Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Environmental
• Social
• Governance
• Data Integrity
• Privacy
• Diversity
• Ethics
• Supply Chain

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced carbon emissions from travel by 9% between 2014 and 2015
• Reduced paper usage in North America by 5% between 2013 and 2015
• Data center consolidations resulting in the avoidance of CO₂ emissions equivalent to taking more than 300 cars off the road for a year

Social Achievements

• Instituted environmental, social and governance requirements for top suppliers
• Grew supplier diversity program
• Adopted a set of global human rights guidelines
• Appointed a Chief Privacy Officer and adopted updated privacy guidelines
• Enhanced talent development, retention, and recruitment efforts
• Delivered $10.5 million in pro bono work and in-kind giving through Nielsen Cares
• Expanded Employee Resource Groups and appointed a new Chief Diversity Officer
• Launched a new diversity training program for managers
• Established the Nielsen Foundation, Inc.
• Deployed 22,000 associates to volunteer through more than 1,400 projects

Governance Achievements

• Assigned official responsibility for Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability programs to the Board of Directors Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee
• Created and publicly shared Nielsen’s Supplier Code of Conduct
• Established a new governance structure for privacy
• Launched a new company-wide security and privacy-focused employee training
• Improved enterprise risk management (ERM) process

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Data and information limitations in reporting at a global level for a first-time GRI report
• Decentralized records of energy use and limited reporting by utilities companies and landlords

Mitigation Strategies

• Dozens of internal experts were called upon to collect information and compile data
• Implementing a new EMS program to automate data collection through an external tool
• Activating data collection processes in more operations across the globe

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: New Vendor ESG program launched in 2016, aiming to cover up to 50% of total spend by 2018

Responsible Procurement

• Nielsen Supplier Code of Conduct
• ESG criteria considered during RFP process
• Regular business review and scorecard process for strategic suppliers

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI G4 Core

Third-party Assurance: Bureau Veritas North America, Inc. (for Scope 1 and 2 emissions)

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Goal 2: Zero Hunger

Project 8 focuses on food security data

Awards & Recognition

• DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity
• Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index (100%)
• Diversity MBA Magazine 50 Out Front Best Places for Women & Diverse Managers to Work
• Intellectual Property Owners Association (Top 300 U.S. patent recipients)

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Diversity representation and inclusion
• Data privacy, security & integrity
• Future-focused leadership and innovation
• Supplier accountability
• Energy, travel & waste
• Employee relations
• Community & social impact

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced Scope 1 and Scope 2 location-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 11% per square foot of our global targeted portfolio between 2016 and 2017
• Saw a 5% decrease in Scope 3 GHG emissions from business air travel between 2016 and 2017
• Decreased our energy consumption per square foot of our global targeted portfolio by 8% between 2016 and 2017
• Eliminated 350 servers in 2017 alone, saving more than 300,000 lbs. of carbon emissions
• Reduced paper purchases in our North America and Latin America regions by 36%
• Increased the waste diversion rate onsite from 17% in the first quarter of 2016 to 56% in the first quarter of 2017 in our New York City headquarters

Social Achievements

• Launched a new, multi-year strategy to strengthen employee engagement
• Named one of the Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles®, which recognizes companies that are committed to improving their employees’ physical health, productivity, overall quality of life, financial security, and emotional and social connectedness
• Established the Nielsen Global Support Fund, through which associates can apply for grants in times of personal hardship or natural disaster, as well as donate to fellow associates in need
• Logged 170,000 volunteer hours and delivered $23.1 million in pro bono work and skills-based volunteering through Nielsen Cares since 2016
• Saw a more than 300 percent increase in the number of offices being represented by Green Teams since we launched Green Teams globally in mid-2013

Governance Achievements

• Enhanced the reach of our Compliance & Integrity program with the launch of an Integrity Ambassador program
• Added Climate Change as a stand-alone risk category in our Enterprise Risk Management program
• Completed our first global climate risk assessment
• Incorporated new human rights-related risks as part of our systematic audit process
• Introduced a new, updated Code of Conduct and launched an enhanced process through which associates will certify that they have read and understand the Code

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Maintaining a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve
• Protecting data privacy, security and integrity
• Managing climate change risks and opportunities
• Ensuring supplier accountability
• Reducing energy consumption and waste
• Maintaining high employee engagement

Mitigation Strategies

• Implementing a five-pronged D&I strategy
• Robust Cyber Security Program grounded in internationally recognized data protection principles
• Completed a global climate risk assessment
• Supply chain sustainability assessments covering 40% of spend in 2017
• Initiatives to reduce energy use in facilities and data centers
• New multi-year strategy to strengthen employee engagement

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 82 suppliers in 2017

Responsible Procurement

• Nielsen Supplier Code of Conduct
• Sustainability assessments
• Supplier Toolkit
• Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy
• Impact sourcing initiatives
• Buy Local, Grow Global campaign

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Extreme weather events
• Changing climate patterns

Transition Risks

• Regulatory changes
• Market shifts

Opportunities

• Development of energy-efficient products and services

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI, SASB, TCFD

Certifications: ISO 14001

Third-party Assurance: Bureau Veritas North America, Inc. (BVNA)

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Goal 1: No Poverty
• Goal 2: Zero Hunger
• Goal 4: Quality Education
• Goal 5: Gender Equality
• Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities
• Goal 12: Responsible Production and Consumption

Nielsen's initiatives contribute to these goals through impact sourcing, supplier diversity, employee volunteerism, data donations, and sustainable business practices.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Nano meter
• eCollection technology

Awards & Recognition

• Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles® (2017)
• Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality (5 consecutive years)
• Perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation’s 2018 Corporate Equality Index (CEI)
• Lalit S. Kanodia Award (first runner-up for QCT)
• Best Process Improvement Enabled by Technology at PEX OPEX Week (first runner-up)

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Governance
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Human Capital
• Data Privacy and Security
• Environment
• Community Engagement

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced global energy use per square foot of facility space by up to 5% by the end of 2020 (on track)
• Upgraded live data storage in data centers to all-flash for energy reduction and enhanced efficiency (64% complete by end of 2019, aiming for 95% in 2020)
• Avoided almost 28,676 metric tons of GHG emissions through e-waste reuse and recycling in 2019
• 15% reduction in paper purchases across Nielsen regions between 2018 and 2019

Social Achievements

• Earned a 100% score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index for the seventh consecutive year in 2020
• Ranked #20 on DiversityInc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity in 2020
• Recognized by the Disability Equality Index as a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion
• Included among leading companies on Bloomberg’s Gender Equality Index for 2019 and 2020
• Exceeded 370,000 volunteer hours by June 2019 (goal of 300,000 by 2020)
• Delivered almost $69 million in pro bono and in-kind services for social causes from 2016 through 2019

Governance Achievements

• Recognized as industry leader among media companies in JUST Capital’s and Forbes’s annual ranking of the “JUST 100” for the third year in a row
• Included in both the FTSE4Good index and the Dow Jones Sustainability North America index for the third time
• 100% of new suppliers provided written acknowledgment of the Nielsen Supplier Code of Conduct starting in 2019
• All employees (except where not permitted by local laws) annually certify understanding and adherence to the Code of Conduct

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Data security breaches
• Supply chain disruptions
• Climate change impacts on operations and supply chain
• Maintaining data privacy and security
• Achieving gender parity in leadership

Mitigation Strategies

• Robust Cyber Security Program aligned with NIST Cybersecurity Framework
• Supplier sustainability assessments and scorecarding program
• Global climate risk assessment and scenario analysis
• Privacy by design approach
• Diverse slates of candidates for open positions, inclusive hiring practices, and diversity and inclusion training programs

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 103 suppliers assessed in 2019 (67% of critical supplier base)

Responsible Procurement

• Nielsen Supplier Code of Conduct
• ESG criteria in supplier registration and RFP process
• Third-party supplier sustainability assessments

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Rising sea levels
• Water and heat stress
• Exposure to cyclones
• Extreme rainfall

Transition Risks

• Increasing carbon prices
• Regulatory changes
• Technological changes

Opportunities

• Prioritizing clean energy investments
• Extending data center efficiency efforts
• Providing sustainability insights to clients

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI, SASB, TCFD

Third-party Assurance: Apex Companies, LLC (formerly Bureau Veritas North America)

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 1: No Poverty
• SDG 2: Zero Hunger
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 12: Responsible Production and Consumption

Nielsen aligns its Data for Good and other initiatives with these SDGs.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Nielsen Product Insider

Awards & Recognition

• JUST Capital Top 100 Companies Supporting Healthy Communities and Families
• National Business Group on Health’s “Best Employers: Excellence in Health & Well-Being” silver winner

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
• Human Capital
• Environment
• Community Engagement
• Data Privacy & Security
• Governance

Environmental Achievements

• Met 2020 goals of energy use efficiency and reduction, environmentally responsible electronic waste (e-waste) disposal and sustainable travel
• Achieved 0% of electronic waste (e-waste) processed through our Infrastructure team goes to landfills

Social Achievements

• Increased diversity of our executive leadership team: 4 out of the 9 leaders are women, and 3 out of the 9 leaders are ethnically diverse
• Exceeded $110 million goal in sourceable diverse spending in 2020, reaching $118 million
• Expanded mental health programming and support, including the Mental Health Hub and a Mental Health Day Away
• Retained women at the same rate as men in 2020 despite the pandemic's disproportionate impact on women in the workplace

Governance Achievements

• 100% of the Board and employees—except where not permitted by local laws—are held accountable for completing required training and certifying that they understand our Code of Conduct
• Starting in 2019, 100% of our new suppliers onboarded through Global Procurement provide written acknowledgment of our Supplier Code of Conduct

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on business operations, employee well-being, and supply chains
• Supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19
• Climate change impacts on global facilities and employee safety
• Racial and socioeconomic divides highlighted by the pandemic and social justice movements

Mitigation Strategies

• Implemented safety protocols, remote work stipends, supplemental paid leave, and expanded mental health support for employees
• Developed new ways to complete fieldwork, including virtual and proximity visits
• Accelerated Business Diversity efforts to support diverse businesses impacted by the pandemic
• Implemented several new initiatives designed to support diverse businesses in the United States
• Continued to integrate the results of climate risk assessment into operational strategy

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Over 100 strategic suppliers in 26 countries evaluated in 2020

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct covering labor and health and safety, environmental management, responsible sourcing, and data privacy

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Severe weather conditions restricting access for field staff
• Extreme weather putting employee safety at risk

Transition Risks

• Increased costs associated with carbon pricing
• Business continuity challenges
• Regulatory changes

Opportunities

• Transition to a lower-carbon energy system

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: SASB, TCFD, GRI

Third-party Assurance: Apex Companies, LLC (formerly Bureau Veritas North America)

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Gracenote Inclusion Analytics

Awards & Recognition

• #19 on 100 Best Corporate Citizens by 3BL Media
• Named to 2021 Bloomberg Gender Equality Index
• #1 Media company in JUST Capital’s and Forbes’ “JUST 100” 2021 list
• 100% score on Human Rights Campaign’s 2021 Corporate Equality Index
• Included on 2020 Dow Jones Sustainability Index
• “A” level rating from MSCI ESG Ratings
• ISS ESG Prime Status
• 90% score on the Disability Equality Index
• #20 on DiversityInc’s 2020 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list
• Included in the FTSE4Good Index in 2020

Environmental Metrics

Climate Goals & Targets

Supply Chain Management

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities