The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the Brown University Pandemic Center, and the Air Club have jointly released a new report highlighting a rapidly expanding wave of indoor air quality (IAQ) policy innovation across the globe.
Drawing lessons from nearly 160 policies spanning 40 countries, the report identifies five leading policy models that governments are using to improve IAQ and offers practical guidance for policymakers seeking to strengthen public health, resilience, and economic performance.
“We’re entering a new era of indoor air quality policy,” said Skandan Ananthasekar, lead author and visiting fellow at the Brown University Pandemic Center. “We are seeing governments around the world increasingly focus on how to accelerate improvements in indoor air quality, exploring new policy approaches that can deliver better health outcomes.”
The report synthesizes findings from a comparative analysis of a global indoor air policy database, which includes 158 adopted IAQ policies across 40 countries, including more than 50 that were enacted or amended within the past five years. Drawing from the full database, the report identifies five leading policies models:
- High-Priority Sectors – Focuses on investments in schools, healthcare facilities, childcare, and other priority settings. Exemplar: City of Boston, United Kingdom
- Transparency – Expanding opportunities for IAQ monitoring, public disclosure, and other programs to make indoor air more visible. Exemplar: Belgium
- Integrating Health into Building Performance – Integrating health and indoor air quality within new or existing building performance policies. Exemplar: European Union, United Arab Emirates
- National Coordination – Establishing coordinated national strategies that align relevant government agencies and programs. Exemplar: Finland
- Dedicated Indoor Air Quality Law with Enforcement – Adopting IAQ requirements supported by monitoring and enforcement mechanisms. Exemplar: South Korea, Taiwan
“Policy is a critical driver in any movement,” said Jason Hartke, EVP of global advocacy at IWBI, who later added, “This report is all about highlighting what’s working and how we can accelerate progress through sound public policies.”
The full report is available here.