ESG as a Differentiator in the Security Industry: Where We Are Now and Where We’re Heading

Experts share insights on the importance of ESG in security and its journey from compliance to competitive advantage.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles continue to evolve within the security industry. ESG is a competitive advantage for businesses in the security industry, with benefits ranging from social impact to security, safety and risk management.

The Security Industry Association (SIA) ESG Advisory Board hosted a panel discussion at ISC West highlighting insights from its recently released ESG Insights for Security Industry Executives white paper and takeaways infographic. Here are some key lessons shared.

• A strong ESG posture is important to customers during product selection. A variety of viewpoints may influence how customers select security products when it comes to ESG—with criteria sought including performance requirements such as LEED certification, specific features built with sustainable products or a health product declaration. For Dan Glover, senior product manager, door group at ASSA ABLOY, it’s important to coordinate with architects to ensure a competitive advantage and a specification hook to get it into the product and sustainable solutions. ESG Advisory Board Chair Amy Musanti—director of sustainable building solutions for ASSA ABLOY— discussed how reporting with supply chain transparency with their first-tier suppliers and how energy use is calculated for the end-user or in the production or logistics. When factoring a product’s footprint, it’s not just the total amount of energy used to produce the product, but its use phase as well.
• Companies can embed sustainability into products to demonstrate value to customers. According to Christina Guerrero, integrated solutions specialist at ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions, when discussing power over Ethernet products, the conversation goes beyond the technology itself to show how the solution can provide both financial and environmental benefits. From a capital expenditures perspective, customers can see potential cost savings through easier installation, centralized or remote management, and reduced ongoing service requirements. The ability to remotely manage and troubleshoot systems can also reduce the need to dispatch technicians in cars or trucks, lowering operational costs while minimizing environmental impact, which creates a more holistic value proposition where sustainability is not benefiting just one stakeholder or one part of the project, but the entire ecosystem, from installation and operations to the end user and the environment. Glover touts the benefits of being green, reducing carbon footprint and becoming carbon neutral.
• From the social side of ESG, the focus extends beyond products and services to how an organization supports its people and communities. Companies that are known for strong educational programs, community involvement and giving back can build significant goodwill with employees, customers and the communities they serve. These initiatives are an important part of managing human factors because they contribute to employee engagement, organizational culture and a sense of purpose. Whether through volunteer days, educational outreach, charitable programs or other community initiatives, giving employees opportunities to make a positive impact can strengthen morale while also building stronger relationships with customers and the broader community.
• Customers expect measurable impact, not just the intent or reporting of the metrics or results. As Dr. Alka Khungar, global director of data center operations, notes, the pillars of ESG are increasingly influencing the way organizations respond to tariffs, political uncertainty and other global challenges, including how they evaluate and adjust their key performance indicators. Integrating sustainability into business strategy can create long-term value while strengthening organizational resilience and the ability to adapt to changing conditions. Data centers provide a strong example of how these priorities intersect, from maintaining worker safety and Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance to considering the environmental impact of video surveillance systems, including how video storage, compression and data management can affect overall energy consumption.

These insights reinforce an important message. ESG is no longer a separate business initiative or simply a reporting exercise—it is increasingly woven into how security organizations recruit and support talent, manage risk, evaluate suppliers, develop technology, serve customers and build resilient operations. From sustainable technologies that reduce costs and have an environmental impact to community engagement, employee wellbeing, responsible governance and stronger human factors, ESG provides a framework for considering the broader impact of business decisions. The security industry has always been focused on protecting people and assets, but ESG expands that responsibility by considering the long-term impact on employees, customers, communities, organizations and the environment. The organizations that will lead the future of security will be those that use ESG to make smarter business decisions, strengthen resilience, reduce risk and create measurable, lasting value.

Coming Attractions From the ESG Advisory Board

On Sept. 9, 2026, the SIA ESG Advisory Board and the SIA the Built Environment Advisory Board will co-present the ESG Virtual Symposium—a free and open-to-all event featuring dynamic sessions on key topics in sustainability, environment, social and governance. Key highlights from the event, sponsored by ASSA ABLOY and HID, include:

• A keynote presentation from Charles Robinson, vice president and head of sustainability at ASSA ABLOY
• A discussion led by Dr. Jill Frack, owner of Fracktional Solutions, and Eva Noelle, co-founder and director of operations at Ceravoid, offering a global perspective on how ESG is handled beyond borders for social and governance items
• A session on how enterprise-wide sustainability commercialization can drive business value from each unit, presented by SIA ESG Advisory Board Chair Amy Musanti and Erin Spadavecchia, manager of sustainable building solutions at ASSA ABLOY
• A discussion led by Dr. Alka Khungar from Johnson Controls; Angela Casesa, product manager, hardware at Wavelynx Technologies; Audrey Singer, manager of product operations at Brivo; and Chloe Stanton, senior manager of sustainability at Wesco; on the critical intersection of AI and ESG frameworks

On Nov. 3, 2026, the ESG Advisory Board will be presenting at ISC Easton building resilient security organizations through people, infrastructure and governance. Dr. Jill Frack of Fracktional Solutions and Austan Palmer, account executive at Convergint, will discuss how ESG moves beyond reporting and into everyday business operations; connect people, critical infrastructure, technology, governance, and resilience; and demonstrate how workforce strategy, responsible technology decisions, data governance, and operational resilience can strengthen both security programs and the organizations they protect.

Save the Date for SIA Gives Back in 2027! June 4, 2027, will be the next Security Industry Community Service Day. Companies and employees can participate in ways that match their mission and team interests, with examples including:

• Donating professional services: You can recycle some old equipment that you upgraded at one job site by installing it at a local nonprofit organization in your community. Not only would you be contributing to the environmental impacts of not having the items go into a landfill, but you would also be creating a sustainable solution by giving the product a longer life and helping an organization that might not be able to afford that equipment.
• Community cleanups and beautification
• Financial contributions to service organizations in your community
• Many other ways! Please share how you and your organization give back by reaching out to us at info@securityindustry.org or using the hashtag #SecurityGivesBack on social media.