3. 3.1.6 Adapting to climate change According to Copernicus(1), the European Earth observation program, 2024 was not only the hottest year ever recorded on Earth, it was also the fi rst calendar year in which the global average temperature exceeded the pre-industrial level by 1.5°C. Such global warming puts supply chains under severe strain. No region is spared by the increasing frequency and intensity of weather and climate phenomena. By way of example, the Panama Canal is one of the world’s most vital waterways, linking the Pacifi c and Atlantic oceans and facilitating trade between Asia, Europe and the Americas. In 2024, the area suffered from recurrent drought, which severely impacted maritime traffi c. Rail transport also suffers from successive heatwaves, which can cause disruption to multimodal transport operations. Currently, all the activities of companies linked to the supply chain and to transport are vulnerable to climatic hazards. (1) Source: https://climate.copernicus.eu/global-climate-highlights-2024 (2) Source: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/monthly-report/global/202413 A selection of signifi cant climate events and hazards in 2024(2) Region Event Description North America North America had its warmest year on record, surpassing 2023. South America Severe drought conditions affected large parts of South America as record and near-record heat dominated the continent. Europe A historic deluge of rain in southern Spain in late October caused catastrophic fl oods and more than 200 deaths in the Valencia region. Persian Gulf An extreme rainstorm in April brought up to two years’ precipitation in 24 hours, causing major disruption and more than 20 fatalities in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Asie Yagi was one of the strongest typhoons to hit continental China in recent history, resulting in widespread damage and hundreds of fatalities. GEODIS is also impacted by these hazards, which can affect its personnel and assets in a variety of ways: health and working conditions, interruptions to business, inability to carry out essential logistics missions (including those related to healthcare), damage to goods and equipment. Increased intensity of heatwaves can also damage transport infrastructure, while fl ooding can cause road closures, and so on. Physical risks The assessment of physical risks is based on two types of risks: ● acute risks arising from extreme events: heatwaves or cold snaps, extreme wind-related hazards (storms, tornadoes) or water-related hazards (droughts, fl oods), landslides; ● chronic risks resulting from gradual changes: altered temperatures (air, fresh water and sea water), altered wind and precipitation conditions (rain, hail, snow), rising sea levels, soil erosion. In 2023, with the support of independent experts, GEODIS carried out an analysis of the exposure of its sites to physical climate hazards. 800 sites and 110 key infrastructure facilities for its activities (ports, airports, data centers, etc.) were assessed using two scenarios developed by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5, with a focus on the years 2030 and 2050. Thanks to the use of contrasting scenarios, a plausible range of risks and uncertainties could be covered, making it possible to draw up solid, yet fl exible, adaptation plans. These scenarios compare the baseline situation (average temperatures between 1985 and 2015) with two forecasts: ● scenario SSP2-4.5 (intermediate GHG emissions) corresponds to the targets of the Paris Agreement (1.6° to 2.5°C) in the middle of the century and warming of 2.1° to 3.5°C at the end of the century; ● scenario SSP5-8.5 (very high GHG emissions) proposes a forecast that would lead to warming of 1.9° to 3°C by midcentury and 3.3° to 5.7°C by the end of the century. The analysis identifi ed the locations (regions, countries, sites) and assets most exposed to extreme or high climate risks, which could signifi cantly impact the Group’s portfolio and business continuity. 23% of assets are considered to present extreme exposure (45 assets) or high exposure (150 assets) by 2030, according to the IPCC’s SSP5-8.5 scenario. This corresponds to around 3.5 million sqm of built area and 9,500 jobs affected. The 45 sites at extreme risk are mostly located in the AsiaPacifi c region and the United States. Flooding is the principal risk to the most vulnerable GEODIS assets. 38% of sites could experience signifi cant fl oods of at least 50 cm, a potential threat to buildings and business continuity. The second risk concerns exposure to heat, with an impact on the comfort and health of employees, the resistance and maintenance of equipment, and the need for additional energy to cool certain sites. These threats can potentially damage the condition of goods stored in warehouses, depending on their nature. 2024 ACTIVITY AND SUSTAINABILITY REPORT - 53 EDITORIAL > 1. GROUP PROFILE > 2. GENERAL INFORMATION > 3. ENVIRONMENT > 4. SOCIAL > 5. ETHICS > 6. ANNEXES
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