SDG Adoption, Health and Safety Policy Strength, and Injury Performance across Firms in the Energy Value Chain

Abstract

This study examines the link between the adoption of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the strength of health and safety policy, and injury rates in the energy sector. It also evaluates whether these relationships differ among Upstream, Midstream, Downstream, and Crossstream firms to clarify how sustainability efforts connect to operational safety. A quantitative cross-sectional design was used, based on data from 281 energy firms drawn from Refinitiv Datastream. OHS-related SDG adoption was measured using SDG 3 and SDG 8 indicators; policy systems were assessed using a health and safety policy score; and performance was measured using the injury rate. Analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, Kruskal–Wallis tests, and Ordinary Least Squares regression. The results show that greater SDG adoption and stronger health and safety policies are associated with lower injury rates. Policy scores vary significantly across energy value chain segments, but injury rates do not differ by segment. In the regression model, both SDG variables and health and safety policy scores continue to show a negative relationship with injury rates. Midstream firms report higher injury rates than Upstream firms. This research informs business management, sustainability reporting, ESG analysis, and OHS evaluation. The findings help managers, analysts, and policymakers assess whether sustainability commitments and formal policy systems align with measurable safety in high-risk sectors such as energy. This study advances research by integrating SDG commitment, formal health and safety policy systems, and injury rates within a single empirical framework. It compares these relationships across energy value chain segments, showing that sustainability alignment and policy strength are distinct yet complementary paths associated with better safety outcomes.