Building Economic Resilience to the Health Impacts of Climate Change 2025

The health impacts of climate change cut across all sectors – no industry is immune. The eight interventions outlined in this section are applicable to most sectors in the broader economy. In many cases, businesses will be able to go further, prioritizing actions that address their specific contexts. All-sector interventions FIGURE 5 Employee protection initiatives Implement occupational health safeguards for workers in high-risk zones, e.g. personal protective equipment. Provide climate-responsive employee health coverage options, e.g. health plans for heat risk. 1Improving climate resilience of systems Implement risk monitoring and early warning systems following a comprehensive climate-health risk assessment. Invest in climate-health research to create data sources to identify the root causes of climate-related illnesses. Protect critical systems, including both built and ecological infrastructure, to reduce vulnerability. Products, services and community engagement Establish preparedness and response plans for climate-related health emergencies. Educate workers and communities on climate-related health hazards and proactive strategies to mitigate risks. Scale health-protective products and services that reduce long-term health burdens across the value chain.23 4 56 7 8 1 Implement occupational health safeguards in high-risk zones In regions vulnerable to climate impacts, implementing proactive safeguards can significantly reduce illness and mortality. This could include providing workers with medical care, implementing cooling solutions and modifying work practices. These interventions reduce medical care costs and protect workers, minimizing productivity losses. 2 Provide climate-responsive employee health coverage Expanding employee health benefits to cover relevant climate-driven conditions strengthens resilience by ensuring a healthier and more productive workforce. 3 Implement risk monitoring and early-warning systems Continuous tracking of indicators – including meteorological data, disease outbreak data and workforce health metrics, identified through a prior risk assessment – can enable businesses to anticipate and reduce health and operational risk before crises escalate. 4 Invest in climate-health research Advancing science and developing solutions for challenges linked to climate-health is a multisector imperative. By investing in research, businesses can help identify the root causes of climate-health risks and develop new treatments, technologies and preventative strategies. Building Economic Resilience to the Health Impacts of Climate Change 13