Geneva, Sep 18
The rise in global temperatures is likely to cause severe health risks and result in the loss of more than $1.5 trillion in productivity, according to a new report from the World Economic Forum on Thursday.
The loss will be borne mainly by sectors such as food and agriculture, the built environment, health, and healthcare.
The report, published ahead of the World Economic Forum’s Sustainable Development Impact Meetings 2025, arrived as preparations intensify for COP30 in Belém, Brazil.
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,” White added.