GENEVA– Rising global temperatures are set to impose severe health risks and cost the world more than $1.5 trillion in lost productivity by 2050, according to a new report from the World Economic Forum (WEF).
The analysis, released Thursday ahead of the WEF’s Sustainable Development Impact Meetings 2025 and in the run-up to COP30 in Belém, Brazil, warns that climate-driven health threats are becoming a strategic business concern.
“We are entering an era in which protecting worker health is proving essential to business continuity and long-term resilience,” said Eric White, Head of Climate Resilience at the WEF. “Every year we delay embedding resilience into business decisions, the risks to human health and productivity climb and the costs of adaptation rise.”
According to the report, the food and agriculture sector could see $740 billion in lost output from extreme heat, disease spread, and other climate-related disruptions, threatening global food security. The built environment sector faces projected losses of $570 billion, while the health and healthcare sector could lose $200 billion due to climate-related illnesses and workforce strain. Insurers are also expected to face escalating health-related claims linked to climate change.
The report, developed in partnership with Boston Consulting Group (BCG), stressed the need for urgent action. It highlighted the potential benefits of investing early in climate health adaptation, from safeguarding productivity to creating new market opportunities.
Examples of such innovation include climate-resilient crops, heat-stable medications, cooling technologies for outdoor workers, and new insurance models to protect communities from climate-linked health shocks.
The findings underscore that adapting to extreme heat, infectious diseases, and other accelerating health risks is no longer optional, but vital for both public health and economic resilience. (Source: IANS)
