Corporate Responsibility Report 2020 RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. We help researchers make new discoveries, doctors and nurses improve the lives of patients, and lawyers develop winning strategies. We prevent online fraud and money laundering, and help insurance companies evaluate and predict risk. Our events combine in-person and digital experiences to help customers learn about markets, source products and complete transactions. In short, we enable our customers to make better decisions, get better results and be more productive. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Contact details We’re committed to doing our part to advance these essential Your views are important to us. objectives for the world. Throughout this report, look SDG Please send your comments to icons highlighting the SDGs relevant to the content. [email protected] For the RELX SDG Resource Centre, visit Or write to www.sdgresources.relx.com Dr Márcia Balisciano Global Head of Corporate Responsibility RELX 1–3 Strand London WC2N 5JR United Kingdom For more information, visit www.relx.com/corporateresponsibility This report contains the RELX PLC Non-Financial Information Statement for the purposes of Section 414CB of the Companies Act 2006. 03 RELX Corporate Responsibility 2020 | Contents Introduction Introduction Our unique contributions Governance contributions uniqueOur 04 CEO’s Statement 17 Why 27 Why 06 Our business 17 2020 objectives 27 2020 objectives 07 Our approach to corporate 18 Scientific, Technical & Medical 28 Governance and reporting responsibility 20 Risk 28 Our values 08 Managing CR 21 Legal 29 Helping our people pursue the 09 Engagement 23 Exhibitions highest ethical standards 09 Commitment to the United Nations 26 Across RELX 30 Data privacy and security Governance Global Compact 26 2021 objectives 30 Pensions and investments 10 2020 awards for excellence 32 A responsible taxpayer 10 2020 investor and other recognition 32 2021 objectives 11 2020 key CR data 12 2020–2021 CR objectives % Recommend People 84.4% 78.0% 80.7% 80.7% 82.3% 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 People Customers Community Customers 33 Why 43 Why 52 Why 33 2020 objectives 43 2020 objectives 52 2020 objectives 34 Our people 44 Improving customer outcomes 54 Giving 35 Inclusion 44 Editorial standards 55 Engagement 39 Women in Technology 45 Digital knowledge and innovation: 55 Jeffrey P Mladenik and Andrew 39 Training and rewards advancing customer goals Curry-Green Memorial Scholarship 40 Support and recognition 47 Data privacy and security 56 Impact Community 40 Health and safety 48 Responding to customer needs 58 2021 objectives 42 Absence 48 Access to information 42 Well-being 49 Bringing science into society 42 2021 objectives 49 Accessibility 51 2021 objectives Supply chain Supply chain Environment Appendices Environment 59 Why 65 Why 80 Appendix 1 – 2020 Stakeholder 59 2020 objectives 65 2020 objectives engagement examples 60 Managing an ethical supply chain 66 Environmental risks and opportunities 81 Appendix 2 – Business for Societal 60 Monitoring suppliers 67 Managing our impact Impact assurance statement 2020 61 Promoting human rights through 68 Mapping the value chain 82 Appendix 3 – EY assurance statement 2020 the Supplier Code 69 2020 Environmental Performance 84 Appendix 4 – Taskforce on Climate- 62 Helping employees understand the 70 Climate change related Financial Disclosure issues and supporting suppliers 71 Energy Appendices 64 2021 objectives 86 Appendix 5 – Global Reporting 72 Water Initiative Index 74 Waste 87 Appendix 6 – Blueprint for SDG 75 Paper Leadership 76 Book donations: supporting 92 Appendix 7 – Business Disclosures education in 24 countries per SDG Target 77 Targets and standards 98 Credits 78 2021 objectives 04 RELX Corporate Responsibility 2020 2020 was a year of great challenge for the world and for all Introduction CEO’s businesses. I’m proud of the way we maintained our focus on performing to the highest standards of corporate responsibility (CR). Our people came together and worked quickly to respond to the Statement coronavirus pandemic. We immediately made essential scientific information, data, news and more and freely available, aggregated on the RELX SDG Resource Centre, contributions uniqueOur to inform and advance solutions to the crisis. Among these was Elsevier’s Novel Coronavirus Information Center with the latest medical and scientific information on Covid-19; LexisNexis Risk Solutions combined data and analytics with resources from other industry stakeholders to create a Covid-19 data set and interactive visualisations for insights on vulnerable populations and care capacity risks. LexisNexis Legal Governance & Professional produced Covid-19 and the Global Media Landscape, a global news tracker with interactive charts showing the way Covid-19 is developing across the global media landscape in near real time. Reed Exhibitions Austria worked with the government of Vienna to turn a major city events space into a mobile hospital in the early stages of the pandemic. Across RELX, we launched a podcast series looking at the impact People of the pandemic on the SDGs and supported the World Health Organization’s Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund, establishing a partnership with Global Citizen and its One World: Together At Home campaign. In addition, through our global community programme, employees found innovative ways to volunteer, raising funds and engaging in primarily remote activities that made a difference in their local communities. Customers Corporate responsibility We also supported our people coping with working from home means engaging everyone and balancing personal responsibilities, including by providing access to the Headspace mindfulness app, which offers at RELX. well-being exercises and tools. We provided colleagues with one extra day off in recognition of their extraordinary efforts in the Erik Engstrom year. The pandemic has had particular implications for our events Chief Executive Officer business, affected by restrictions in our markets; we are supporting those affected by any changes we make to ensure the Community health of the business ahead. We advanced our stated CR objectives in the year, including our material issues. We continued corporate security incident response preparedness and strengthened controls to increase resilience to user-based attacks. We introduced a new suite of 2020-2025 inclusion goals and provided manager training on pay 100% principles and equal pay. We mapped customer feedback Supply chain Purchase of renewables through green tariff and mechanisms across business areas and developed an Renewable Energy Certificates equivalent to our accessibility maturity model to further best practice in accessible total electricity consumption product development. We developed training for new hires and managers for our global community programme, RELX Cares, and advanced our global fundraising partnership with Hope and Homes for Children. We increased the number of suppliers that 1,500+ signed up to our Supplier Code and found innovative distance Environment Employees engaged in CR networks solutions to conduct audits for continuous improvement in the performance of our key suppliers. We set new environment targets for 2020-2025, including a science-based carbon reduction target. We also advanced our Unique Contributions to society – linked to the SDGs – at the heart of what we do across RELX. We advanced science and health, including through Elsevier’s support of Appendices the Epicentre Medical Day in Niger which brought together researchers, public health experts and government officials to share best practice on fighting meningitis, malaria and malnutrition. LexisNexis Risk Solutions worked to protect society distributing over 1.7 million alerts in 2,100 missing children cases through the ADAM programme on behalf of the US National 05 RELX Corporate Responsibility 2020 Center for Missing and Exploited Children; colleagues also We are pleased that our efforts are recognised externally, and I Introduction reduced inequality by expanding financial inclusion pilots in congratulate all our employees. In the year, Sustainalytics ranked Mexico and Colombia which allow lenders to increase their loan us in the 1st percentile among 13,000+ companies. We were a workflow to qualified citizens while reducing defaults. The constituent of the MSCI UK ESG Leaders Index; came fourth in the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation received a first US government Responsibility100 Index, a ranking of the FTSE 100 on grant as a partner in a project led by the International Legal performance against the UN Sustainable Development Goals; and Foundation to progress the defence bar and legal aid in Indonesia. were named one of the World Benchmarking Alliance’s SDG2000 Reed Exhibitions appointed a head of sustainability to pursue list. contributions uniqueOur environmental improvements and industry-specific sustainability We will not, however, be complacent in continuing our CR efforts in opportunities across our show portfolio. the important year ahead. As always, we were guided in our activities by our commitment to the United Nations (UN) Global Compact and its ten principles Erik Engstrom focused on human rights, labour, environment and anti- Chief Executive Officer corruption. The initiative celebrated 20 years in 2020, in a year that also marked the 75th anniversary of the UN and the fifth year Governance of the UN SDGs.