A new guide designed to help company directors comply with The Companies Act has been launched.

The Companies Act 2006: Directors Duties Guidance promises to help directors in a new obligation to consider their business' impact on people and the environment. The Act, which has been described as the "biggest shake up of company law for 150 years", came into effect earlier this month and requires some of the largest businesses to make public these impacts in annual reports.

Hannah Ellis, coordinator of Corporate Responsibility (CORE) Coalition, publishers of the guide said: "The Corporate Responsibility Coalition believes this government has a critical role to play in shaping the way UK Plc does business. We also want to make sure that directors are able to implement this new legislation with the minimum of fuss. It's a shame that the government couldn't come up with guidance itself, but with the publication of this guidance, we hope we've helped to fill the gap.”

The new guidance will be sent to all FTSE 100 companies and AIM listed companies.