EHS & ESG trends in the US

Amidst a landscape of deregulation in the United States, continual shifts in EHS and ESG trends are having a significant impact on the operations, practices, products, and processes of companies. This article outlines the top regulatory trends in EHS and ESG across the United States, with particular attention to the environment, worker health and safety, governance, and artificial intelligence. 

Watch the full webinar for an in-depth overview of the trends across Europe, the United States, and Asia-Pacific regions, from our Enhesa experts:  

• Rikke Vessia, Senior EHS and Sustainability Regulatory Consultant 

• Owais Talib Syed, EHS and Sustainability Regulatory Consultant 

• Jin Wang, Subject Matter Expert in Sustainability and ESG 

• Jordan Stone, our Regional Expert for the United States

EHS and ESG trends in the environment

Massive federal deregulation has sparked huge changes in climate change, air pollution and chemical management regulations in the United States. And while federal action stalls, individual states are amplifying efforts in environmental regulation.  

Jordan Stone offers expert insight into the impacts of the US’ deregulation approach.
 

Deregulation 

In March 2025, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator announced that they would be rolling back 31 environmental regulations to advance President Trump’s executive orders.  

The EPA has proposed to withdraw several acts in its deregulatory plan: 

• The 2009 Endangerment Finding and the actions that rely on this scientific study, which states that greenhouse gas emissions are harmful to public health and welfare. It operates as the basis for all climate change regulation in the region 

• A reconsideration of the mandatory greenhouse gas reporting program 

• A reconsideration of the Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standards 

• A reconsideration of multiple national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants for energy and manufacturing sectors 

• The Good Neighbor Plan 

As of July 2025, Jordan confirms that the EPA hasn’t yet published proposals for these withdrawals in the federal register, but warns that companies may be susceptible to major changes to their environmental obligations as this process continues.
 

State-level action on climate change 

Although deregulation on environmental legislation, particularly surrounding climate change, is a priority at the federal level, many states have proposed to conduct studies on climate change impacts to bolster their own regulations.  

House Resolution 90 was introduced in Pennsylvania, for example, to require the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study analyzing the impact of climate change on public health and the environment. The aim would be to identify and predict the realistic impact of climate change on the Commonwealth and calculate costs of adapting and mitigating climate change impacts. 

Furthermore, Indiana introduced House Bill 1583 to establish the Task Force on Climate Change, Resilience and Economic Growth, directing them to identify positive and negative impacts climate change is having on Indiana’s manufacturing, technology, research, and other industry sectors. It would also include measures that could be taken to reduce climate change impacts on these industries.

EHS and ESG trends in worker health and safety

Worker health and safety has soared in recent years, as demands for employers to safeguard the health and wellbeing of their workers rises. 

In the United States, protection from extreme temperatures, and measures to prevent bullying and harassment in the workplace are the newest topics discussed by Jordan.
 

Heat-illness prevention plans 

As the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration continues to work on finalizing its heat-illness prevention plans, multiple states have taken the initiative to propose their own regulations. 

In the absence of a federal standard, Arizona, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Connecticut have proposed heat related illness prevention regulations. 

In Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development has finalized a rule to reinstate heat-illness protections for migrant workers. The law states that any company who employs migrant workers engaged in hand labor must establish a heat-illness prevention plan that includes: 

• Establish a heat illness prevention plan Maintaining areas of shade when temperatures are above 80 degrees Fahrenheit 

• Encouraging workers to take preventative cooldown rests 

• Implementing high heat procedures when temperatures reach above 95 degrees Fahrenheit  

• Holding pre-shift meetings to review high heat procedures
   

Workplace harassment  

Once more, many states are accelerating regulatory efforts across EHS and ESG topics, including workplace harassment. 

Maryland’s House Bill 1548 proposes establishing a reporting system for employee harassment and intimidation in the workplace, which would include the identity of the victim, the alleged perpetrator, the employment position of the victim and the alleged perpetrator, and a description of any negative psychological effects, related physical effects, or requests for psychological services known by the individual submitting the form. 

Massachusetts’ Senate Bill 1347 would declare workplace bullying an unlawful practice in the state, directing companies to determine whether this bullying exists at their work sites by evaluating four factors: 

1. The nature of the conduct 
2. The frequency of the conduct 
3. The duration of the conduct 
4. The context in which the conduct occurs

EHS and ESG trends in governance

Climate-related disclosures are a worldwide trend, Jordan acknowledges, and while the federal government doesn’t require companies to disclose climate-related information, many states have begun proposing and adopting legislation.
 

Climate-related disclosures 

California has taken the lead on climate-related disclosure regulations with their finalized climate emission reporting requirements under the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act. The California Air Resources Board released an enforcement notice stating that companies who operate in the state with an annual revenue in excess of USD 1 billion may submit scope 1 and scope 2 GHG emissions data from existing collections for the first greenhouse gas or GHG emissions report due in 2026. 

Colorado’s House Bill 1119 would require any company that operates in Colorado with annual revenues exceeding USD 1 billion in the preceding calendar year to publicly disclose its total greenhouse gas emissions during the preceding calendar year. If passed, the mandatory reporting requirements for scope 1 and 2 would begin in January 2028, while scope 3 emissions would begin in January 2029. 

Similarly, New Jersey has proposed Senate Bill 4117, which would require companies operating in the state with a total annual revenue in excess of USD 1 billion to publicly report their scope 1 and 2 emissions beginning four years after the law has been enacted and their scope 3 emissions five years after the enactment.

EHS and ESG trends in artificial intelligence

There are currently no comprehensive federal AI regulations, but many states, like Colorado, Illinois and Texas, have AI workplace legislation coming into effect in 2026.
 

AI in the workplace 

The Texas Responsible AI Governance Act was signed into law to responsibly regulate the use of AI. Under the Act, companies aren’t required to disclosure their use of AI, including to job applicants and employees, but they are prohibited from using AI systems that are developed or deployed with the intent to unlawfully discriminate against a protected class. 

California has introduced Senate Bill 7 to regulate AI in the workplace. If this bill is enacted, companies would be prohibited from primarily relying on AI or automated decision systems for key employment decisions without human oversight, such as: 

• Hiring 

• Firing 

• Promotions 

• Disciplinary actions 

Under this Bill, AI would also not be permitted to be used to forecast or determine an employee’s future actions, personality traits, or emotional condition. 

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into everyday life, Jordan says that the US, like all other regions around the world, have intensified focus on releasing laws to monitor and manage the use of this technology.