Climate Health Risks Put $1.5 Trillion in Productivity at Stake by 2050

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Geneva, Switzerland, 18 September 2025 - In the next 25 years, climate-driven health impacts could result in the loss of more than $1.5 trillion in lost output from select climate-health illnesses. This is according to a new report from the World Economic Forum, assessing climate-driven health impacts in four of the most affected economic sectors: food and agriculture; the built environment; health and healthcare; and insurance. The $1.5 trillion estimate reflects losses in only the first three sectors, under a mid-range scenario, suggesting the burden on the global economy could be far higher.

The report, Building economic resilience to the health impacts of climate change, developed in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group (BCG), urges companies to act now to protect workforce health, build operational resilience and safeguard productivity before the costs of climate adaptation become unmanageable. The findings highlight that adapting to extreme heat, infectious diseases and other health risks accelerating due to climate change is now a strategic business imperative.

"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, World Economic Forum. "Every year we delay embedding resilience into business decisions, the risks to human health and productivity climb and the costs of adaptation rise."

Alongside shared disruptions, the analysis also outlines sector-specific vulnerabilities. In food and agriculture, climate health impacts could lead to $740 billion in lost output, triggering serious consequences for global food security. In the built environment sector, climate health impacts are projected to result in productivity losses of $570 billion. The health and healthcare sector stands to lose $200 billion in productivity due to workforce climate health illness, while rising climate-driven disease rates among the wider population could compound demand pressures. The insurance industry, meanwhile, is projected to experience a sharp rise in climate health claims.

"As temperatures rise, millions of jobs become more dangerous - or disappear entirely - pushing families deeper into poverty and changing where and how people can live and thrive," said Naveen Rao, Vice-President for Health, Rockefeller Foundation, which supported this research. "This report serves as a wake-up call to all businesses to act urgently and future-proof their operations."

However, the report also indicates that companies investing early in climate health adaptation can benefit beyond risk mitigation, unlocking new opportunities for innovation and growth while meeting emerging market needs. Each sector is uniquely positioned to develop and scale solutions to emerging climate health challenges. From climate-resilient crops that protect food systems, heat-stable medications that expand medicine availability, cooling technologies that keep construction workers safe and new insurance models protecting communities against climate health shocks, examples of innovation are already taking shape.

"Momentum on health adaptation is building, but financing and implementation are still far below what's needed," said Elia Tziambazis, Managing Director and Partner, BCG. "The challenge now is to scale proven solutions fast enough to keep pace with climate change, mitigate its impact on workforces and invest in the innovation that will define the next generation of resilience services and products."

The report's analysis covers seven major health risks exacerbated by climate change and models the economic cost of lost output due to climate-driven worker illness and death between 2025 and 2050. It sources health data from scientific literature and employment data, and economic cost from the International Labour Organization and World Bank data.

The report also points out that a global shift to health resilience must be underpinned by supportive policies, interoperable climate health data systems and innovative financing to mobilize capital. The findings, published ahead of the World Economic Forum's Sustainable Development Impact Meetings 2025, arrive as preparations intensify for COP30 in Belém, Brazil. This year's climate negotiations are set to bring health adaptation to the forefront of the global climate agenda, signalling a unique opportunity to align private sector innovation with policy action.

About the Sustainable Development Impact Meetings 2025

The Sustainable Development Impact Meetings 2025 will take place from 22 to 26 September in New York, bringing together over 1,000 global leaders from diverse sectors and geographies. Held ahead of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026, these meetings are part of the Forum's year-round work to accelerate progress on growth, resilience, and innovation through multistakeholder dialogues and action.

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