NEW YORK, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Nielsen released its first-ever Global Responsibility Report today, marking a clear step forward in its commitment to increased transparency, continuous improvement and ongoing stakeholder engagement. By covering the environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues that are critical to Nielsen's business and operations in more than 100 countries around the world, the report provides clients, employees and investors with a comprehensive look at Nielsen's strategic direction, priorities and forward-looking goals.

"At Nielsen, we have always been committed to making a positive impact on the communities where we live and work," said Crystal Barnes, vice president of Nielsen corporate social responsibility. "Producing this first report celebrates our continued efforts to incorporate corporate responsibility and sustainability into all aspects of our business."

Some of the key areas highlighted in the report include:

• Instituting environmental, social, and governance requirements for our top suppliers, growing our supplier diversity program and adopting a set of global human rights guidelines.
• Our continuing commitment to privacy as a core part of our business while enhancing the products and services we deliver for our clients, including the appointment of a Chief Privacy Officer and adoption of updated privacy guidelines.
• Using the power of technology and analytics to enhance our ongoing talent development, retention, and recruitment efforts so that Nielsen is a place where our associates can be themselves, make a difference, and grow with us.
• Reducing our emissions and energy use at data centers and expanding our ability to measure our environmental footprint.
• Continuing our commitment to deliver $10 million in pro bono work and in-kind giving each year through Nielsen Cares. In 2015, more than 22,000 associates from around the world made positive impacts through our Nielsen Cares programs, whether through hands-on or skills-based volunteering and the in-kind giving of our products and services to support nonprofit causes where we can make a difference.
• Championing Data for Good initiatives, including the creation of Project 8 with the UN Foundation, Salesforce and Accenture to help forecast international development needs, building out the Nielsen Datasets at the University of Chicago's Kilts Center for Marketing and being a co-founder of the Better Business Bureau's Digital IQ project.
• Expanding and growing Employee Resource Groups and appointing a new Chief Diversity Officer to continue supporting a culture of diversity and inclusion throughout Nielsen—critical to our growth, strength, and ability to innovate.
• Our recognition by the Center for Public Accountability with a 95% rating on transparency.
• Creating steady and consistent global revenue growth, complemented in 2015 with the acquisition of eXelate.

The report, aligned with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 standards at the Core level, covers the calendar year 2015. It includes topics like talent attraction and retention, diversity and inclusion, digital enablement, environmental sustainability, supply chain management, corporate social responsibility, and data privacy.  To determine report content, Nielsen consulted the results from its first non-financial materiality assessment, published in early 2015, which identified the issues of greatest significance to its internal and external stakeholders.

"Nielsen partners with others to promote Data for Good," said Karen Kornbluh, executive vice president of Nielsen external affairs. "Our support for initiatives like Project 8, the Digital IQ project of the Better Business Bureau, and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data demonstrates our commitment to engage stakeholders and leverage our skills to make a positive contribution."

To view the Nielsen Global Responsibility Report, please go here.  

ABOUT THE NIELSEN GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY REPORT  
The Nielsen Global Responsibility Report, aligned with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 standard at the core level, covers the calendar year 2015. The report includes topics like talent attraction and retention, diversity and inclusion, digital enablement, environmental sustainability, supply chain, corporate social responsibility, and data privacy. By covering environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues that are critical to Nielsen's business and operations in more than 100 countries around the world, the report provides clients, employees and investors with a comprehensive look at Nielsen's strategic direction, priorities and forward-looking goals.

ABOUT NIELSEN               
Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) is a global performance management company that provides a comprehensive understanding of what consumers Watch and Buy. Nielsen's Watch segment provides media and advertising clients with Total Audience measurement services across all devices where content—video, audio and text—is consumed. The Buy segment offers consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers the industry's only global view of retail performance measurement. By integrating information from its Watch and Buy segments and other data sources, Nielsen provides its clients with both world-class measurement, as well as analytics that help improve performance. Nielsen, an S&P 500 company, has operations in over 100 countries that cover more than 90% of the world's population. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.

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SOURCE Nielsen