James Thomas
This post has been provided courtesy of ICA
Regulators are placing greater scrutiny on organisations’ claims about their green credentials In response to global challenges such as climate change, an upsurge [1] in demand for ‘green’ financial products and services has taken place, and firms are today keen …
Given the speed at which new uses of blockchain technology are being developed , and the rate at which the market for virtual assets (VAs) is expanding and evolving, it comes as no surprise that the regulation of VAs remains …
Zeroing in: Making the transition to net zero Where does the financial sector lie on the path to net zero, and what are the next steps ahead? James Thomas reports As the urgency of the climate crisis grows increasingly clear, …
ESG has been climbing swiftly up the compliance agenda and, in the wake of COP26 , climate change is squarely in the spotlight. This represents a rapidly-evolving and expanding regulatory landscape, which many practitioners are working hard to navigate. In …
What challenges and opportunities does artificial intelligence present and how can risk and compliance practitioners best respond to these? James Thomas reports on recent ICA Roundtable events. Artificial intelligence (AI) promises to deliver extraordinary opportunities, but also introduces significant risks …
James Thomas considers fraud risks associated with cryptocurrencies in the context of COVID-19 “In the first five months of 2020, crypto thefts, hacks, and frauds totalled $1.36bn, suggesting 2020 could see the second-highest value in crypto crimes ever recorded. In …
2020 has been a year that most of us would gladly forget. Nevertheless, as we look towards 2021, it is worth considering the lessons learned over the last 12 months, assessing the evolving landscape, and (where possible) drawing on any …
The year began with the FCA coming under heavy criticism for suspending its thematic review into banking culture. However, the regulator recently reaffirmed in its Business Plan for 2016/17 that firms’ culture and governance is one of the seven priority …
Since the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) replaced the Financial Services Authority there has been a short run, but dramatic, trend in the UK towards greater whistleblowing activity. 2014 saw 1,367 complaints reported to the FCA, an increase of 44% on …
“Implementation Day” – the lifting of sanctions following Iran’s compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – came around more swiftly than some had anticipated at the time that the JCPOA was initially agreed. Anyone not expecting compliance …