Sustainability Governance
We have a clear governance structure to develop, review, approve and implement our sustainability strategy.
Sustainability governance at Experian includes clear oversight from the Board, Audit Committee and Group Operating Committee.
Additionally, the Security and Continuity Steering Committee, a subcommittee of the Executive Risk Management Committee, oversees management of data security.
Reviews sustainability targets, strategy, performance and policy updates as part of regular Board reporting, risk management and budget-setting processes. Approves financial and non-financial disclosures.
Oversees management of risks, including any sustainability risks, reviews and approves our register of principal risks and opportunities, and oversees financial disclosures.
Reviews and approves sustainability strategy and targets, reviews sustainability performance data.
Oversee management of risks, including sustainability risks, at global and regional level, with oversight from the Executive Risk Management Committee.
Supports development of sustainability strategy, metrics and targets, guides prioritisation of investment to support implementation of our sustainability programme, reviews sustainability performance data quarterly, and discusses responses to relevant market and regulatory developments.
Our Annual Report provides more information on the division of responsibilities across the Board.
Board members receive regular updates on sustainability activities and an annual in-depth presentation from our Chief Sustainability Officer keeps them informed about the evolving global context, and our strategy and performance in relation to environmental and social impact.
The Chief Financial Officer is executive sponsor of our overall sustainability programme and the Company Secretary oversees the Group’s Sustainability function. They both sit on the Group Operating Committee, which receives regular updates on sustainability performance, and on the Executive Risk Management Committee that oversees risk management with oversight from the Audit Committee.
Our Sustainability Steering Committee, comprising executive sponsors and workstream leaders and chaired by the Chief Financial Officer, meets four times a year to guide our sustainability agenda.
Operational leaders are responsible for ensuring successful implementation of each workstream of our sustainability strategy, with support from relevant global and regional teams across the business.
The Compliance, Corporate Secretariat, Finance, Government Affairs, Investor Relations and Sustainability teams support monitoring of relevant market and regulatory developments and stakeholder needs, and their potential implications for our business and stakeholders, for discussion by the Sustainability Steering Committee.
Different global functions are responsible for each area of our sustainability strategy, with oversight from one or more governing body.
Our Sustainability team is responsible for our focus on improving financial health, including our ambition to help people thrive on their financial journey, with oversight from our Sustainability Steering Committee. Our Social Innovation Steering Committee governs our Social Innovation programme.
Our Global Security Office is responsible for data security, with oversight from our Security and Continuity Steering Committee.
Global data officers are responsible for data integrity, fairness and transparency, and is responsible for inclusion in relation to our Global Data Principles. These areas are overseen by our Sustainability Steering Committee.
Our Global AI Risk Council monitors evolving AI developments and risks, reporting to senior leadership, the Executive Risk Management Committee and the Board as required.
Our Human Resources team is responsible for our focus on inspiring and supporting our people, with oversight from our Sustainability Steering Committee. Specific aspects such as talent and wellbeing are overseen by our Human Resources Leadership Team.
Members of the Group Operating Committee are accountable for the development and implementation of an inclusion and belonging action plan for their region or business, reporting progress to the Chief Executive Officer at quarterly business reviews.
Our Compliance team is responsible for our Code of Conduct, with oversight from our Executive Risk Management Committee and Sustainability Steering Committee. The Compliance team is also responsible for regulatory compliance, overseen by our Regional Risk Management Committees.
Our Internal Audit team is responsible for our Confidential Helpline, overseen by the Executive Risk Management Committee.
Our Risk Management team is responsible for resiliency, overseen by our Regional Risk Management Committees.
Our Sustainability team is responsible for our focus on protecting the environment, including implementation of our climate strategy, with oversight from the Sustainability Steering Committee.
The Board, Audit Committee and our Executive Risk Management Committee review our principal risks on an ongoing basis. Five of our eight principal business risks are relevant to sustainability.
| Principal risk | Related sustainability topic |
| Data loss/misuse | Treating data with respect (data security) |
| Resiliency | Potential to affect all. We monitor climate-related risks that could impact enterprise resilience. |
| Legislative/regulatory change and compliance | Potential to affect all |
| Business conduct | Working with integrity |
| Talent acquisition and retention | Inspiring and supporting our people |
Our Annual Report provides more information on our principal risks and our risk management processes, including our Three Lines of Defence approach.
We also continue to identify and analyse emerging risks, including climate risks as detailed in our Taskforce on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) statement in the Annual Report.
We develop metrics and goals to support our sustainability strategy and measure progress. The Finance team centrally collates sustainability performance data for our Sustainability Steering Committee. Data is gathered, shared and discussed with global and regional leadership through our quarterly business reviews.
Certain non-financial metrics are factored into the holistic assessment of Experian’s short- and longer-term performance. We also integrate sustainability factors into employee pension investments. Our defined contribution pension plan in the UK includes an allocation to a fund that explicitly includes sustainability in its investment strategy, and members of the plan also have the option to select a focused ethical fund.
We monitor developments in relevant regulations across our markets, and currently expect to adopt the requirements of the UK Sustainability Reporting Standards and the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive in our FY28 reporting.
Principles of data collection are set out centrally and data submitted by each region for global reporting. Our online sustainability reporting hub includes data reporting methodologies and the detailed sustainability performance data that we disclose annually.
Learn more about division of responsibilities across the Board in our Annual Report.
Learn more about our governance of climate-related risks in our TCFD statement within our Annual Report.
View our reporting methodologies and detailed sustainability performance data.