The House of Commons Treasury Committee’s Sexism in the City report found that sexism remains a widespread and significant problem and that barriers to women’s progress “remain stubbornly in place” in the City of London’s financial sector.
Little has changed over the last five years, with many firms continuing to regard diversity as a “tick box” exercise, says the report.
Read our review and commentary on the report.
Topics include the extent of misogyny, bullying, and sexual harassment, including rape, across the sector, as well as the “widespread misuse” of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).
We also provide some insights on what firms can do to address these problems, including firm leaders taking responsibility for tackling these challenges and enforcing policies to eradicate them, as well as training, and other strategies such as offering equalized maternity and paternity leave packages and facilitating hybrid, flexible and remote working patterns.
Further Reading
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has told listed companies that balanced materiality assessments, connected disclosures and transparent targets will be the focus of its reviews of 2026 sustainability statements.
The UN Biodiversity Conference (COP17) is under way in Yerevan, Armenia. Running from 19-30 October, the conference marks the halfway point to the global biodiversity targets agreed in 2022, and will be the first time countries review their collective progress. This article covers progress so far, and how nature and biodiversity are relevant to investors.
In September 2026, the FCA confirmed a set of updates to its rules on climate disclosure for UK investment firms. This article summarises the main changes and set out what firms need to do to stay compliant with the updated climate rules.
Regulatory updates on SDR, SFDR, ESOS, PRI and more in the Danesmead Advisory October 2026 newsletter.
As we move through 2026 and beyond, firms are facing several important milestones across both the UK and EU sustainability regulatory landscape.
In this article, we review four key regulations (ESOS, SFDR, SDR and CSRD), providing a clear guide on how to comply, by when and how to get started.
The PRI has published a new guide designed to help hedge fund managers and investors navigate responsible investment in a way that reflects the realities of the sector.
The European Parliament has stated its negotiating position on SFDR 2.0 This article explains the areas likely to shape the final rules and the practical steps asset managers should consider now.
The FCA's Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) sustainability entity-reporting rules extend to a wider cohort of UK asset managers and build on TCFD. Find out if you’re in scope and how to comply.
ESOS Phase 4 will place greater emphasis on action, requiring large UK organisations to demonstrate progress against previous energy-saving commitments and explain where measures have not been delivered. This article explains what businesses need to do to comply.