Another Heatwave? Another Wildfire? Why Climate Risk Is Becoming An EHS Priority

Another summer, another round of headlines on heatwaves and wildfires. Over the past few weeks, wildfires have dominated headlines across Europe and North America. In Europe, Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh was engulfed by fire for the second time this summer, a major wildfire burned through parts of the Cairngorms National Park for almost two weeks, and southwest France experienced one of its largest wildfire emergencies in decades. More than 300,000 people across France and Spain were forced to evacuate as wildfires spread in extreme heat and strong winds. Across the Atlantic, Canada has faced one of its most severe wildfire seasons in recent years, with more than 900 wildfires leading to smoke crossing borders and causing hazardous air quality in US cities such as Detroit and New York. While wildfires have historically been viewed as environmental or emergency response challenges, their increasing frequency, severity and geographic spread are changing how organizations assess climate-related risks.

Wildfires present a complex combination of occupational hazards extending well beyond the fire itself. Smoke inhalation, poor air quality, extreme heat, evacuation challenges, infrastructure disruption and worker wellbeing impacts can all affect business operations. Industries with outdoor operations, critical infrastructure, logistics networks and geographically distributed sites are particularly exposed, but the wider consequences can affect any organization through operational disruption and supply chain instability.

As climate-driven events become more frequent and severe, climate and environmental risks are playing a greater role in EHSQ planning and investment decisions. Traditional EHS programmes have largely focused on managing operational hazards within controlled environments. However, wildfires, floods, extreme heat and other climate-related events introduce external risks that can impact worker safety, site availability and operational resilience. This requires a stronger focus on resilience, crisis preparedness and business continuity, rather than only responding after an event has occurred.

Wildfires also expose the limitations of conventional emergency response plans. Organizations need capabilities to monitor emerging threats, communicate rapidly, account for workers and coordinate responses across dispersed operations. Consequently, critical event management (CEM) is becoming a higher investment priority within EHSQ strategies. The Verdantix Global Corporate Survey 2025: EHS Budgets, Priorities And Tech Preferences report reveals that 56% of firms have either widely deployed CEM solutions or are looking to increase their use. Findings from the upcoming 2026 EHS global corporate survey reinforce this trajectory, with adoption rising to 62%. CEM ranked as the second most widely adopted digital technology category in both surveys, reflecting growing demand for capabilities that support complex, fast-moving events linked to climate, environmental and operational risks.

As climate risk continue to reshape the operational risk landscape for EHS leaders, firms must integrate climate resilience, business continuity and EHS governance to better protect workers, minimize disruption and respond effectively when the next extreme weather event occurs. For further insight into preparing your EHS programme for an increasingly complex risk landscape, explore related reports on Vantage.