Consultation open: the 2026 review of the Stewardship Code

We are consulting on a proposed revised Aotearoa New Zealand Stewardship Code. Submissions close 5.00pm, Friday 30 October 2026.

After four years and four reporting cycles, we are reviewing the Aotearoa New Zealand Stewardship Code. The aim is to ensure the Code keeps pace with improved market practice and international standards, while addressing areas where clarity and usability can be strengthened. We also want to keep the stability you've built your processes around, without adding new principles or reporting burden. The proposed changes draw on four years of signatory reporting, international benchmarking, and various domestic and international industry engagement.

Key proposed changes

• Two tiers of reporting: an annual activities and outcomes disclosure, and a policies and governance disclosure refreshed every three years

• A simpler conflicts of interest expectation

• "Requirements" renamed "Core Expectations"

• Further guidance provided around Te Ao Māori, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Indigenous peoples' rights

Documents

• Consultation paper: The consultation context and questions, and the updated Code in mark-up is available here.

• Clean Consultation Code: A clean version of the proposed updated Code is available here.

How to respond

Send your submission to jackson@stewardshipcode.nz by 5.00pm, Friday 30 October 2026. You don't need to answer every question, and comments on anything else are welcome. We intend to publish a summary of response themes, and won't publish individual submissions.

Timing

The current Code continues to apply, so please report as normal. We expect to publish the revised Code in December 2026, applying to reporting periods from 1 January 2027.