At the United Nations during Climate Week, the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), alongside nearly 170 global leaders from public health, academia, civil society, building science, real estate, and industry—representing over 30 countries—announced the formation of the Global Commission on Healthy Indoor Air.
According to the commission, indoor air pollution represents a major public health crisis, not only accounting for more than 3 million premature deaths each year, but also exacerbating a wide range of chronic and acute health conditions, from respiratory illness and cardiovascular disease to cognitive decline and impaired learning outcomes. Despite these risks and the fact that people spend about 90% of their lives indoors, progress on indoor air quality has lagged far behind advances in other environmental issues, including even outdoor air protections. The new commission seeks to fill that gap by charting a bold, globally coordinated pathway to healthier indoor environments.
The commission, announced at the inaugural United Nations Side Event, “Healthy Indoor Air: A Global Call to Action,” brings together a large roster of experts and changemakers, including global health authorities, a former U.S. Surgeon General, deans, senior researchers, and scientists from top universities; CEOs, chief medical officers, and chief sustainability officers across the real estate, technology, and manufacturing sectors; and leaders in architecture, engineering and building science.
“Indoor air quality is more than a necessity, it’s a fundamental human right and a springboard for a new era of healthy buildings,” said Dr. Richard Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the United States and co-chair of the commission.
By working together and delivering a transdisciplinary strategy, the commission seeks to inform decision-makers, accelerate innovation, unlock new sources of funding, shape policy, and raise public awareness. It will release a “Global Framework for Action” by the end of 2026, while simultaneously supporting the development of national “Blueprints for Healthy Indoor Air” in countries across the world, which will be published as they are completed.
By advancing indoor air quality, the commission also reinforces the foundation of the larger healthy building movement, expanding its impact on how we design spaces and places that nurture health.
Rachel Hodgdon, president and CEO of IWBI, said, “Indoor air quality is often the front door to the healthy building movement, reminding us that our well-being is shaped not only by the air we breathe, but also by the water we drink, the light we see, and the ways our spaces are designed to help us recover, perform, and live our best lives.”
Learn more about the commission here.
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