Climate change, global warming, extreme temperatures—these and other environmentally focused headlines are increasingly consuming our media feeds each day. From ongoing commentary on the cost of weather-related climate disasters in 2017 to the water drought crisis unfolding in Cape Town, it’s clear that the effects of climate change are global, and the impact can be seen and felt all around us.
As a company with operations in more than 100 countries around the globe—and $2.8 billion in purchasing power that we deploy through our global supply chain—we recognize that we are not immune to the effects of climate change on our business and operations. Climate change presents a current and future issue for our planet. Only collective solutions focused on both the short and long term will enable us to slow its effects, thrive in its existence and significantly impact the future outcomes for generations to come.
Organizations across the globe, such as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals or CDP’s efforts to measure environmental impact, are already working on such solutions. These are just two examples of the many initiatives that seek to bring companies, organizations and individuals together to address climate change today, while also identifying what we can all do to make a positive impact for the future.
ニールセンでは、気候変動が私たちのビジネスに及ぼす影響を数え切れないほど見てきました。例えば、気温の上昇はデータセンターの冷却コストの上昇につながります。燃料価格の上昇は、データ収集やクライアント・サービス・モデルにおける移動効率化のアプローチに影響を与えます。気候変動の関連性は業界を問わない。さまざまなレベルで、セクターを問わず、ほとんどのグローバル企業のリスクプロフィールの一部となっている。そしてそのレンズは、コスト上昇に関連するリスクだけにとどまらない。
2017年後半、私たちはこれを目の当たりにした。昨秋、天候に関連した複数の気候現象が発生した中、私たちの最大の関心事は当然ながら従業員だった。従業員の安全とケアを確保することが、私たちの最優先事項であり、これからもそうである。災害復旧と事業継続は、長年にわたって私たちの企業リスク管理（ERM）プロセスの一部でした。しかし、今回の出来事により、従業員への支援と顧客へのサービス提供への悪影響を最小限に抑えるため、将来の可能性に備えてシームレスなシステムを構築する必要性がより強く認識されました。
Understanding the climate-related risks to our people and business, and ensuring we have the proper governance channels and tactical systems in place, are integral to our climate-change strategy. We are currently finalizing our first climate risk assessment, working with an independent provider to evaluate what the physical and transition risks related to climate change mean for our unique business and global footprint. By better understanding and quantifying our susceptibility to the effects of climate change, we seek to prioritize our risk management activities, inform our evolving climate-change strategy, and share more information with our stakeholders about potential climate risks related to our business.
By being prepared to respond to, mitigate, or even prevent a business risk from climate change, we look to address the vulnerability that bridges the gap between present realities and future success in an increasingly resource-constrained world. We plan to share the results of this assessment in our second Nielsen Global Responsibility Report, publishing in June.
We’re committed to continuing our global sustainability efforts in the work we do every day. Our Technology/Operations Sustainability Council already guides our environmental sustainability work, particularly when it comes to identifying and creating new operational efficiencies. We also acknowledge the power of grassroots efforts and the role each one of our associates has to play in this. Our volunteer Nielsen Green leaders work with teams across real estate, facilities, and operations in their offices and communities to continuously identify and advocate for more sustainable ways of interacting with our natural environment.
アース・ウィークを目前に控え、私たちは世界中の従業員を動員し、私たちが環境に与える悪影響をさらに削減するための支援を行うことに興奮しています。
ニールセンは旅をしています。軌道を維持し、積極的な変化を加速させ、フットプリントの削減とリスクの軽減を両立させる新たな環境効率を創造し続ける責任があると認識しています。
Crystal Barnes is SVP, Global Responsibility & Sustainability, Nielsen, and Executive Director, Nielsen Foundation.
