A New Era for Indoor Air Quality

For the past two years, we’ve seen the world come together to fight back a global pandemic caused by an airborne disease. Because of COVID-19, everyone – from parents and school administrators to employees and facility managers – not only better understands the importance of the quality of the air we’re breathing inside our buildings, but also the outsized role clean, ventilated air can play in keeping us safe. For years now, many experts have been calling for more government action at all levels to support and better deploy indoor air strategies and solutions.

In addition to WELL and its robust and holistic approach to advancing clean indoor air, IWBI has also long focused its advocacy on several collaborative efforts to shine the spotlight on indoor air and healthier buildings. Two years ago, we launched our multi-year partnership with the National League of Cities to help cities create safer, healthier places and zoom in on proven strategies like addressing indoor air quality in buildings. We supported proposed federal legislation that aimed to provide businesses with much-needed financial support to make these investments in healthy building solutions. We led, alongside Johnson Controls, on some of the first-of-their-kind code proposals to improve indoor air quality to better safeguard occupants and prevent the spread of airborne contagions. We also teamed up with the Institute for Market Transformation to provide new guidance for local governments looking to strengthen their energy-focused Building Performance Standards by including an indoor air quality component and pathway.

In the last year, we’ve also taken this message to relevant federal agency leaders and White House officials, advising on ways they can play a bigger role in promoting enhanced air quality. That’s why it’s so great this week to see them jumping in too in a big way.

Yesterday, President Biden released his National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan, which doubles down on the critical work to better support schools, companies and organizations in taking measures to improve indoor air quality. Under the third pillar of the plan, “Prevent Economic and Educational Shutdowns,” the Administration announced its commitment to “give schools, universities, businesses, and other facilities the tools they need to improve their ventilation.” As part of the plan, it will launch a Clean Air in Buildings Challenge to lead on “key strategies to improve ventilation in buildings and implement cost-effective ventilation and air filtration improvements in buildings.” Further, the EPA will issue a Clean Air in Buildings Checklist, which will leverage expertise across agencies.

This is welcomed news and a huge opportunity to accelerate indoor air improvements in buildings across the country — advancements that will support healthier buildings and healthier communities.

“We commend President Biden for issuing such a bold and comprehensive plan to bolster our country’s preparedness moving forward,” said Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI. “There’s no question that improving indoor air quality plays a foundational role to our future readiness. This is a bellwether moment to be fully aligned with the federal government so we can rapidly ramp up adoption and uptake of these key strategies that make us safer and healthier today and also more prepared against future threats.”

Long before the pandemic, we knew the strong link between the air we breathe inside a building and our health. People spend approximately 90% of their time in a building – in homes, offices, schools or other indoor spaces. And breathing pathogens or harmful toxins can have a negative impact on our health. Air stagnation, for example, can concentrate airborne viruses. Research has shown that increased ventilation in a building can reduce the chance of influenza; a study published in 2019 found that providing even minimum levels of outdoor air ventilation reduced influenza transmission as much as having 50-60% of the people in a building vaccinated.

Now, with this important step forward by the Biden Administration, we have the benefit of the full weight of the federal government to help the country achieve healthier air in buildings and better health for us all.