At The GRC Network, our annual tradition this time of year is to set the tone with the key regulatory themes in the year ahead. We do this to highlight the areas GRC professionals should prioritise being familiar with.

2022 was the year for the regulators to react to the post-pandemic impact, such as financial and operational resilience, advance the ESG agenda, and consumer protection. The focus on these themes will continue into 2023. However, we enter an era of regulatory divergence as policymakers embark on a substantial review of financial services regulation following the UK’s exit from the EU and the recent Edinburgh Reforms proposals. 

In this month’s insight, we outline key themes that we expect to heavily influence developments in the UK financial services regulatory landscape in the year ahead. These themes will be covered separately in subsequent insights throughout the year.

1. The Edinburgh Reform Agenda
2. Growth of ESG Regulation, Transparency, and Scrutiny  
3. Consumer Protection and Consumer Duty
4. The rising cost of living
5. Anti-Money Laundering and Financial Crime
6. Operational Resilience and Regulation of Critical Third Parties
7. Conduct and Culture
8. Diversity
9. Regulation of FinTech and Cryptoassets