Category Archives: Environmental & Sustainability Management

Content related to the management of air emissions, water quality metrics, soil contamination and hazardous waste tracking.

ESG Data Can Help to Improve Business Performance

Posted on by
Reply

If your company is getting on board with ESG, consider a strategy that also focuses on improving business and looks beyond the mere gathering of regulatory metric data and results reporting.

It may seem like a relatively new set of business principles, but environmental, social and governance (ESG) thinking traces back to the early 2000s when a first wave of sustainability emerged.

Back then, minimizing your negative impact on the planet earned good public relations without having to do much, since at the time nothing needed to be proven. A company could make claims and cite sustainability results without much scrutiny.

ESG Emerges from Sustainability

But without legislation or a real push behind the effort, momentum was lost for a while. The public wasn’t ready at that point to seriously look at investing in companies that were sustainable since most of the products they sold were significantly more expensive. However, … Read more...

Blog: Looking Back on 2022 – EHS and ESG Make the Connection

Posted on by
Reply

Concerns and connections between environment, health and safety (EHS) and environmental, social and governance (ESG) were dominant topics of interest for readers of Intelex’s online resources in 2022.

Visitors to intelex.com during this past year most often download reports and research on EHS and ESG, particularly insights that explored important links between the two practices. And it became a hot discussion topic in our blog posts and webinars conducted throughout the year and will continue as a key focus of our insights and analysis in 2023.

Our most downloaded content report for the year was the just-completed research with North American health and safety and ESG professionals that examined trends, top challenges and important opportunities in EHS and ESG. More than 1,200 Intelex website visitors have so far requested the report since it was made available in early November. Upcoming in 2023: stay tuned for our global report.

Other topics … Read more...

ESG Reporting and EHS Management at Day 2 of the Intelex User Conference 

Posted on by
Reply

Day Two of the Intelex User Conference in Nashville on Nov. 4 continued the discussions about the current state of EHS management, the growing role of ESG reporting and how best to support the frontline worker.

With experts from various industries in every breakout session, the discussions were rich with insights into how Intelex and its partners can continue to foster the innovation customers need to keep workers safe on the job and create a sustainable future for everyone. 

Managing an OSHA Inspection

When an incident happens in the workplace, an OSHA inspection frequently follows. 60 percent of inspections take place in construction, manufacturing, retail and health care, while almost 40 percent of all OSHA inspections are at organizations with fewer than nine employees.  

While your organization and OSHA both have the goal of keeping workers safe and ensuring the continuous improvement of the safety management system, it’s important to … Read more...

Batteries and Charging Stations Stall the Future of Electric Vehicles

Posted on by
Reply

A million chargers for electric vehicles or EVs will be needed along U.S. roadways by 2035, when automakers shift away from manufacturing internal combustion engine passenger vehicles.

Growing popularity and excitement around electric-powered vehicles or EVs point to a major shift for future transportation across the United States. But the road ahead will be challenging.

Much of the world’s environmental future is depending on EVs to reduce the demand for millions of barrels of oil and to help the world meet targets for CO2 emission reductions to minimize the impact of climate change. But a recent panel at the EHS Today Safety Leadership Conference in Cleveland, Ohio revealed roadblocks to the broad acceptance and use of EVs in the U.S. The panel brought together representatives from EV component manufacturers who, while raving about the tremendous business opportunities as the market shifts to EVs, also recognize there’s still much work still … Read more...

Intelex30: How ESG Reporting and EHS Management Systems are Responding to a Changing World 

Posted on by
Reply

Some organizations will face the reality that spreadsheets and manual methods for collecting data will not be able to keep up with the requirements of ESG reporting and EHS management.

The world has changed a lot over the last three years. In many ways, it’s become more unpredictable, with supply chain disruption, economic concerns and geopolitical volatility becoming part of our daily existence. Yet through it all, frontline workers are there to keep the machinery of the global economic engine moving, so keeping them safe while improving the way they work has never been more important.  

With that in mind, the Intelex User Conference returned in Nashville, Tennessee from November 3-4. For two days at the Gaylord Opryland Resort, we met with customers, partners and industry experts to dig into the present and future developments of EHS to see how we can support the needs of frontline workers everywhere. Since … Read more...

ESG’s Growing Importance Will Draw Upon EHS Leadership

Posted on by
Reply

Survey results show intrinsic links between the two practices of ESG and EHS with both areas sharing many common concerns and similar objectives.

The role played by environment, health and safety (EHS) in the development and execution of environmental social and governance (ESG) strategies may depend on who you ask.

A recent Safety + Health Magazine webinar highlighted 2022 research from Vance and Bourne conducted on behalf of Intelex and shed light on how EHS and ESG leadership professionals are dealing with their evolving mutual challenges. The resulting report – Big Ambitions. Complex Data. Limited Visibility – analyzes a survey of 450 professionals who occupy EHS and ESG leadership roles in North American public and private organizations representing 17 business sectors. 

Survey results show intrinsic links between the two practices with both areas sharing many common concerns and similar objectives. During the webinar it was revealed that a vast majority … Read more...

The Everyday Work of ESG Reporting

Posted on by
Reply

Many have no idea where to start when it comes to ESG reporting responsibilities. Here are a few ideas to help get you moving in the right direction.

Environment, social and governance (ESG) principles have become a monolithic presence in the strategic thinking of today’s organizations. Consumer demands, investor concerns and mandatory regulatory reporting have taken ESG from the vague public relations exercises of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to the rigorous reporting requirements coming into force in many jurisdictions around the world. 

One of the difficult things about monoliths is that it can be tricky to get a handle on them. Their sheer size and complexity can be overwhelming for those who are not used to dealing with them. ESG is a monolith that has arisen relatively quickly to become a critical concern for organizational leadership. If you’re confronting the reality of having new ESG reporting responsibilities and you have … Read more...

Research Reveals Collection and Quality as Top EHS and ESG Data Challenges

Posted on by
Reply

Organizations are challenged in their efforts to gather EHS and ESG data and poor data quality hinders their ability to improve EHS and ESG performance.

The ability to collect data and be assured it is of high-quality are essential to environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) reporting and compliance success, according to speakers at a webinar outlining recent North American ESG and environment, health and safety (EHS) research.

Traditional and ad hoc ways of collecting ESG and EHS data are not enough, according to one speaker. Virginia Hoekenga, deputy director for the National Association for Environmental Managers (NAEM), says companies must move from Excel [spreadsheets] and paper approaches to systemic and holistic management of ESG and EHS using information technology and digital systems.  

Hoekenga was speaking during a presentation of 2022 research from Vance and Bourne conducted on behalf of Intelex that explores how EHS and ESG professionals are dealing … Read more...

New Research Shows EHS, ESG Compliance and Reporting Key Differentiators for Today’s Businesses

Posted on by
Reply
Research from Intelex Technologies shows that EHS and ESG oversight and reporting are critical for helping companies attract workers, preserve their reputation and meet regulatory requirements.

The vast majority of environmental, health and safety (EHS) and environmental, social and governance (ESG) professionals believe that a higher level of EHS and ESG maturity in their organizations can drive new business, attract the best workers, and overcome regulatory compliance hurdles, according to findings released today from Intelex Technologies’ “Big Ambitions. Complex Data. Limited Visibility.” report.

Intelex, a leading global provider of cloud-based environmental, health and safety (EHS) management software, commissioned an independent market research firm to survey more than 450 EHS and ESG professionals across industries in both the United States and Canada on critical factors impacting their businesses. The survey, conducted in June 2022, showed that both health and safety and environmental oversight and compliance remain key concerns for today’s professionals.… Read more...

The War on ESG Greenwashing

Posted on by
Reply
Many organizations brag about their green credentials, but how many of their claims are true? Whether by accident or through deception, greenwashing as part of ESG management is on the rise.
Many organizations brag about their green credentials, but how many of their claims are true? Whether by accident or through deception, greenwashing as part of ESG management is on the rise.

It’s not unusual for companies to be too enthusiastic when it comes to promoting the benefits of their products. Chewing gum doesn’t make life more fun, the latest technology gadget won’t guarantee your popularity and limited-edition running shoes won’t get you promoted to the NBA any time soon. Everyone knows this, but allowing this mixture of fantasy and reality to play out has been a fundamental tenet of corporate marketing for decades without causing any significant problems.

In the world of environment, social and governance (ESG), however, reality can hit extremely hard. When companies make promises to meet environmental commitments, such as reducing emissions, customers and regulators expect companies to keep those promises. When those promises fall short, the … Read more...