With the conference well underway in Rio de Janeiro, headlines will be dominated by the more macro factors around climate change and the potential global impact that it could have.
But there are areas of the conference that may be worth considering within a health and safety context as the environment within Health, Safety and Environment continues to have a growing focus for EHS managers. What are some of the elements to keep an eye on that could have an impact on your job role? Here we dive into it:
1. An increasing opportunity within climate-linked projects
COP30 is being dubbed ‘the implementation COP’ years on from the Paris Agreement, and implementation will likely mean an increase in demand for climate-friendly initiatives and projects. For those EHS managers in the construction space, opportunities for career development within green energy and other areas could likely increase.
These projects require exactly the skills EHS teams excel in; risk assessment, environmental compliance, contractor and construction safety, and monitoring real-world outcomes. With organisations under pressure to demonstrate that climate investments are delivered safely, ethically, and with minimal environmental impact, EHS managers have an expanding opportunity to shape project delivery, influence sustainability decisions, and position themselves as essential leaders in climate-linked transformation.
The increase may not be linear though, data from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) does show a decline in energy efficiency investment, reversing the decline will require stronger public funding, new incentive-led programmes, and greater private sector participation. Governments can help stimulate activity by lowering borrowing costs or offering direct financial support for energy-efficient projects, as seen in Australia’s HEUF and China’s IFGBD. If COP30 provides a renewed foundation on which to grow this, sustainability-minded EHS professionals could benefit.
2. How to prevent runaway global warming
Despite some progress, current national climate plans still leave the world on track for 2.3–2.5°C of warming, with a likely overshoot of 1.5°C in the coming decade. COP30 will therefore intensify pressure on countries to deliver faster, deeper emissions cuts, particularly in energy, industry, and transport.
For EHS professionals, this signals rising expectations to drive operational emissions reductions, strengthen decarbonisation initiatives on sites, and ensure compliance with tightening climate-related regulations across high-impact sectors.They are increasingly being asked to contribute to ESG reporting efforts whilst managing health and safety of workers. In many areas of the world, runaway global warming could lead to an increase in safety risks for the most vulnerable populations.
- Extreme heat exposure: Heat waves are becoming more common, and for those working outside balancing the extreme heat with appropriate use of PPE for the work they are doing may represent a new challenge for EHS Managers.
- Wildfires and air-quality hazards: With an increase in wildfires in certain parts of the world there is every chance that localised air-quality could be impacted. Again, a consideration for EHS managers when it comes to the safety of their staff.
- Infrastructure degradation: Heat-induced buckling of roads and other forms of infrastructure could impact workers safety if more climate resilient methods are not introduced.
3. Climate anxiety levels are increasing amongst workers
Outside of the physical safety issues that climate change could present, current messaging and data around the subject do show a worrying trend that could lead to negative safety outcomes within the workplace. This comes back to the need for safety managers to also be conscious of mental health outcomes, looking more at well-being beyond just the physical safety of workers.
COP 30 is one of the most publicised yet, and with global tensions and disagreement around the severity of the impact of climate change frequently in the news, it is important not to be too distracted by the noise and focus on the core role in hand, getting workers home happy, healthy and safe. Being mindful of any changes or initiatives that come out of COP 30 can help you do that.
About the Author: David Foy
David is Head of Content at HSE Network and provides coverage on related topics within the environmental health and safety fields. David has been in the industry for 6 years now attending industry-leading events and working with some of the world’s leading safety professionals.
