Turning Climate Data into Action

FORVIA’s Footprint, Risk & Environment Database (FRED) is the company’s central tool for managing Group real estate assets from lease, investment, and insurance management to risk assessment, including climate risk. Each plant and R&D site has a natural hazard profile in FRED, based on two Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios that show how local risks such as extreme heat, heavy rainfall, drought, and cyclones may evolve by 2030 and 2050. It is part of the input used by Operations for local climate change risk assessment, plant resilience scoring, and adaptation plan implementation.  This insight also shapes investment decisions, so every new project, acquisition, or lease is planned with resilience in mind. 

FRED is linked to a 24/7 severe weather monitoring service from Predict Services. Since 2016, FORVIA has relied on these alerts, which have progressed from a manual system to today’s fully digitalized and embedded platform.

Recognition for Innovation

In 2025, the digitalization of the early warning alert system earned the EY Transformation Award in the Risk Innovation category, selected from 33 projects. The winning project was led by Elodie Dunand, Group Property Loss Control Manager, in collaboration with Predict Services and Visiativ, a French technology firm specializing in digital transformation. A proof of concept at FORVIA’s Clean Mobility plant in Terni, Italy, showed how integrating weather alerts into FRED could improve coordination, shorten response times, and strengthen decision-making in real operational conditions.

A New Level of Weather Readiness

In July 2025, FORVIA introduced FRED’s early warning module, an upgraded capability within the system that delivers gradual weather warnings directly through the FRED platform. When a red-level “Take Safety Action” alert is issued, plant managers, HSE managers, and other designated site leads receive it instantly by email and text message. Each alert includes the site’s emergency plan in the local language, already tailored to its specific hazards, enabling immediate action.

The upgrade brings improved contact management and a testing function so sites can run drills and refine their plans before an emergency occurs. Actions taken during an event are recorded in FRED in real time, allowing division and business group leaders to follow developments as they happen. Afterward, the record provides a complete account for transparency, compliance reporting, and insurance documentation, reducing the administrative burden that follows an event.

The FRED system is part of the Blue Effect commitment to creating lasting, positive impact. Through foresight and decisive action, it helps protect assets and operations and strengthen FORVIA’s resilience in a changing climate.

3 questions with Predict, our climate risk service 

We spoke with Predict, FORVIA’s climate risk service, to learn how they help industries prepare for extreme weather events.

What does Predict do and why is the early warning system important? 

Predict provides decision-support tools and impact-based forecasting to FORVIA and its risk managers, enabling them to implement preventive measures effectively and progressively. In the face of accelerating climate change and increasing climate-related hazards, early warning systems have become indispensable. They help safeguard people and assets, ensure business continuity and minimize losses across global operations.

What role does technology play in Predict's work?

Technology is at the heart of Predict’s expertise. Our solutions integrate meteorology, space technologies, communication systems, and decision trees. For over two decades, Predict has continuously enhanced its capabilities by incorporating cutting-edge tools and generating new data through research collaborations with institutions such as the European Space Agency and the European Commission. These innovations allow us to deliver precise, actionable insights to our users and partners.

How do you support industries in their decision-making process?

Predict assesses industrial exposure by cross-referencing vulnerability data with real-time hydrometeorological forecasts and observations—available 24/7. We deliver early action recommendations via email, SMS, phone and dedicated platforms. For instance, during recent extreme weather events in North America and Southeast Asia, Predict provided real-time analysis and guidance to risk managers, helping them assess severity and activate appropriate prevention plans. This proactive approach enables industries to safeguard their operations, protect personnel and maintain business continuity—even in the face of increasingly unpredictable climate hazards.