EHS Trends In The Chemicals Sector You Should Know About

In the regional and industry-specific breakdown of the 2025 Verdantix global corporate survey on EHS budgets, priorities and tech preferences, respondents in the chemicals sector report a significant increase in EHS spending, with 35% of firms stating that their EHS budgets will rise by at least 10% in the next year. The chemicals sector faces high and increasingly complex EHS risks, driven by novel processes, hazardous substances and tightening regulations – such as the 2025 REACH revisions.

Commercial teams looking to sell EHS software to firms in the chemicals industry should be aware of several sector-specific factors, as in the chemicals sector:

• A rising portion of EHS spending is focused on training, learning and development.
  EHS training, learning and development is set to see the most significant increase out of all EHS spending categories, with 48% of respondents to the global corporate survey indicating that their 2026 spend will be at least 10% larger than in 2025. Similar increases were reported in the 2023 and 2024 surveys, reflecting the sector’s ongoing upskilling needs in line with continual changes to processes and the types of hazardous substances that are handled due to the central role R&D plays in the chemicals industry. EHS software vendors that differentiate themselves in this market are those able to integrate up‑to‑date, expert‑led chemicals safety training content and identify training needs relevant to ever-changing regulatory and process developments (see Verdantix Future Of Learning Management Systems).
• Macroeconomic conditions dictate EHS spending significantly.
  EHS decision-makers cite expected global economic downturn as the most significant factor influencing EHS technology investment in the chemicals sector. This differs from most other industries, in which EHS technology investment largely hinges on regulatory change. As such, vendors should pay close attention to macroeconomic indicators such as the cost of capital and GDP growth forecasts before seriously considering spending time and effort trying to win investment from chemicals firms.
  
• There is an established group of EHS software vendors serving the industry.
  Any new entrant would face strong competition from established EHS software vendors such as Benchmark Gensuite, HSI, Sphera, TenForce, and VelocityEHS, all of which have deep experience and strong reputations for serving chemicals firms’ EHS needs. These providers have substantial client bases within the chemicals sector, where the industry often ranks among their top three markets (see Verdantix Green Quadrant: EHS Software 2025). In addition to these major players, smaller EHS software firms like Chemrade present further competition. Chemrade has built niche expertise in hazardous substance and CMR product registration, and already serves notable clients including LyondellBasell, Syngenta and Wittenburg Group.

For more industry insights on EHS practitioners’ top priorities and the relative strengths of software firms serving each market, set up an analyst inquiry call.