EHS Investments Drive Company Business Value
Key Highlights
- EHS investments contribute to increased commercial value and operational resilience, with 81% of leaders noting benefits.
- Digital technologies, including AI and data analytics, are crucial for real-time incident prediction and prevention.
- Embedding EHS into organizational strategy and culture enhances risk mitigation and operational efficiency.
- Cross-functional collaboration and transparent communication foster a strong EHS culture across the organization.
- Measuring outcomes and continuously refining strategies ensure sustained ROI and long-term success.
Companies that invest in environment, health and safety initiatives may have a competitive advantage in a volatile world, according to a recent EY survey, The 2025 EY Global EHS Maturity Study
The survey concludes that investment in EHS helps drive organizations’ commercial value by delivering reputational, resilience and efficiency benefits. This conclusion was underpinned by the fact that 81% of EHS leaders say their EHS initiatives have contributed to increased commercial value.
Other findings include:
- EHS leaders are more likely to say that investment in EHS initiatives has reduced costs during unexpected disruptions (73% compared with 64% of other respondents).
- They are also more likely to believe their organization’s EHS approach has resulted in marked improvements in operational efficiency (94% compared with 73% of other respondents).
Here are some key recommendations from the study:
- Embed EHS into the organization’s value creation story: Align EHS initiatives with the organization’s broader vision and objectives to achieve reputational, operational and resilience benefits, which will drive commercial value. EHS should be treated as integral to long-term business success, not just risk management.
- Harness the full potential of digital technologies: To truly enhance EHS performance, invest in technologies that integrate with enterprise risk management systems and make strategic use of data. Scaling investments in digital systems, advanced data analytics and AI can result in real-time, actionable insights that allow organizations to anticipate incidents before they occur.
- Build a culture of accountability: Ensure that EHS is everyone’s responsibility by integrating it into job descriptions and governance processes. Prioritize open and transparent two-way communication and share knowledge internally and within industry ecosystems.
- Foster collaboration: Promote cross-functional teamwork between EHS, sustainability, HR and risk teams to enhance organizational value. When an EHS culture is deeply embedded within an organization, the central EHS function can operate under less pressure.
- Measure and improve: Clearly articulate the desired outcomes from EHS investment and then determine how those outcomes can and will be measured to track progress and demonstrate ROI. Then use insights from measurement to continuously refine strategies and inform future investment decisions.