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The EHS experts in their Environment, Health, and Safety roles must learn to frame their work around opportunities rather than constraints, both in their internal and external communications.
EHS experts: a discipline synonymous with constraints
Within companies, the work carried out by those in charge of EHS is not always fully appreciated. Tasked with implementing health, safety, and environmental protection rules—and ensuring they are followed—EHS experts are sometimes seen as "naysayers." The proliferation of standards and regulations likely contributes to this negative perception, which is sometimes even shared by the EHS experts themselves.
This view is, of course, a bit of a caricature and naturally depends on the company, its industry, and its history with these issues. For instance, companies in the chemical sector were among the first to be sensitized to EHS challenges, while the food industry initially approached the subject from the perspective of food hygiene, largely under pressure from consumers. The experiences of EHS experts can also influence the rules implemented for occupational and environmental risk prevention
From a logic of constraints to a logic of opportunities
Even today, the mission assigned to an EHS manager is often limited to regulatory compliance. This constrained approach, which could be described as "first-level EHS," is increasingly being supplemented by a more positive logic focused on risk and cost reduction. However, EHS is still rarely viewed as a way to create new opportunities—as a discipline that contributes to brand and product value, company competitiveness and longevity, or even improved team cohesion around a virtuous employer brand.
The need to promote the EHS expert role to the executive committee
We believe that EHS experts have a strong interest in changing how senior management views their roles, because it is only with the support of leadership that they can effectively contribute to value creation and the long-term success of their companies. This is what the vast majority of them want!
To achieve this, we believe it is essential for these professionals to move beyond the narrow focus on expertise and standards that has often defined them. The goal is to highlight the EHS initiatives they have undertaken, along with the associated results and the opportunities that arise from them. This promotion requires the implementation of both internal and external communication strategies. To be effective, these strategies must rely on both success stories and factual indicators to measure progress. Regarding the latter, it is no longer enough to stick to mandatory metrics, such as workplace accident rates; instead, choose indicators that showcase the value of the function. For example, in the environmental field, this could include the reduction of pollution around a specific site and its positive effects on local health and biodiversity, the number of visitors during "open house" events and their feedback, or the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions at the group level. Indicators linked to "material" issues (those relevant to the company and its stakeholders) should also be prioritized, especially those that reflect the company's vision for its future.
To highlight their mission, HSE experts would likely benefit from working more closely with their communications teams. This isn't about "greenwashing," but rather about demonstrating through facts that the company is committed to its long-term sustainability. In doing so, the HSE function will gain greater visibility and likely earn more respect from executive leadership. This will ultimately provide the legitimacy needed to secure the resources required for their mission.