Workforce Health Across the Value Chain 2025

Investing in labour: Models for health, resilience and climate adaptation4 Leading firms are committing to labour protection – strengthening supply chains through proactive, worker- centred investment and strategy. Despite existing health risks and the compounding effect of climate, efforts to improve healthcare access, quality and climate adaptation remain underfunded. According to recent research, less than 6% of adaptation finance has gone to health-related initiatives, leaving critical gaps in preparedness and resilience.70 Climate-health adaptation funding in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) similarly falls far short of the estimated $11 billion annually required to strengthen health systems and mitigate the impacts.71 According to recent research from the World Economic Forum in collaboration with Oliver Wyman, the cost of climate-related health impacts could reach $12.5 trillion in economic loss by 2050 if left unaddressed.72 Furthermore, in many supply- chain hubs, underdeveloped insurance markets leave workers with little financial protection in the face of illness, injury or disruption – compounding both economic fragility and health vulnerability. When formal insurance coverage is limited or absent, the burden of health shocks falls directly on workers and their families, increasing economic insecurity and undermining workforce stability.73,74Shared value theory, which emphasizes the alignment of social progress with economic success, offers a compelling framework for action.75 By investing in workforce health and safety, firms can generate measurable returns in productivity, retention and supply-chain reliability. This means going beyond still-important audits and codes of conduct76 to embed worker well-being into performance outcomes, business models, supply-chain governance, risk management and capital allocation. Critically, this also aligns with a shift in other funding models. Donor funding is shrinking while global needs are rising, requiring new models that act as local market multipliers.77 Smart, targeted capital not only drives innovation and local capacity – it creates the conditions for scale and sustainability that single donor or philanthropic funding often cannot sustain alone.78 From this perspective, community resilience is a strategic asset to cultivate. A key shift will therefore be to view communities, particularly those with indirect or contract labour sources, not only as costs but as long-term assets. Ultimately, working with ministries to strengthen healthcare service availability in the local vicinity and make it accessible and equitable is something that costs relatively little, but has a large impact for us on our safety metrics. We as a business are extremely vulnerable to outbreaks, and the interruption of our business can be catastrophic. Alexandra Plowright, Head of Community Health and Wellbeing, Anglo American Workforce Health Across the Value Chain: Organizational Insights to Mitigate Risk and Create Sustainable Growth 19