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.
Na Nielsen, vemos os efeitos das mudanças climáticas em nossos negócios de inúmeras maneiras. O aumento das temperaturas, por exemplo, leva ao aumento dos custos de refrigeração de nossos data centers. Os preços mais altos dos combustíveis afetam nossa coleta de dados e nossa abordagem à eficiência das viagens em nosso modelo de atendimento ao cliente. A relevância das mudanças climáticas é independente do setor. Em diferentes níveis, elas fazem parte do perfil de risco da maioria das empresas globais, independentemente do setor. E essa perspectiva vai além dos riscos relacionados ao aumento dos custos.
No final de 2017, testemunhamos isso em primeira mão. Em meio aos múltiplos eventos climáticos relacionados ao tempo no outono passado, nossa principal preocupação era, naturalmente, nosso pessoal. Garantir que nossos funcionários estivessem seguros e bem cuidados era, e sempre será, nossa prioridade. A recuperação de desastres e a continuidade dos negócios fazem parte do nosso processo de Gestão de Risco Empresarial (ERM) há anos. Mas esses eventos reforçaram a necessidade de ter sistemas integrados para possibilidades futuras, tanto para prestar ajuda aos nossos associados quanto para minimizar os impactos negativos na prestação de serviços aos nossos clientes.
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.
Com a Semana da Terra se aproximando, estamos entusiasmados em mobilizar e apoiar nossos colaboradores em todo o mundo para reduzir ainda mais os impactos ambientais negativos que causamos.
A Nielsen está em uma jornada. Reconhecemos nossa responsabilidade de manter o rumo, acelerar mudanças positivas e continuar criando novas eficiências ambientais que reduzirão nossa pegada ecológica e mitigarão riscos sempre que possível.
Crystal Barnes is SVP, Global Responsibility & Sustainability, Nielsen, and Executive Director, Nielsen Foundation.
