Our insights 

Explore the intersection of climate and health perspectives with our curated knowledge pieces. These resources are designed to assist organisations in developing and implementing initiatives that promote the convergence of climate and health goals.

Our latest reports

Investing in Resilient Health

January 2026 I This briefing paper argues that resilient health is emerging as a high-growth, investible frontier with potential to safeguard societies against climate-health risks. It introduces climate risk as a material business exposure; identifies investible solutions in life-science, health infrastructure and heat-resilience; takes stock of enabling policy and financing trends; and introduces the Forum's new workstream on the topic. 

Building Economic Resilience to the Health Impacts of Climate Change

Building Economic Resilience to the Health Impacts of Climate Change

September 2025 I Climate change is increasingly felt through its impacts on human health, with rising costs to industry, governments and communities. The global impact of climate health effects across the food and agriculture, built environment, and health and healthcare sectors could amount to at least $1.5 trillion in lost productivity by 2050. To protect their workforces, operations and growth, businesses need to make human health a pillar of resilience.

Building Economic Resilience to the Health Impacts of Climate Change


More publications

Healthcare in a Changing Climate: Investing in Resilient Solutions

January 2025 I The report analyses preventable human and economic impacts of climate change across 11 diseases and conditions: malaria, dengue fever, cholera, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, stunting, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, fatalities and injuries, heat-related diseases and asthma.

Health Impacts of Climate Change: Evidence and Role of Private Sector

June 2024 I This report provides an in-depth analysis of the direct and indirect health impacts of climate change. It assesses the gaps in research and actionable guidance, and highlights opportunities for private sector intervention to improve health outcomes

Quantifying the Impact of Climate Change on Human Health

September 2025 I The report emphasizes the urgent need for global emission-reduction strategies and adaptation of healthcare infrastructures, advocating for collaborative efforts to transform health systems in response to this escalating crisis.


Read more about Climate and Health

ARTICLE

How four cities are cutting heat, pollution and health risks - and saving money

World Economic Forum

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4 mins to read

ARTICLE

Resilient health: a new investment frontier

World Economic Forum

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4 mins to read

ARTICLE

Why workforce health should be at the core of every business strategy 

World Economic Forum and Boston Consulting Group

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5 mins to read

video

Climate change is threatening workers’ health. Here are 8 ways businesses can protect their employees

World Economic Forum

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3 minutes to watch

Article

Climate and health: How global healthcare can adapt to a warming world

World Economic Forum

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6 mins to read

article

Why climate health will cost companies billions – and what businesses can do

World Economic Forum

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4 mins to read

video

In Delhi, climate change is causing informal workers to lose work. This insurance scheme pays them

World Economic Forum

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5 mins to watch

ARTICLE

8 top organizations are combating climate change's health impacts

World Economic Forum

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5 mins to read

ARTICLE

Climate change is affecting people’s health – here’s how the private sector can help

World Economic Forum and L.E.K.

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5 mins to read

ARTICLE

Which health areas are impacted by climate change and where is more guidance needed?

World Economic Forum and L.E.K.

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7 mins to read

ARTICLE

Extreme heat: Why it’s a global health issue and what we can do about it

World Economic Forum

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5 mins to read

Case Studies

Arup, a global engineering and design firm, supported the Asian Development Bank’s development of digital tools and analytics and the design of heat-resilient urban environments. A prototype Climate and Health Portal – an integrated platform that brings together data, research and insights to support evidence-based urban planning – represents a key output. Arup designed the portal’s digital framework and interface to ensure accessibility and impact, and, in parallel,conducted a detailed urban heat mapping study in a pilot city using advanced modelling tools such as UHeat and Terrain.
Oceania, North America, Europe, India & South Asia | Engineering & Construction
Enhancing heat-resilient urban planning
Arup Group
While on-site work is an integral aspect of the construction industry, GS E&C has several policies and protocols in place to ensure that the health and safety of workers remain the utmost priority, especially with unprecedented high temperatures and rapid climate change seen in recent years. The most simple, yet effective way to reduce heat stress in construction sites is to reduce exposure to heat. Work is prioritized during cooler hours, and regular mandatory breaks are scheduled, with break durations increasing depending on the heat index. For example, when the heat index reaches 31 degrees Celsius, these breaks occur for 10 minutes every hour; when the heat index exceeds 35 degrees Celsius, the breaks are scheduled for 15 minutes every hour.
Korea & North Asia | Engineering & Construction
Enhancing worker safety amid rising temperatures
GS E&C Corp
Agrobiomics is developing products to boost agricultural yields in land affected by salinity, drought or heat stress using biological solutions.Their bio-stimulant solution induces resilience in crops against drought and salinity stress, resulting in an average 35% increase in yield for rice under saline stress and 10% increase for soybeans under moderate drought when applied as seed coating.
Europe, South America, North America, Asia, Africa | Food & agriculture
New techniques for agricultural resilience and food security
In certain regions of India, the Air Quality Index breaches 300 for a few months every year, which is hazardous. To mitigate this, the local authorities ban construction activities, which impact many informal construction workers' livelihoods. During the summer months, the temperatures soar much beyond 42 °C, and outdoor informal workers face the brunt, with health impacts and potential livelihood loss.An innovative Air Quality Index (AQI)-linked parametric insurance product was developed. The product was designed to have an automatic cash transfer to the bank account of the beneficiary if the AQI threshold was breached. A heat stress insurance was also developed this time having a health cover and a cash transfer component. The product was designed such that hospitalization cash assistance would be provided and if the temperature thresholds set are breached there would be a direct cash payout to beneficiaries.
India & South Asia | Financial services
Parametric Insurance for Informal Workers in India
People's Courage International
As climate change increases temperatures and disrupts cold supply chains, developing essential medicines that remain stable without refrigeration is becoming increasingly important for global health. Ferring Pharmaceuticals has developed a heatstable version of carbetocin that can help prevent dangerous bleeding after childbirth: a leading cause of death for mothers worldwide. In the largest study of its kind, involving nearly 30,000 women across ten countries, the heat-stable carbetocin was shown to work just as well as the current standard treatment, oxytocin. Unlike oxytocin, which must be kept cold, carbetocin stays effective even in hot climates, making it ideal for use in low-income countries where refrigeration is hard to maintain.
India & South Asia, Latin America, Africa | Health
Building resilience with heat-stable pharmaceuticals
Ferring Pharmaceuticals
As dengue escalates due to climate change, Takeda’s vaccine offers a critical preventive tool. Now, through active participation in the Collective Action on Dengue (CAD) initiative, Takeda is helping scale climate-resilient healthcare by aligning innovation with cross-sector coordination.The CAD initiative launched at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) and supported by over 30 stakeholders, cultivates collaboration across urban health, innovation and financing. Takeda contributes technical and strategic expertise, accelerating access to vaccines and strengthening health systems in climate-vulnerable regions.
Asia Pacific, Africa, Latin America | Health
Collective Action on Dengue Initiative
Takeda Pharmaceutical
In response to rising heat-related health risks in Japan, Sompo Japan enhanced its personal accident insurance to expand the scope of the coverage for heatstroke. Initially launched as an optional benefit in 2021 for children frequently engaged in outdoor activities, the policy provided fixed payments for outpatient care, hospitalization, surgery or death due to heatstroke. The increased risks, intensified by extreme heat and ongoing mask use, led to expanded eligibility across age groups in 2022, and by early 2025, heatstroke coverage had become a standard feature.
Asia Pacific | Financial services
Innovative insurance solutions for treating climate-driven disease
Sompo
The Burjeel Holdings Center for Climate and Health empowers individuals and communities to navigate environmental challenges with tailored, adaptive care. They integrate climate risk assessments into routine care, perform comprehensive health evaluations considering environmental factors, complete detailed documentation of climate-sensitive health impacts and tailor approaches for chronic condition care.The Center pioneers the integration of climate-conscious strategies into healthcare, addressing the critical intersection of climate change and public health.
Middle East & North Africa | Health
Pioneering Climate-Conscious Healthcare in MENA
Burjeel Holdings
Kondobo is a two-man aid post in South Fly District, in PNG. It is located in a remote area, understaffed, and has limited resources and infrastructure, facing ongoing supply challenges. Yet, it is the only primary point of access for healthcare services including essential vaccinations for children in remote underserved communities for miles around. The threat of vaccine-preventable diseases is real for children in these communities.Donated by the Japanese government, Artek devices are designed to store enough vaccines to vaccinate up to 200 children for up to four weeks in remote areas without electricity. They allow health workers to transport essential vaccines over long distances and over long periods of time so that every child can access life-saving interventions. By the end of 2025, Kondobo will also receive a solar-powered refrigerator, ensuring a permanent cold chain and a sustained commitment to health.The Artek cold chain solution is unique as it ensures vaccines remain viable for up to four weeks without electricity, reaching remote communities otherwise excluded from immunization. Its innovative dual approach combines short-term passive devices with long-term solar refrigerators, creating a sustainable, climate-resilient system. Tailored deployment based on population and staffing makes it efficient, while strong partner support ensures scalability across Papua New Guinea and beyond.
Oceania | Health, Government, Civil society
Reaching the last mile through the Artek cold chain solution
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
Choose Better is a long-term, scalable programme embedded in Carrefour operations with ongoing campaigns, new initiatives, and expansion plans across the MENA region. It combines retail scale with behavioral nudges, cross-sector partnerships, and a region-specific strategy to make healthier options appealing and affordable in underserved markets. It also boosts healthier food consumption, supports local communities and sustainable sourcing, improves customer wellbeing, and influences supply chain innovation toward better products.Choose Better enhances healthier product visibility, affordability, and appeal via a 3-pillar framework (Better for You, Better for the Planet, Better for the Community), loyalty incentives, clear labelling, online filters, and partnerships with ministries and suppliers.
Middle East & North Africa | Food & Retail
Shifting consumer behaviour towards healthier, more sustainable diets
Majid Al Futtaim Holding
Climate change is severely impacting communities and public health systems in low-income countries, yet climate-health lacks scale-ready solutions. While many proven technologies exist, they remain stuck in a “scale gap.” Innovators face barriers beyond capital constraints, including poor market uptake, policy and regulatory gaps, and fragmented ecosystems. Thrive exists to bridge this gap with patient capital, business support, and system integration.The Thrive Fund, launched by Global Innovation Fund and PATH, is a $120M evergreen pooled blended-finance vehicle combining patient capital and technical support to de-risk, commercialize, and scale climate-health innovations. It bridges the “scale gap” for early- to mid-growth startups by enabling deployment, integration, and commercialization in Africa and Asia.
Africa, Asia | Government, Civil society
Thrive Fund: Innovative Finance for Climate and Health
PATH

A cross-centre initiative

The Climate and Health initiative is a cross-collaboration of our Centre for Health & Healthcare and Centre for Nature & Climate, thereby leveraging the ongoing efforts undertaken by each of them.

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