Global Corporate Survey 2026: EHS Budgets, Priorities And Tech Preferences

Report
EHSQ Corporate Leaders
April Choy
April Choy
Nathan Goldstein
Nathan Goldstein
10 Aug, 2026

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Executive Summary

This report enables EHS executives to benchmark their budgets, investment priorities and technology preferences against global peers. It also helps EHS consulting and technology providers understand market priorities. The 2026 Verdantix global corporate EHS survey gathered insights from 302 senior decision-makers across 25 countries and 24 industries, primarily from those employed in large enterprises and director-level roles. Survey data reveal that EHS spending will continue to rise in 2027, driven by digital transformation, regulatory complexity and the need to strengthen workforce risk controls. Organizations are focusing investments on training, safety risk mitigation, contractor management, occupational health (OH) and industrial hygiene (IH). Digital technologies remain a key priority, with firms improving data foundations, interoperability, and assistive AI capabilities focused on automation and data quality, while continuing to move more advanced applications through pilot stages.
Summary for decision-makers
Global survey highlights the digital maturity and operational priorities of EHS functions
Annual global survey features 302 EHS executives across 24 industries
EHS leaders are prioritizing measurable performance, regulatory resilience and frontline risk control
EHS technology strategies are anchored in leading indicators and real-time visibility
Regulatory complexity and climate risk are shaping EHS technology investment
Contractor risk management is shifting towards real-time operational control
EHS budgets are continuing to rise, with firms prioritizing targeted capability expansion
Spend is focused on training, ESG and safety risk
Organizations are placing greater emphasis on foundational capabilities as digital EHS programmes mature
Firms are continuing to expand their digital EHS capabilities, but many technologies remain in the early stages of adoption
Mobile, operational resilience and AI pilots shape the rollout of EHS digital technologies
AI adoption is strongest in assistive use cases, but trust remains the constraint
Figure 1. EHS respondents: revenue categorization
Figure 2. EHS respondents: job function breakdown
Figure 3. EHS respondents: industry categorization by risk level
Figure 4. EHS respondents: regional breakdown
Figure 5. EHSQ technology priority areas for the next two years
Figure 6. EHSQ operational priority areas for the next two years
Figure 7. Impact of external and internal factors on EHSQ technology investment
Figure 8. Impact of chemical and product compliance challenges
Figure 9. Impact of contractor management challenges
Figure 10. Change in EHSQ spend over the next 12 months
Figure 11. Change in spend across EHSQ categories in 2027
Figure 12. Digital strategy development priorities
Figure 13. EHSQ software buyer priorities
Figure 14. Digital technology adoption in 2027
Figure 15. Deployment of AI use cases
Figure 16. Barriers to successful AI adoption for EHS

About the Authors

April Choy

April Choy

Industry Analyst

April is an Industry Analyst at Verdantix, specializing in EHS&Q software and emerging technologies. She helps organizations navigate complex technology decisions, providi...

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Nathan Goldstein

Nathan Goldstein

Senior Manager

Nathan is a Senior Manager at Verdantix, specializing in EHS software and the convergence of sustainability, EHS and operational risk. He leads research that helps corporate d...

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