Long trusted for our competence and integrity, DNV works to have a positive global impact on some of the world’s most pressing concerns, such as safeguarding the environment and balancing the needs of business and society.
Indeed, we are publishing our Annual Report 2007 at a time of intense debate about the role of business in tomorrow’s society, particularly in relation to climate change. There has been an emergence of new economies. Media interest in sustainable development has never been so high. The financial markets are beginning to act on and reflect this. The world’s population is growing and people in emerging economies are rightfully demanding their lives to improve. All in all, there is a growing sense of urgency.
However, the general consensus seems to be that we are not moving fast enough. So the big question is: how are we going to respond?
As a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, DNV agrees with the view that companies must address this major issue as part of their business strategies, not least because it makes business sense. A business’s long-term competitiveness will increasingly depend on how it embraces societal challenges.
In terms of DNV’s role in this critical, global issue, we have over the past 10 years developed a range of services that assist companies, organisations and governments in their efforts to fight, mitigate and adapt to climate change. We have established an industry position in this field, and believe that our services will become even more important in the future as companies push to become climate neutral or even aim to be climate positive.
However, in spite of increasing evidence that more and more companies are adhering to responsible environmental practices, challenges still remain. If globalisation has taught us anything over the past few decades, it should be that we are all inextricably linked and that our actions all impact upon one another. Nowhere is this truer than for climate change.
Rising to the challenge will therefore require coordinated efforts. This will be a huge task, but we remain committed to making a positive difference. Strong growth in the global economy throughout the year helped strengthen our position in all our core areas in 2007. The high level of activity, sharp rise in the number of employees and considerable increase in revenues and profits ensure we have a sound financial basis for the future. Our focus, as ever, is on building a sustainable future for our customers and, ultimately, society at large.
I hope you find our 2007 report both interesting and informative. We are all on a sustainability journey. There is a long way to go, but we hope that our customers and business partners will read this report and feel secure that our vision to ensure a ‘global impact for a safe and sustainable future’ remains at the centre of everything we do.
Date: 09 May 2008