Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Governance
• People
• Environment
• Community

Environmental Achievements

• Launched new environmental targets for 2015 (CO2 emissions -10%, total energy -5%, travel emissions -5%, water -10%, waste recycled 70%)
• Ten locations achieved green status by meeting five of eight environmental standards.

Social Achievements

• 80% of employees completed online Code of Ethics training.
• Global Employee Opinion Survey (EOS) with 72% participation; improved scores on valuing people, receptiveness to ideas, teamwork.
• Launched RE:Fit2Win, a global employee wellness competition.
• Expanded Socially Responsible Supplier (SRS) database to 589 suppliers; 50% signed Supplier Code of Conduct.
• 39 of 40 planned external audits of high-risk suppliers completed.
• LexisNexis supported ADAM, a tool for locating missing children, aiding in the recovery of over 100 children.
• LexisNexis provided 2,000 legal texts to support access to justice in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.
• Reed Business Information's Variety program raised over $1.25 million to aid children.
• 11% rise in employee volunteering; £2.5 million in cash donations and £4.4 million in in-kind contributions.

Governance Achievements

• Updated Code of Ethics and Business Conduct.
• Strengthened independent Boards with new appointments.
• Implemented standards of corporate governance and disclosure policies compliant with UK, Netherlands, and US stock exchange requirements.
• Regular dialogue with institutional shareholders; periodic reports on shareholder attitudes and views.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Significant downturn in advertising and promotion markets impacting Reed Exhibitions and Reed Business Information.
• Global recession impacting customer budgets and transactional activity.
• Pressure on academic budgets affecting Elsevier.
• Late-cycle effects in professional markets.
• Transformation of Martindale-Hubbell into a web marketing services company.
• Traditional advertising-based magazine business model challenged.

Mitigation Strategies

• Substantial cost reductions across the business.
• Exceptional restructuring programs.
• Equity placing to strengthen balance sheet.
• Focus on developing online services and data services businesses.
• Integration of ChoicePoint acquisition.
• Development of next-generation legal product platform and back-office infrastructure.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 39 of 40 planned audits completed in 2009.

Responsible Procurement

• Socially Responsible Supplier (SRS) database.
• Supplier Code of Conduct.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: IFRS

Awards & Recognition

• Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World
• Dow Jones Sustainability Index
• SAM Sustainability Yearbook
• FTSE4Good
• Finalist for VBDO Supply Chain Award
• CR Finalist, UK National Business Awards
• 4th place in sector group, Carbon Disclosure Project’s Global 500 Climate Leaders Index
• Goldman Sachs Sustain Fund as a “best managed” sustainable company
• One of 50 companies in Global Challenges Index

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Governance
• People and community
• Customers
• Health and safety
• Supply Chain
• Environment

Environmental Achievements

• 26 sites achieved five or more environmental standards, a 38% increase from the previous year.
• 29% reduction in health and safety severity rate (lost days per 200,000 hours worked) between 2008 and 2010.
• 60% of key suppliers signed the Supplier Code of Conduct.

Social Achievements

• 93% of employees completed Code of Ethics and Business Conduct training.
• 80% of employees in higher-risk roles completed anti-bribery training.
• Reed Elsevier Cares donated £2.3 million in cash and the equivalent of £6.6 million in products, services, and staff time.
• Launched the Reed Elsevier Environmental Challenge to improve sustainable access to water.

Governance Achievements

• Implemented activities to address results of the 2009 global Employee Opinion Survey.
• Developed a Diversity and Inclusion strategy.
• Completed Reed Elsevier Code of Ethics and Business Conduct training for 93% of employees.
• Implemented updated records management policy.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Constrained customer budget environment in many markets.
• Lower levels of law firm activity and employment.
• Continued contraction in corporate, government, and academic markets.
• Dampening impact on demand from the global recession.
• Accelerated migration of customer marketing spend to web media.

Mitigation Strategies

• Focus on cost efficiency and process innovation.
• Increased spending on new product development, infrastructure, and sales & marketing.
• Restructuring and refocusing of portfolios.
• Portfolio actions taken (divestment of low-return assets).
• Significant cost reductions.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 43 external audits of high-risk suppliers

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct
• Socially Responsible Supplier (SRS) database

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Not disclosed

Transition Risks

• Not disclosed

Opportunities

• Not disclosed

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: UNGC

Certifications: ISO 14001

Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Not disclosed

Not disclosed

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Not disclosed

Awards & Recognition

• Platinum, Business in the Community’s Corporate Responsibility Index
• Carbon Disclosure Project Leadership Index
• Dow Jones Sustainability Index and SAM Sustainability Yearbook
• Ethibel Pioneer and Ethibel Excellence Investment Registers
• FTSE4Good Index
• Goldman Sachs Sustain fund
• Triodos Bank Sustainable Equity/Bond Fund
• VBDO Supply Chain Award
• JISC Publisher Lookup Award for Accessibility

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Governance
• People
• Customers
• Community
• Supply chain
• Environment

Environmental Achievements

• Achieved 23% renewable energy
• Reduced total energy usage at office locations by 12%
• Achieved a 6% reduction in absolute scope 2 emissions
• Achieved an 11% reduction in scope 3 business travel emissions from 2010
• Reduced total waste generated by 7%
• Increased recycled waste to 66%
• Increased waste diverted from landfill to 69%

Social Achievements

• 99% of staff completed Code of Ethics and Business Conduct training
• Formed a Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Group
• Launched a new wellbeing program (ReACh) for US employees
• Expanded workstation assessments in the UK
• Launched Re Cares recognition awards

Governance Achievements

• Full alignment with Adequate Procedures Guidance under the UK Bribery Act
• 99% of employees completed preventing bribery training
• Implemented updated records management policy

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Reducing absolute energy usage while continuing business growth
• Managing environmental impacts across a global supply chain
• Ensuring consistent health and safety reporting across all locations
• Addressing water usage in water-stressed areas
• Reducing scope 3 emissions beyond business travel

Mitigation Strategies

• Setting intensity targets for emissions reductions
• Implementing a Socially Responsible Suppliers (SRS) program
• Harmonizing local health and safety reporting with global guidelines
• Setting targets for water usage reduction in water-stressed areas
• Expanding data collection on indirect scope 3 emissions

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 41 external audits of high-risk suppliers/year

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct
• Social Responsibility survey
• Sustainable wages pilot in India and China
• Product safety standards

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Not disclosed

Transition Risks

• Regulation on climate change, green taxes, sustainable paper

Opportunities

• Increased demand for environmental information, cost savings from efficiencies

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI

Certifications: ISO 14001 (some locations)

Third-party Assurance: Ernst & Young LLP (limited assurance on environmental and health & safety data); Corporate Citizenship (community involvement data)

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Not disclosed

Not disclosed

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Online search and discovery tool for biofuels (Elsevier Biofuel)
• Lexis Advance (LexisNexis Legal & Professional)

Awards & Recognition

• Gold Ethical Funds recognition
• Included in Leadership Index
• Ethibel Pioneer and Ethibel Excellence
• VBDO Supply Chain Award
• LexisNexis Risk Solutions awards (Cygnus, BtoB)
• LexisNexis Legal & Professional awards (Web Marketing Association)
• Reed Exhibitions awards (BtoB)
• Reed Business Information awards (Association of British Science Writers, Data and Digital Publishing Awards)

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Governance
• People
• Customers
• Community
• Supply Management
• Environment

Environmental Achievements

• 33% of electricity needs met through renewable energy and offsets
• 58% of key locations achieved five or more updated RE environmental standards
• 7% reduction in car fleet emissions
• 9% reduction in absolute scope 2 emissions
• 67% of waste diverted from landfill
• 96% of Reed Elsevier papers by weight were graded on PREPS, 100% from known and responsible sources

Social Achievements

• 100% of employees completed online training on Code of Ethics and Business Conduct and anti-bribery training
• 77% participation rate in global employee opinion survey
• 44% quit rate among US employees who participated in stop smoking programs
• 20,200 disadvantaged young people helped through RE Cares program
• Diversity and inclusion training pilots completed for all business units

Governance Achievements

• 100% of employees completed Code of Ethics and Business Conduct training
• Record Management Policy issued to all employees in English-speaking countries
• Continued bribery law compliance activities

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Reducing absolute energy usage while continuing business growth
• Managing environmental impacts across diverse locations and varying standards
• Addressing water stress in certain locations
• Expanding scope 3 emissions reporting and data collection
• Ensuring consistent data quality across all locations

Mitigation Strategies

• Setting intensity targets to measure efficiency
• Implementing environmental management systems (EMS)
• Focusing on key locations in water-stressed areas
• Developing methodologies for estimating indirect scope 3 emissions
• Improving data collection and record-keeping practices

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 56 external audits of high-risk suppliers

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct
• Socially Responsible Supplier Academy
• PREPS database for paper sustainability

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Extreme weather

Transition Risks

• Regulatory changes, market shifts

Opportunities

• Development of energy-efficient products

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI, UN Global Compact

Certifications: ISO 14001

Third-party Assurance: Ernst & Young LLP, Corporate Citizenship Company

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Comprehensive Renewable Energy (Elsevier)
• Energy Strategy Reviews (Elsevier)

Awards & Recognition

• Business in the Community CR Index – Platinum status
• Caring for Climate Top 25 performer
• Ethibel Pioneer and Ethibel Excellence
• Vigeo Top 20

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Universal sustainable access to information
• Advance of science and health
• Protection of society
• Promotion of the rule of law and access to justice
• Governance
• People
• Customers
• Community
• Supply chain
• Environment

Environmental Achievements

• Attained 40% of electricity from renewable sources
• 77 sites (64% of key locations) achieved five or more environmental standards attaining green status
• Reduced lost time reportable cases (36 in 2013 vs 49 in 2012)

Social Achievements

• Launched a health coach program for US employees (2,808 calls logged; 226 staff engaged)
• Expanded diversity and inclusion training across business units
• 77% Employee Opinion Survey participation
• RE Cares global community program donated £2.5m in cash and equivalent of £3.1m in products, services, and staff time; 31% of employees volunteered
• LexisNexis Legal & Professional drafted Global Rule of Law Business Principles
• LexisNexis Risk Solutions' ADAM program located four missing children in 2013

Governance Achievements

• Achieved 100% completion of all computer-based compliance courses within six months of issuance
• Advanced Record Management Policy implementation and rolled out translations
• Enhanced training program for internal investigators of Code of Ethics and Business Conduct breaches
• Women made up 30% of Reed Elsevier NV Board and 22% of Reed Elsevier PLC Board

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Demand for products and services impacted by economic environment and government funding
• Potential challenges to intellectual property rights
• Disruption or loss of data sources
• Debate on alternative payment models for scientific publications
• Competition in highly competitive markets
• Potential for acquisitions to not generate anticipated benefits
• Technology failure and security breaches
• Data security breaches
• Poor performance of third-party vendors
• Difficulty recruiting and retaining high-quality people
• Fluctuations in exchange rates
• Changes in tax laws and interpretations
• Breaches of ethical business standards
• Environmental impact

Mitigation Strategies

• Focus on professional markets resilient to economic downturns
• Active engagement in protecting intellectual property rights
• Seeking proprietary content and contracts with third-party suppliers
• Engagement with stakeholders in the STM community
• Continuous investment in products, services, and infrastructure
• Well-formulated process for reviewing and executing acquisitions
• Procedures for protecting technology assets and business continuity plans
• Data privacy and security programs
• Careful vendor selection and monitoring
• Management development and talent review programs
• Hedging strategies for foreign exchange risks
• Clear tax policies and dialogue with tax authorities
• Reed Elsevier Code of Ethics and Business Conduct and training programs
• Limiting resource use and employing sustainable materials and technologies

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 56 external audits

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI, UNGC

Certifications: ISO 14001

Awards & Recognition

• CDP Leadership Index
• RobecoSAM Sustainability Yearbook 2013 runner up
• Triodos Sustainable Equity/Bond Fund best in class

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Governance
• People
• Customers
• Community
• Supply chain
• Environment
• Our unique contributions

Environmental Achievements

• Purchased 46% of electricity from renewable energy and renewable energy certificates
• 81 sites (72% of key locations) achieved five or more environmental standards and attained green status
• Reduced Scope 1 emissions intensity by 20%
• Reduced Scope 2 emissions intensity by 10%
• Reduced office energy use intensity by 10%
• Achieved 70% waste diverted from landfill

Social Achievements

• Supported indigenous African research through Publishers Without Borders
• Advanced Business for the Rule of Law with the United Nations Global Compact
• Helped recover three missing children through the Automated Delivery of Alerts on Missing Children (ADAM) programme
• Workforce is 53% female and 47% male
• Number of lost time reportable cases decreased (23 in 2014 vs 31 in 2013)
• 79 teams participated in re:fit2win global wellbeing competition

Governance Achievements

• Improved processes to ensure compliance with sanctions laws
• Released new Privacy Principles setting out our approach to data protection and privacy
• 100% completion rates for all mandatory online training courses within four months of issuance
• NYSE Governance Services ranked our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct among the top 10%

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Demand for products and services may be impacted by economic environment and government funding
• Proprietary rights could be challenged, limited, invalidated or circumvented
• Disruption or loss of data sources from external suppliers
• Debate regarding funding models for scientific publications (author-pays, open access)
• Highly competitive markets with technological innovations and regulatory changes
• Failure to generate anticipated benefits from acquisitions
• Technology failure, interruption, or security breach
• Data security breaches
• Poor performance of third-party vendors
• Difficulty recruiting, motivating, and retaining high-quality personnel
• Failure to meet evolving customer needs
• Adverse changes to asset values, discount rates, or inflation in pension schemes
• Changes or differing interpretations of tax laws
• Breach of ethical business standards
• Failure to manage environmental impact

Mitigation Strategies

• Focus on resilient professional markets and long-term growth markets
• Active engagement in developing and promoting legal protection of intellectual property rights
• Proprietary content and contracts with third-party suppliers
• Active dialogue with regulatory authorities
• Engagement with stakeholders and diverse payment models for STM publishing
• Market insights, continuous investment in products and services
• Established procedures for technology asset protection and business continuity plans
• Data privacy and security programmes
• Careful vendor selection and monitoring of service levels
• Management development and talent review programmes
• User-centred design and customer analytics
• Professional management of pension schemes and regular review of funding requirements
• Clear and consistent tax policies and dialogue with tax authorities
• Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, training, and reporting processes
• Reducing resource use and employing sustainable materials and technologies

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 56/year

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI, UNGC

Certifications: ISO 14001

Third-party Assurance: EY

Awards & Recognition

• AEO Excellence Awards 2014 (Best Overseas Tradeshow Exhibition, Best Tradeshow Exhibition Overall)
• 2014 Corporate Social Responsibility Award (Reed Exhibitions South Africa)
• UK National Business Awards – Sustainability Award finalist

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Governance
• People
• Customers
• Community
• Supply Chain
• Environment
• Unique Contributions (advancing science and health, protecting society, promoting the rule of law, fostering communities)

Environmental Achievements

• Secured 50% of electricity needs from renewable energy or Renewable Energy Certificates.
• Reduced total waste generated by 23% (7,604t in 2015 vs 9,860t in 2014). Of this, 70% was recycled and 75% diverted from landfill.

Social Achievements

• Mapped internal practice against the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles.
• 80% of locations participated in RE Cares Month volunteering.
• Increased employee volunteering by 21%.

Governance Achievements

• Established a standard approach for development and issuance of compliance and data privacy policies.
• Enhanced trade sanctions and export controls compliance procedures and tools.
• Revised the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Customer product acceptance (ensuring high quality and reliable products and services).
• Data privacy and security.
• Meeting customer needs.
• Ethical supply chain practice.
• Environmental impacts (energy, water, waste).

Mitigation Strategies

• Implemented RELX Group Quality First Principles and access initiatives.
• Held a stakeholder session on data privacy.
• Developed a compliance plan for new EU data protection regulations.
• Engaged with approximately 400 key suppliers through a socially responsible supplier program.
• Set new environmental targets for 2016-2020 (science-based targets).

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 86 independent external audits

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct
• Socially Responsible Supplier (SRS) program
• US Supplier Diversity program

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Flooding

Transition Risks

• Regulatory changes on climate change, green taxes, and sustainable paper.

Opportunities

• Increased demand for environmental information.
• Cost savings from efficiencies.

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI, UN Global Compact

Certifications: ISO 14001

Third-party Assurance: EY (limited assurance on health & safety, environment, climate change, waste, and paper data); LBG (community data)

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 3: Good health and well-being
• SDG 4: Quality education
• SDG 10: Reduced inequalities
• SDG 13: Climate action
• SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions

RELX Group's unique contributions map to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Elsevier's journals on environmental sustainability and resource-efficient technologies.

Awards & Recognition

• Washington DC Police Foundation Public Safety Business Partner of the Year (Risk & Business Analytics)
• Various awards for Elsevier, LexisNexis, and Reed Exhibitions products and employees.

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Governance
• People
• Customers
• Community
• Supply chain
• Environment
• Unique Contributions

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced Scope 2 (location-based) emissions by 4% against 2015.
• Purchased renewable electricity equivalent to 62% of global consumption.
• 33% of reporting locations achieved five or more Enhanced Environmental Standards.

Social Achievements

• Launched Innovations in Health Information programme.
• Launched Women in Technology Mentoring Programme.
• Expanded Diversity and Inclusion Employee Resource Groups (eight new networks launched).

Governance Achievements

• Developed compliance plan for impending EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
• Implemented enhanced email retention policy.
• Expanded network of global compliance investigators.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Meeting customer needs.
• Attracting and retaining the right people.
• Maintaining an ethical supply chain.
• Managing environmental footprint.
• Green taxes and greater regulation of climate change and sustainable paper.
• Varying health and safety standards across different countries.

Mitigation Strategies

• Implemented RELX Group Quality First Principles.
• Focus on talent development, diversity and inclusion, and well-being.
• Comprehensive Supplier Code of Conduct and Socially Responsible Supplier (SRS) programme.
• Global Environmental Policy and Environmental Management System (EMS), aligned with ISO 14001.
• Risk-based approach to managing environmental risks and opportunities.
• Harmonising local health and safety reporting with global guidelines.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 89 independent external audits

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct (in 16 languages)
• Socially Responsible Supplier (SRS) programme
• Workplace Conditions Assessment (WCA) and Corrective and Preventative Actions (CAPA) audits
• PREPS for paper suppliers
• US Supplier Diversity programme

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Not disclosed

Transition Risks

• Green taxes
• Greater regulation of climate change

Opportunities

• Increased demand for environmental information
• Reduced expenditure from efficiencies

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI, UNGC

Certifications: ISO 14001

Third-party Assurance: EY, LBG, Corporate Citizenship

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 3
• SDG 4
• SDG 5
• SDG 6
• SDG 8
• SDG 10
• SDG 12
• SDG 13
• SDG 16

Initiatives aligned with SDGs detailed throughout the report.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• New metrics in SciVal to understand economic impact of research.
• Integration of LexisNexis Risk Solutions anti-money laundering data into Elliptic’s Bitcoin transaction monitoring products.
• Search Term Maps in LexisAdvance.
• Online matchmaking tool at PSI.

Awards & Recognition

• Numerous awards for employees, products, and shows (detailed in report).
• Elsevier won EDGE Assess level of gender equality certification.
• LexisNexis Legal & Professional won Outsourcing Service Provider of the Year and Outsourcing Employer of the Year (A Data Pro).

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Data privacy and security
• Having the right people
• Universal, sustainable access to information
• Advance of science and health
• Protection of society
• Promotion of the rule of law and access to justice
• Fostering communities
• Governance
• People
• Customers
• Community
• Supply chain
• Environment

Environmental Achievements

• Purchased 72% of electricity from renewable energy and Renewable Energy Certificates
• 37 sites (36% of key locations) achieved five or more environmental standards and attained green status
• Reduced Scope 1 and 2 location-based carbon emissions by 42% against a 2010 baseline
• Reduced energy and fuel consumption by 32% against a 2010 baseline
• Decreased total waste generated at reporting locations by 47% against a 2010 baseline
• 87% of waste from reporting locations diverted from landfill
• Achieved ISO 14001 Environmental Management System certification at three additional locations

Social Achievements

• Expanded women in technology mentor pilot to include mentees in the US and China as well as the UK, and developed a new mentor programme for high potential women
• Expanded fraud prevention and cyber security awareness efforts and continued to tighten related controls through mandatory training Group-wide
• More than 2,400 employees received advanced in-person compliance training
• Launched the free RELX Group SDG Resource Centre
• Donated £3.4m in cash (including through matching gifts) and the equivalent of £9.2m in products, services and staff time
• Reached more than 24,000 disadvantaged young people through time, in-kind and cash donations
• Increased skills-based volunteering by six percentage points
• Minority, woman, and veteran-owned spend increased by 8% in US Supplier Diversity programme
• Spend with diverse suppliers was 11.4% of total US spend

Governance Achievements

• Advanced a more structured approach to compliance training for employees in higher-risk roles and locations by creating a resource library with presentations on competition law, anti-bribery, anti-harassment, trade sanctions and fostering a culture of compliance
• Over 44% of non-executive directors on the Board are women
• Updated our Modern Slavery Act Statement
• Simplified corporate structure into a single parent company
• Continued training of investigators who handle employee relations and financial misconduct matters
• Reorganised the RELX Group Compliance function around globally recognised compliance principles

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Demand for products and services may be adversely impacted by economic environment, political uncertainties, acts of war, terrorism, and civil unrest
• Proprietary rights could be challenged, limited, invalidated, or circumvented
• Disruption or loss of data sources due to changes in law or data suppliers
• Debate regarding funding of scientific content through author fees or free availability
• Competition in highly competitive markets with rapid technological innovations and regulatory changes
• Failure to generate anticipated benefits from acquisitions
• Technology failure, interruption, or security breach
• Cyber security risks, including unauthorized access and use of data
• Supply chain dependencies and poor performance of third parties
• Difficulty recruiting, motivating, and retaining skilled employees
• Adverse changes to asset values, discount rates, longevity assumptions, or inflation in pension schemes
• Changes in tax laws and interpretations
• Fluctuations in exchange rates
• Breach of ethical business standards or applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption statutes
• Failure to manage environmental impact

Mitigation Strategies

• Focus on professional markets resilient in economic downturns; long-term global growth markets; disposal of non-fitting businesses; continuous monitoring of economic and political developments
• Active engagement in developing and promoting legal protection of intellectual property rights; subscription contracts with provisions regarding proprietary content; legal action against illegal content distribution
• Seeking proprietary content; contracts with third-party suppliers; dialogue with regulatory authorities; global privacy program
• Engagement with stakeholders; alternative business models; focus on content quality, accessibility, and plagiarism prevention
• Insights into markets and customer needs; investment in products, services, and infrastructure
• Well-formulated acquisition review and execution process; post-acquisition integration management; monitoring of acquisition performance
• Procedures for protection of technology assets; business continuity plans; back-up delivery systems
• Data privacy and security programs; administrative, technical, and physical controls; incident response plans; monitoring of third-party service providers
• Careful vendor selection; contractual service levels; monitoring of key performance indicators; supplier audits; business continuity plans
• Management development and talent review programs; monitoring of capability needs; tailored remuneration schemes; feedback from employees; diversity and inclusion strategy
• Professional management of pension schemes; appropriate asset allocation; review of funding requirements; review of pension benefits and scheme arrangements
• Open dialogue with tax authorities; clear and consistent tax policies; engagement with policymakers and international organizations
• Approach to capital structure and funding; management of treasury risks
• Code of Ethics and Business Conduct; training programs; processes for reporting and investigating unethical conduct; Supplier Code of Conduct
• Reducing resource use; sustainable materials and technologies; compliance with environmental regulations; supplier requirements

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 83

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: UNGC, UK Corporate Governance Code, Dutch Corporate Governance Code

Certifications: ISO 14001

Third-party Assurance: EY

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 3
• SDG 4
• SDG 10
• SDG 13
• SDG 16

The RELX Group SDG Resource Centre provides articles, tools, news, events, networking and original research related to the SDGs.

Awards & Recognition

• Freedom House’s Corporate Leadership Award
• SEAL award for Business Sustainability
• Corporate Responsibility Reporting Awards ’17 – Top 10 Best Corporate Responsibility Report – Top 10 Best Carbon Reporting

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Human rights
• Data privacy and security
• Rule of Law
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Environment
• Supply chain ethics

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced Scope 1 and 2 location-based carbon emissions by 9% and 12% respectively.
• Reduced energy consumption by 4%.
• Reduced water consumption by 4%.
• Reduced waste sent to landfill by 1 percentage point.
• Purchased renewable electricity equivalent to 81% of global consumption.

Social Achievements

• Launched the RELX SDG Resource Centre.
• Expanded Rule of Law Cafés to new jurisdictions.
• Held the first-ever Diversity & Inclusion Awareness Month.
• Updated diversity and inclusion strategy.
• Advanced Women in Technology mentor programme.
• Conducted triennial Employee Opinion Survey with 90% response rate, showing increased engagement and satisfaction.
• Launched Rapid Education Action (REACT) online platform.
• Supported the launch of a new training course for UK police to help find missing children more quickly.
• Donated £3.7m in cash and the equivalent of £13.9m in products, services and staff time.

Governance Achievements

• Completed the simplification of the company’s corporate structure into a single parent company.
• Launched the newly revised RELX Code of Ethics and Business Conduct.
• Updated Modern Slavery Act Statement.
• Maintained UNGC LEAD company status.
• Won the PwC Building Public Trust Award for Cyber Security Reporting.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Demand for products and services may be impacted by economic conditions, political uncertainties, and government funding levels.
• Intellectual property rights could be challenged.
• Disruption or loss of data sources due to data privacy laws or supplier decisions.
• Compromise of data privacy due to cyber security failures.
• Debate regarding funding models for scientific research content.
• Failure to meet evolving customer needs.
• Market disruption due to technological innovations and regulatory changes.
• Inability to generate anticipated benefits from acquisitions.
• Adverse changes to asset values in pension schemes.
• Changes in tax laws and interpretations.
• Fluctuations in exchange rates.
• Breach of ethical business standards.

Mitigation Strategies

• Diversified businesses, subscription-based revenue models, and expansion into growth markets.
• Active engagement in protecting intellectual property rights.
• Proprietary content, contracts with third-party suppliers, and dialogue with regulatory authorities.
• Security programmes, incident response plans, and data security policies.
• Investment in different payment models for research content.
• User-centered design, customer analytics, and investment in new technologies.
• Continuous investment in products and services, and market monitoring.
• Well-formulated acquisition process and post-acquisition integration management.
• Professional management of pension schemes and regular review of funding requirements.
• Open dialogue with tax authorities, clear tax policies, and engagement with international organizations.
• Hedging strategies and limits on counterparty exposures.
• Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, training, and monitoring processes.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 84 external audits

Responsible Procurement

• Socially Responsible Supplier (SRS) programme
• Supplier Code of Conduct

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: UNGC, Companies Act 2006

Certifications: ISO 14001

Third-party Assurance: EY

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 3
• SDG 4
• SDG 11
• SDG 13
• SDG 16

Initiatives to advance science and health, quality education, sustainable cities, climate action, and peace, justice and strong institutions.

Awards & Recognition

• PwC Building Public Trust Award for Cyber Security Reporting
• Forbes World’s Most Innovative Companies

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Environmental
• Social
• Governance
• Human Rights
• Anti-corruption

Environmental Achievements

• Purchased 96% of electricity from renewable energy and Renewable Energy Certificates
• Reduced Scope 1 and Scope 2 (location-based) carbon emissions by 52% from a 2010 baseline
• Reduced energy and fuel consumption by 41% below the 2010 baseline
• Reduced waste generated at reporting locations by 66% below the 2010 baseline
• 56% of key locations achieved green status by meeting five or more environmental standards

Social Achievements

• Launched LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation to facilitate projects on the rule of law
• Increased the number of women in tech mentoring program to 95 pairs
• Reached 30% women on executive team
• 45% of staff volunteered in communities
• Donated £4m in cash and equivalent of £14.7m in products, services and staff time

Governance Achievements

• Updated Modern Slavery Act Statement
• Updated Code of Ethics and Business Conduct
• Expanded ISO27001 data protection compliance certification
• Implemented standards of corporate governance and disclosure applicable to a UK incorporated company, with listings in London, Amsterdam and New York
• Maintained AAA ESG rating with MSCI for the fourth consecutive year

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Demand for products and services may be impacted by economic conditions, political uncertainties, epidemics, and government funding levels
• Intellectual property rights could be challenged or circumvented
• Disruption or loss of data sources due to data privacy laws or supplier decisions
• Debate on funding models for scientific research content (paid subscriptions vs. author fees/open access)
• Data privacy compromise through cyber security failures or non-compliance

Mitigation Strategies

• Diversified businesses, subscription revenue models, focus on long-term growth markets, continuous monitoring of economic and political developments, scenario planning
• Active engagement in protecting intellectual property rights, subscription contracts with provisions on proprietary content, legal action against illegal distribution
• Mix of data sources, contracts with third-party suppliers, dialogue with regulatory authorities
• Investment in all business models, focus on content quality, efficient platforms, and accessibility
• Data privacy principles, governance structures, control programs, incident response plans, data privacy embedded in third-party agreements

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 93/year

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct (available in 16 languages)
• Supplier diversity program
• Socially Responsible Supplier (SRS) program

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Adverse weather

Transition Risks

• Regulatory changes
• Market shifts

Opportunities

• Development of energy-efficient products

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: UNGC, UK Corporate Governance Code

Certifications: ISO 14001, ISO 27001

Third-party Assurance: EY

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 3
• SDG 6
• SDG 11
• SDG 13
• SDG 16

RELX's products, services, tools, and events advance the UN's Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Not disclosed

Awards & Recognition

• 2nd in S&P Global 1200 for ESG performance (CSRHub)
• 6th in Responsibility 100 index
• AAA ESG rating with MSCI

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Unique Contributions (advancing science and health, protecting society, promoting the rule of law, fostering communities, universal sustainable access to information)
• Governance
• People
• Customers
• Community
• Supply Chain
• Environment

Environmental Achievements

• Purchased renewable electricity equivalent to 100% of global consumption.
• Achieved ISO 14001 EMS certification at 55% of the business by headcount.
• Reduced Scope 1 emissions by 42% and Scope 2 (location-based) emissions by 22%.

Social Achievements

• Launched a suite of 2020-2025 inclusion goals.
• Provided manager training on pay principles and equal pay.
• Expanded the Well-being Champions network and trained more mental health employee leads.
• Expanded financial inclusion pilots to Colombia.

Governance Achievements

• Continued corporate security incident response preparedness and strengthened controls to increase resilience to user-based attacks.
• Implemented Advanced Threat Protection, blocking approximately 10,000 threats a day.
• Completed California Consumer Privacy Act compliance quality review.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Coronavirus pandemic impacting events business and employee well-being.
• Supply chain disruptions.
• Maintaining data security.

Mitigation Strategies

• Provided employees with an extra day off and access to well-being resources.
• Developed alternative sourcing strategies and implemented virtual audit solutions.
• Implemented Advanced Threat Protection and created a ransomware response policy.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 99 audits completed in 2020 (including virtual onsite and desktop audits)

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct (available in 16 languages)
• Socially Responsible Supplier (SRS) programme

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Extreme weather events
• Drought
• Increased precipitation
• Rising sea levels

Transition Risks

• Green taxes
• Greater regulation of climate change
• Changes in energy markets

Opportunities

• Increased demand for environmental content, services, and events
• Reduced expenditure as a result of efficiencies

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI Standards: Core option, TCFD

Certifications: ISO 14001

Third-party Assurance: EY and Business for Societal Impact

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 1
• SDG 2
• SDG 3
• SDG 4
• SDG 5
• SDG 6
• SDG 7
• SDG 8
• SDG 9
• SDG 10
• SDG 11
• SDG 12
• SDG 13
• SDG 14
• SDG 15
• SDG 16
• SDG 17

Detailed explanation of how initiatives contribute to each SDG provided in Appendix 7.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Transition to Practice (online learning platform for nurses)
• Riskview (financial inclusion tool)
• Atlas (digital platform for exhibitions)

Awards & Recognition

• Sustainalytics ESG Risk Rating - 1st percentile
• Constituent of MSCI UK ESG Leaders Index
• 4th in Responsibility100 Index
• World Benchmarking Alliance’s SDG2000 list

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Climate Change
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Governance
• Human Rights
• Supply Chain Responsibility
• Community Engagement

Environmental Achievements

• Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 (work-related flights, cloud computing, home-based working and commuting) emissions were net zero in 2021.
• 70% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 (location-based) emissions since 2010.
• 16% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 (location-based) emissions from 2020 to 2021.
• Reduced total energy by 12%, water use by 19%, and waste sent to landfill by 38% in 2021.

Social Achievements

• Increased the number of women in managerial roles to 44% in 2021.
• Employee engagement increased 13 points to 68% compared to the last company-wide survey three years earlier.
• Launched a fellowship programme with Historically Black Colleges and Universities Law School Consortium.
• Contributed over 182,000 books to Book Aid International and Books for Africa.

Governance Achievements

• Maintained AAA MSCI ESG rating for a sixth consecutive year.
• Achieved top ranking among media companies globally with Sustainalytics.
• Maintained 4th position in the Responsibility100 Index.
• Updated Modern Slavery Act Statement.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Covid-19 pandemic impact on face-to-face events in the Exhibitions business.
• Data privacy laws and their interpretation.
• Competition in dynamic markets.
• Cybersecurity threats.
• Supply chain dependencies.
• Talent acquisition and retention.

Mitigation Strategies

• Developed and launched new digital tools and services.
• Established data privacy principles, governance structures, and control programs.
• Continuously invested in products, services, and infrastructure.
• Established security programs and incident response plans.
• Carefully selected vendors and established contractual service levels.
• Implemented management development and talent review programs.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 111 external audits (28 onsite, 83 desktop)

Responsible Procurement

• Comprehensive Supplier Code of Conduct in 16 languages.
• Socially Responsible Supplier (SRS) program.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Severe weather events
• Sea level rise

Transition Risks

• Increased carbon pricing
• Enhanced reporting obligations
• Reputational damage

Opportunities

• Increased demand for environmental products and services.

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI, SASB, TCFD, UNGC

Certifications: ISO 14001

Third-party Assurance: EY, BSI

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 3
• SDG 5
• SDG 8
• SDG 10
• SDG 11
• SDG 12
• SDG 13
• SDG 16
• SDG 17

RELX's products, services, and initiatives contribute to various SDGs.

Awards & Recognition

• AAA MSCI ESG rating
• Top Sustainalytics ranking
• 4th in Responsibility100 Index
• Bloomberg Gender Equality Index constituent

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Governance
• People
• Customers
• Community
• Supply chain
• Environment

Environmental Achievements

• 74% reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 (location-based) emissions since 2010
• 100% of electricity from renewable sources (using RECs for a portion outside the US)
• 99% of production paper from known and responsible sources or certified to FSC or PEFC
• 97% of waste diverted from landfill

Social Achievements

• Launched Decision Trust, increasing acceptance rates by up to 500% for credit applications in emerging markets
• Increased number of research articles available on the RELX SDG Resource Centre by 24%
• Improved employee engagement score to 98%
• Increased gender diversity of senior leaders to 31%
• Expanded inclusion initiatives encompassing training, development, and recruitment

Governance Achievements

• Achieved Group certification to ISO 14001 Environmental Management System
• Completed third-party assessments of cybersecurity programs against the NIST Cybersecurity Framework
• Updated RELX Modern Slavery Act Statement
• Published RELX Responsible AI Principles

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Lack of access to sustainable credit in emerging markets
• Supply chain disruptions due to extreme weather events
• Maintaining ethical standards across a global supply chain
• Data privacy and security concerns
• Managing climate risks

Mitigation Strategies

• Using alternative credit data to assess borrowers
• Implementing a comprehensive business continuity program
• Establishing a Socially Responsible Supplier (SRS) program with audits and a Supplier Code of Conduct
• Dedicated privacy teams and robust data security measures
• Setting science-based carbon reduction targets and purchasing carbon offsets

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 119/year

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct
• Socially Responsible Supplier (SRS) program
• Risk-based supplier risk tool

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Extreme weather events
• Changes in precipitation patterns
• Rising mean temperatures
• Rising sea levels

Transition Risks

• Increased pricing of GHG emissions
• Enhanced emissions-reporting obligations
• Mandates and regulation affecting existing products and services
• Technology substitution
• Changing customer behavior
• Uncertainty in market signals
• Increased cost of raw materials
• Reputation shifts

Opportunities

• Increased demand for climate-related products and services
• Opportunities to help customers reduce their carbon impact

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: SASB, GRI, TCFD, UNGC

Certifications: ISO 14001

Third-party Assurance: EY

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)
• SDG 5 (Gender Equality)
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)
• SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)
• SDG 13 (Climate Action)
• SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)
• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

RELX's products, services, and initiatives contribute to these goals through various means, including advancing research, promoting access to information, supporting sustainable practices, and fostering community engagement.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Supplier Carbon Footprints (ICIS)
• Enhanced ClinicalKey (Elsevier)
• Fact & Issue Finder (Lexis+)
• Emperia mobile app (RX)

Awards & Recognition

• MSCI ESG Ratings AAA rating
• Sustainalytics ESG Risk Rating top performer
• S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook Bronze class distinction
• Inclusion in various ESG indices
• CDP Climate and Water programme score B
• WEConnect 2022 Bronze Top Global Supplier Diversity & Inclusion Champion

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Unique contributions to society
• Governance and ethical practice
• People
• Customers
• Community
• Supply chain
• Environment

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced Scope 1 and Scope 2 (location-based) emissions by 4% compared to 2022
• Reduced water usage by 9% compared to 2022
• Reduced waste sent to landfill (from reporting locations, excluding estimates) by 38% compared to 2022
• Achieved 100% sustainable production paper

Social Achievements

• Increased percentage of women senior leaders to 31%
• Increased percentage of women managers to 45%
• Increased ethnic minority senior leaders in US/UK to 15%
• Increased ethnic minority managers in US/UK to 20%
• Launched Manager CORE program for skills development
• Expanded Women in Tech mentoring program by 44%
• Relaunched Fit2Win global employee fitness competition
• Donated $317,000 to 26 charities

Governance Achievements

• Improved processes for fulfilling privacy requests
• Invested over $9.3m in technical resilience enhancements
• Advanced African tax law codification pilots
• 99% completion rate for all Code of Ethics and Business Conduct training courses

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Supply chain disruptions due to extreme weather events
• Increasing stakeholder pressure for greater transparency and action on climate change
• Managing increasing privacy rights requests
• Ensuring ethical practices across a diverse global supply chain

Mitigation Strategies

• Robust business continuity planning
• Transparent and detailed climate-related financial disclosures
• Improved processes for handling privacy requests
• Socially Responsible Supplier (SRS) program with audits and a Supplier Code of Conduct
• Implementation of RELX Responsible AI Principles

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 125/year

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct
• Socially Responsible Supplier (SRS) program
• Risk-based supplier risk tool

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Extreme weather events
• Changes in precipitation patterns
• Rising mean temperatures
• Rising sea levels

Transition Risks

• Increased GHG emissions pricing
• Enhanced emissions reporting obligations
• Regulations affecting products and services
• Technology substitution
• Market changes
• Stakeholder concerns

Opportunities

• Increased demand for climate-related products and services
• Supporting customers in their energy transition

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI Standards: Core option, SASB Standards, TCFD, UNGC

Certifications: ISO 14001

Third-party Assurance: Ernst & Young LLP

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)
• SDG 4 (Quality Education)
• SDG 5 (Gender Equality)
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)
• SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure)
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)
• SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)
• SDG 13 (Climate Action)
• SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)
• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

RELX's products, services, and initiatives contribute to these goals in various ways, as detailed throughout the report.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Scopus AI
• ClinicalKey AI
• EmBiology
• Lexis+ AI
• InterAction+

Awards & Recognition

• MSCI ESG Ratings AAA rating
• Sustainalytics ESG Risk Rating 2nd out of 296
• Inclusion in S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook
• Inclusion in Tortoise Responsibility 100 Index
• Inclusion in Dow Jones Sustainability Index
• Inclusion in FTSE4Good Indices
• Inclusion in STOXX Global ESG Leaders Indices
• Inclusion in ECPI Indices
• Participation in CDP programmes
• SOCOTEC ISO14001 Group certification
• Workplace Pride Global Benchmark Advocate status
• Inclusion in Bloomberg’s Gender-Equality Index