Top Takeaways: A Defining Moment for Public Health: Ushering in a New Era for Healthy Indoor Air

At the recent 19th International Conference of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ), Indoor Air 2026, held in Singapore, IWBI President and CEO Rachel Hodgdon delivered a keynote outlining why indoor air quality (IAQ) has reached a critical public health and economic inflection point.

The World Health Organization recognizes poor indoor air as one of the leading, yet largely preventable, environmental health risks. Poor indoor air quality contributes to more than 3 million premature deaths every year globally — larger than the population of many major
cities, and half of the population of Singapore. Research indicates that indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. And the percentage of people globally who breathe clean air is just 0.001%.

“Once you see that buildings are not simply structures, but critical environments affecting health, disease prevention, productivity and well-being, you can’t unsee it,” said Hodgdon, reflecting on the urgent need to affirm indoor air as a non-negotiable health determinant rather than an optional luxury.

Read on for key takeaways from her address that help illustrate how overlapping themes – awareness, research, innovation, advocacy – are driving rapid industry momentum to help improve the quality of the air we breathe indoors.

• Buildings are instruments of public health: We must fundamentally shift our approach to recognize buildings as environments that dictate health, resilience, and human performance. When we improve indoor air quality, we are actively dialing up human potential and reducing significant public health risks.

“…we see buildings and the systems that power them, as instruments of change. We see the profound effects that better indoor air can have on human health at scale. We know that when we improve indoor air, we dial up human potential. We reduce risk. We enhance health outcomes. We improve executive function. We slow the spread of airborne diseases.”

• The power of market transformation: Market transformation requires more than just innovation or regulation; it demands a “careful dance.” Success is achieved by shifting how industries think, invest and operate at scale, moving beyond isolated actions to change the way we value health in our built environment.

“When I say “market transformation” I’m referring to the ability to change the way industries think, act, invest and innovate at scale. When we succeed, we’ve shifted ideas, best practices and ways of being, ways of operating for the better and for the duration.”

• Going further, faster, together: We cannot simply “research” or “regulate” our way out of the current indoor air quality crisis. And we cannot work in isolation. A holistic playbook is essential—integrating research, policy, market demand and innovation—to create the systemic change required to address this complex, embedded global challenge.

“We can research our way toward healthy indoor air — if research becomes action. We can raise awareness out of this crisis — if awareness creates demand. We can innovate our way toward clean air in every building — if breakthroughs become deployment. And we can regulate our way toward healthier indoor air — if policy creates accountability. But only if we stop treating these as separate lanes. Each one is a critical element in the playbook for market transformation. But none of them is enough on its own to create the systems change we need.”

• Evidence-based decision making: Our actions must be rooted in rigorous science, not rhetoric. By aggregating evidence and codifying the science behind IAQ strategies, we provide a clear, proven path for leaders to follow, turning data into actionable strategies that improve real-world health outcomes.

“WELL Certified buildings offer one of the clearest proof points. No other health leadership program has been studied as extensively as WELL, with a growing body of rigorous, independent and peer-reviewed research validating its impact. And time and time again, the findings have been powerful and remarkably consistent.”

• Economic and human imperatives: Poor indoor air quality creates a staggering human and economic toll, especially accounting for the amount of time people spend inside. Conversely, investing in healthy buildings is a proven economic driver, yielding productivity gains and cognitive benefits that represent a massive opportunity for global economic value.

“Clean indoor air matters in every setting. Not just in offices, where ideas drive growth. In hospitals, where resilience and recovery are on the line. In homes, where our families lay their heads to rest. In schools, where every headache, every asthma attack, every missed day and every distracted afternoon is not just a health cost — it’s a learning cost, an equity cost and an opportunity lost.”

Hodgon closed by encouraging those present to work in concert and leverage coordinated action like the Global Commission on Healthy Indoor Air. “Let’s seize this defining opportunity for public health and close the gap between what we declare and what people breathe, until healthy indoor air is actually enjoyed as a human right for everyone, everywhere.”