THE SUSTAINABILITY INTERVIEW
Márcia Balisciano, Chief Sustainability Officer and Global Head of Corporate Responsibility at RELX, occupies a role that did not exist before her appointment. As the creator of the sustainability division at the information services company, she has built a function that reaches across a global organisation of more than 36,000 employees.
“ I am the founding head of this area – no one has had this job before me,” says Márcia. Her journey at RELX began when the CEO sought someone to develop a global community programme following the merger between Dutch and British entities. However, the role evolved rapidly as questions emerged about environmental footprint, supply chain practices and anti-corruption measures that no one within the organisation seemed equipped to answer.
“ It seemed to me to be all of a kind – a set of issues about how we do what we do, how we maximise the positive impact of that and how we minimise the negative impact,” Márcia explains.
This realisation led to a fundamental shift in approach, with colleagues grateful that someone was willing to take on the expanding remit. Rather than writing a traditional sustainability strategy, RELX has embedded sustainability within its core business strategy. This integration reflects the company’ s belief that sustainability considerations must be woven throughout operations rather than treated as a separate initiative.
sustainabilitymag. com 21