UCL disaster expert to support new UN business network

The Network of Corporate Chief Resilience Officers is part of the UNDRR’s broader efforts to address the growing threat of natural and human-made hazards. It aims to foster public-private collaboration and encourage businesses worldwide to take proactive measures in preparing for and mitigating disaster risks.

Dr Pescaroli, who helped come up with the idea for the network and supported UNDRR in its creation, said: “The private sector has great untapped potential in increasing our resilience to future shocks. The multinationals that influence the global economy can catalyse change quickly, through their employees and the organisations that are part of their supply chain. They can introduce new contractual requirements and even build new infrastructure.

“This network is uniquely positioned to support and promote new practices of resilience that can be streamlined both by governments, local authorities and smaller businesses.”

In its announcement, the UNDRR said the initiative aligned with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, the global roadmap for reducing disaster losses by 2030. The Sendai Framework sets the fundamentals to facilitate an all-of-society approach, with an emphasis on the crucial role of the private sector in building resilience.

As climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, and technological risks increase, the impact of hazards on global supply chains has been profound and the economic and social tolls have been rising. At the same time, as the private sector is the largest source of investments, its decisions play a big role in creating or reducing disaster risks, including the extent of vulnerability and exposure of economic assets and the communities around them. 

Kamal Kishore, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of UNDRR, says: "States alone cannot address all the drivers of disaster risk. We need the private sector to play a leading role and be part of the solution to reduce the vulnerability and exposure of communities and economic sectors to disasters. This network will accelerate the integration of disaster risk reduction into business models, ensuring that resilience is at the core of companies' decision-making."

This newly formed network brings together Chief Resilience Officers from Cartier SA, Holcim Group Services Ltd., Honeywell International Inc., Hyatt Hotels Corporation, KPMG International Ltd., Marsh McLennan, Nestlé, Syngenta Group, Swiss International Air Lines Ltd and Sky.

The network aims to provide thought leadership to help businesses around the world reduce disaster risks, with the ultimate objective of strengthening the resilience of communities and economies.

Network members represent companies covering diverse sectors and have a combined workforce of over a million people globally with revenue exceeding USD 300 billion in over 100 countries. Given their large scale and extensive sector coverage, these companies can have a systemic impact on the private sector.

The network will also work with the ARISE Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies, a network open to all members of the private sector.

In the coming months, the Network of Corporate Chief Resilience Officers (CCRO) will produce a Resilience Maturity Assessment (REMA) Tool. This will support any organisation assessing its resilience and taking corrective actions.

Links

• UNDRR announcement
• Dr Gianluca Pescaroli’s academic profile
• UCL Risk & Disaster Reduction
• UCL Mathematical & Physical Sciences
• Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030

Image

• Members of the Network of Corporate Chief Resilience Officers with Dr Gianluca Pescaroli standing to the right of the UN flag and UCL student Iman Chaudhry in front on the far left. Credit: UNDRR

Media contact

Mark Greaves

m.greaves [at] ucl.ac.uk

+44 (0)20 3108 9485