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The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) has released the second edition of its landmark report, ‘Investing in Health Pays Back: The Business Case for Healthy Buildings and Healthy Organizations’, offering a singular resource that brings together the largest collection of research to date that links investments in health and wellbeing to measurable economic returns.
The new report more than doubles the research and citations from the original, integrating academic studies, industry data and real-world case studies. The report offers a clear answer to a pressing question facing practitioners today: how should future projects be shaped to elevate human health while unlocking significant economic value? Collectively, it also makes a powerful case to policymakers, real estate leaders and institutional investors that investing in people is not just the right thing to do—it’s one of the smartest economic strategies organisations can pursue.
IWBI President and CEO Rachel Hodgdon said: “We’ve gathered and distilled into one indispensable resource the strongest global evidence to date linking healthy buildings with human wellbeing and performance. Whether you’re an investor, developer, architect, engineer or advocate, by giving you the data and insights you need to make the case for healthier buildings and the value of WELL, together we’re building the foundation for a healthier future.”
Among the report’s key findings:
- Investing in holistic employee health could generate nearly $12 trillion in global economic value and boost global GDP by up to 12 per cent, according to a McKinsey Health Institute study.
- Improved ventilation can increase employee productivity up to $7,500 per person per year, according to a study led by Harvard researchers.
Certified healthy buildings command rent premiums of four to seven per cent, according to two independent studies, one from MIT researchers and another from researchers at the University of Cambridge. - WELL Certified buildings report significantly higher employee satisfaction compared to non-certified buildings, including 18 per cent more satisfied with access to sunlight, 17 per cent more satisfied with acoustical privacy, 16 per cent more satisfied with connection to the outdoor environment, 12 per cent more satisfied with lighting, 11 per cent more satisfied with thermal comfort and 10 per cent more satisfied with both indoor air quality and air movement.
- Occupants in WELL Certified buildings are 39 per cent more likely to report satisfaction with the building compared to those in green-certified buildings.
Dr. Jason Hartke, the lead author and IWBI’s Executive Vice President for External Affairs and Global Advocacy commented: “With this report, we’re equipping everyone across IWBI’s global community with the data they need to drive faster adoption of healthy building practices. The message is clear: prioritising health delivers measurable returns across productivity, talent retention, real estate value and operational resilience.”
The report also explores the rising importance of social sustainability, showing how health-related metrics are being embedded into sustainable finance vehicles—including green, social and sustainability-linked bonds—and reshaping investment decisions at scale. To date, WELL has been incorporated in 13 different types of financial instruments—including green bonds, social bonds and sustainability-linked bonds and loans—and featured in sustainable finance frameworks, regulatory guides, reports and case studies in 29 countries, spanning five continents.
Rick Fedrizzi, Executive Chairman, IWBI said: “Transforming the health and wellbeing of the places and spaces where we live, work and gather presents an unprecedented opportunity to improve public health—while unlocking incredible economic value for organisations. After all, people are the single largest investment of any organisation, accounting for 90 per cent of expenses. By linking healthier environments to measurable gains in productivity, satisfaction and retention, the findings enable organisations to move beyond intuition and make data-driven decisions that enhance their human capital strategy.”
The findings of the research, including UK and European case studies, will be presented at tomorrow’s WELL Flagship Summit in London.
The way we work has changed – yet, many organisations are still relying on rigid, one-size-fits-all tools to manage desks and meeting rooms, according to a new study from workplace management solutions provider, Matrix Booking.
Spreadsheets, calendars, and generic booking software may have worked once, but they’re struggling to keep pace with today’s flexible, hybrid workforce. The result? Wasted time, frustrated employees, and expensive underutilised space.
Matrix Booking’s new study, ‘One-size-fits-all booking systems don’t work for today’s workforce’, explores why current systems are falling short – and how organisations can reimagine workspace management to boost efficiency, employee experience, and cost savings.
To download your FREE copy click here.
