring new standards for whistleblowing policies from the International Organization for Standardization. What can be expected to change in light of recent significant incidents, and how can boards and governance professionals develop an organisational culture where colleagues feel empowered to speak up in confidence?

The Better Business Act has the potential to change shareholder primacy and strengthen mandatory consideration of all stakeholder groups as a matter of law, but how does it propose doing so and what implications may it have for everyday governance practices?

The pandemic accelerated the move to remote working for many of us. In preparation for changes in government advice when office working is again encouraged, what do boards need to consider for colleagues, and how will the governance challenges of a hybrid approach to working be met?

We have seen a series of changes to the thinking around best practice in corporate governance and regulation in the UK, amid a period of rapid technological and societal change. As we emerge from the pandemic, one thing is clear: the need for a sharp focus on stakeholder engagement.