The Culture Behind the Deal: in EHS Due Diligence

Rethinking: EHS Global Goals. Local Delivery.
Campaign: Rethinking EHS Podcast
Title "The Culture Behind the Deal: in EHS Due Diligence" with headshots of Keith Knoke and Andy Sweetman

In this bonus episode, the host, Keith Knoke, chair of the board at Inogen Alliance, is joined by Andy Sweetman from Antea Group UK to explore what buyers should look for during environmental, health and safety due diligence. Building on the main Episode 8 discussion, they look beyond visible compliance issues to the management practices, hidden liabilities and operational risks that can shape an acquisition’s future value.

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Time Stamps

  • 00:00:05 – Introduction: What buyers worry about and what they should look for
  • 00:00:25 – Looking beyond visible risks to management culture
  • 00:01:35 – Less obvious environmental risks and historic liabilities
  • 00:02:01 – Waste disposal liabilities at a site the business never operated
  • 00:03:20 – PFAS and the limits of previous site investigations
  • 00:03:46 – Climate and water risks affecting future operations
  • 00:04:15 – Data centres, leisure assets and environmental exposure
  • 00:04:39 – Why EHS culture matters in an acquisition
  • 00:05:09 – Strong culture versus a clean compliance record
  • 00:06:02 – Translating leadership values into plant-floor practice
  • 00:06:46 – Assessing EHS responsibility and competence
  • 00:07:46 – Management workshops and testing the paperwork
  • 00:08:39 – What leadership engagement reveals about EHS culture
  • 00:09:38 – One piece of advice for buyers
  • 00:10:00 – Using due diligence to understand how the business operates
  • 00:10:26 – Closing reflections and the main episode
  • 00:11:01 – Where to follow the series

Guest Quotes

 Andy Sweetman: “The paperwork can tell you a certain amount of things, but I think talking directly to the people who own it is important.”