As governments and international organizations convene for the 81st United Nations General Assembly to address challenges including infectious diseases, wildfire smoke and extreme heat, the Brown University Pandemic Center, Montenegrin Institute for Advanced Innovation (MIAI), Air Club and International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) have launched the Global Indoor Air Quality Policy Database.

The new resource is designed to help governments identify and strengthen policies that improve indoor air quality (IAQ) while building resilience against multiple health and environmental threats. According to its developers, it is the first comprehensive repository focused specifically on national indoor air quality policies, bringing together 253 policies from 53 countries.

Improving indoor air can provide a practical way for governments to strengthen public health without relying primarily on individuals to change their behavior. Better buildings can help reduce exposure to infectious pathogens and wildfire smoke while also supporting everyday health and potentially improving learning outcomes.

Schools are a particularly important setting because children spend a significant portion of their waking hours there. In Montenegro, MIAI is developing a model that could be replicated elsewhere by introducing open-source air-cleaning technologies across the country's schools.
The database will be featured at the UN General Assembly side event “Healthy Indoor Air in Schools: Every Breath Shapes Learning,” which is co-sponsored by the governments of Montenegro, France and Eswatini.

Providing Policymakers With Comparable Data
The database's developers say policymakers previously lacked a single resource that could provide a comprehensive view of how different countries are addressing indoor air quality.
Skandan Ananthasekar, Visiting Fellow at the Brown University Pandemic Center and the database's development lead, said the resource makes it possible to identify both areas of progress and remaining policy gaps. He noted that governments considering new IAQ measures can examine policies already implemented elsewhere and draw lessons from those experiences.

The initiative follows the Global Pledge for Healthy Indoor Air, introduced at United Nations Headquarters in September 2025. During Climate Week NYC 2026, the four organizations behind the database are placing particular emphasis on indoor air quality in schools as an issue spanning public health, education and biosecurity.

Dr. Georgia Lagoudas, Senior Fellow at the Brown University Pandemic Center and Co-Founder of Air Club, said the database is intended to highlight countries whose approaches could provide useful models for others. She described the resource as an initial foundation for tracking indoor air quality policies and measuring progress, drawing a parallel with international efforts to improve access to clean water and outdoor air.

Lagoudas also pointed to the amount of time people spend indoors, emphasizing the importance of understanding and improving the air in homes, schools, workplaces and other indoor environments.

Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO of IWBI, said the organizations' work builds on the Global Commission on Healthy Indoor Air and the Global Pledge for Healthy Indoor Air. She said the new database gives policymakers access to a consolidated collection of IAQ policies that can support further action and the development of healthier indoor environments.

Indoor Air Policy Is Expanding
The database indicates that government activity around indoor air quality has increased substantially in recent years. Of the 253 policies included, 42% were introduced in 2020 or later, suggesting that policy development accelerated following the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the same time, significant gaps remain in how governments regulate and oversee indoor air.
Government responsibility remains fragmented. Only 8 of the 53 countries, or 15%, have designated a clear government authority responsible for indoor air quality. In other countries, responsibilities are distributed among agencies dealing with health, energy, environment, education, housing and labor.

The legal status of policies varies. Approximately 64% of the policies are legally binding, but many are incorporated into workplace safety rules, building regulations or energy legislation, where indoor air quality may not be the primary objective. Dedicated health-based standards intended specifically to protect building occupants remain less widespread.

Schools remain underrepresented. Only 25 of the 253 policies specifically address educational settings, and fewer than half of those policies are legally binding. The finding highlights a gap between the importance of indoor air in schools and the extent to which governments have established enforceable requirements.

An Open Resource for Policymakers
The Global Indoor Air Quality Policy Database is designed as an open resource that allows users to examine policies across countries and policy areas.

Version 1.0 includes:

The database is intended to evolve through contributions from researchers, policymakers and other collaborators. The organizations have invited additional input as the resource develops.
The first version was produced with financial support from the Montenegrin Institute for Advanced Innovation and Balvi and is available through Air Club's online database.

About the Organizations
The Brown University Pandemic Center, part of Brown University’s School of Public Health, focuses on preventing pandemics, reducing vulnerabilities and strengthening resilience to pandemics and other biological emergencies, including their effects on health, peace, security and prosperity.

The Montenegrin Institute for Advanced Innovation (MIAI) is an independent nonprofit philanthropic organization headquartered in Podgorica, Montenegro, with activities extending internationally. Its work includes developing systems in partnership with communities and institutions, training people to operate those systems and producing evidence-based standards intended to provide lasting value.

The launch of the Global Indoor Air Quality Policy Database provides governments and other stakeholders with a common reference point for examining existing indoor-air policies, identifying gaps and considering approaches that could strengthen indoor environmental health.

The Global Commission on Healthy Indoor Air has introduced the Global Framework for Action: Advancing Healthy Indoor Air through Societal Engagement and Market Transformation, a worldwide roadmap intended to make healthy indoor air a central public-health concern and an important market priority. The initiative seeks to establish good indoor air quality as a standard expectation in buildings around the world.

The Framework was unveiled during Climate Week in New York, approximately one year after the Commission was established at the United Nations. It presents a coordinated approach to addressing indoor air pollution, a major health challenge that often receives less attention than other environmental risks. The document encourages governments, international organizations, public-health agencies, companies, building professionals, researchers, financial institutions, professional bodies and local communities to coordinate their efforts rather than pursuing disconnected initiatives.

Its focus is on aligning policies, investment, research, technology and everyday building-management decisions that influence the quality of indoor air.

The Framework incorporates current scientific research and is the product of a year-long collaboration involving more than 200 Commissioners representing more than 40 countries. Experts from a broad range of disciplines and industries identified 40 strategic areas for action and nearly 180 recommendations. Together, these recommendations address the principal mechanisms through which markets and institutions can move from awareness of indoor-air problems toward long-term implementation.

The broader objective is to create a world in which indoor air quality is routinely expected, measured, valued, funded, regulated and improved in homes, schools, workplaces, healthcare facilities and other buildings.

In practical terms, the initiative seeks to make healthy indoor air an ordinary feature of the built environment rather than an exception.

“Last year, we came together at the United Nations to launch the Global Commission and affirm through the Global Pledge for Healthy Indoor Air that healthy indoor air is a fundamental human right,” said Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO of the International WELL Building Institute.

“Today, we are putting that commitment into action. Over the past year, more than 200 leaders from more than 40 countries, including many of the world’s leading scientists, technical experts and advocates in healthy indoor air, have come together to build a first-of-its-kind global roadmap that aligns science, education, policy, innovation, investment and public demand. We did not need another report diagnosing the problem or explaining why it matters. We needed an actionable plan for changing the systems, markets and expectations that shape the air inside our buildings. That is what this Framework delivers: a practical path for leaders all around the world to align their efforts and uphold the right to healthy indoor air for everyone, everywhere.”

The Framework arrives as concerns about indoor air pollution continue to grow. Household air pollution alone is associated with more than three million premature deaths each year. Its impact extends beyond mortality, with polluted indoor environments linked to respiratory and cardiovascular problems, aggravated asthma and allergies, and the transmission of airborne infections.

Poor indoor air can also affect learning, concentration, cognitive performance, workplace productivity and overall quality of life.

At the same time, many of the technologies and practices needed to improve indoor environments already exist. Measures such as controlling pollution at its source, preventing excess moisture and mold, selecting healthier materials, improving ventilation, using filtration, monitoring air quality and managing building systems effectively can reduce exposure to harmful pollutants.

These approaches can be applied across homes, schools, offices, healthcare facilities, public buildings and other essential infrastructure.

“For decades, we have advanced the science and unequivocally demonstrated that better indoor air is essential to human health. It can help prevent premature deaths, reduce acute and chronic health risks and improve learning, thinking, creativity, productivity, performance and quality of life,” said Dr. Lidia Morawska, Co-Chair of the Global Commission on Healthy Indoor Air and Distinguished Professor at Queensland University of Technology.

“We know the difference better indoor air can make, and many of the tools we need to support it are already available. What has been missing is a coordinated, transdisciplinary strategy for applying what we know at the scale this fundamental requirement for human health demands. The Global Framework for Action provides the bridge from research to decisions, and from decisions to healthier buildings and healthier lives.”

The Framework identifies nine interconnected mechanisms intended to influence markets, institutions, professional practices and public expectations:

The nine areas are intended to work together rather than independently.
Scientific research can inform standards and construction practices, while technological innovation can improve the affordability, availability and effectiveness of solutions. Government policies can establish requirements and create accountability, while financing can help speed up adoption. Education can develop the skilled workforce necessary to implement improvements, and public awareness can strengthen demand for reliable information and healthier buildings.

“Partnership is leadership at its best, and this Framework shows what becomes possible when committed leaders across disciplines and regions focus on what they can accomplish together,” said Jason Hartke, Secretariat of the Global Commission on Healthy Indoor Air and Executive Vice President at IWBI.

“The defining strength of this Framework lies not in any single recommendation, but in how it aligns the full range of levers needed to drive market transformation and deliver healthy indoor air at scale. That coordination creates momentum no discipline or sector could generate alone. It also makes clear that we all have a role to play and invites each of us to step forward and do our part to bring healthier indoor air within reach for all.”

The Framework is based on the Commission's position that access to healthy indoor air should be regarded as a fundamental human right. Its recommendations are shaped by principles that include equity, local conditions, public trust, scientific evidence, accountability, scalability and value creation.

The Framework also emphasizes the close relationship between human health, climate action and resilience.

“Public health’s greatest victories often come from preventing harm before it occurs,” said Dr. Richard Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the United States and Co-Chair of the Global Commission on Healthy Indoor Air.

“Healthy indoor air is far more than a building issue. Ensuring that everyone can breathe healthy indoor air is a sacred responsibility, one that influences health, opportunity and resilience throughout life. This Framework brings public health and the building sector to the same table, uniting us behind a common vision and giving us a shared plan of action to protect people in every community.”

The Global Framework is intended to serve as a common foundation rather than a universal formula that every country must follow in exactly the same way.

Governments and communities can use it to determine which measures are most appropriate for their own regulatory systems, climates, building conditions, economies and public-health priorities.

The Commission's next stage of work is expected to help national organizations and coalitions create country-specific Blueprints for Action. These plans can translate the global recommendations into local priorities, implementation strategies, financing mechanisms and clearly defined responsibilities.

The Commission also plans to continue building partnerships, expanding professional capabilities, encouraging innovation and keeping healthy indoor air on national and international policy agendas.

“We hope this Framework helps countries, organizations, industries, communities and leaders around the world join this growing movement, strengthen collaboration, turn ideas into action and propel this movement forward,” said the Commission Co-Chairs.

The Global Framework for Action is available through the Global Commission on Healthy Indoor Air at wellcertified.com/global-framework-for-action.

Commissioners from different sectors and regions also highlighted the importance of the new Framework.

Serene Almomen, PhD, CEO, Attune, described the initiative as a step toward moving indoor air from an acknowledged priority to coordinated action. She emphasized the importance of reliable evidence and practical guidance in helping decision-makers create lasting improvements.

Mark McKenna, Global Sustainability Director, Arcadis, noted that the Framework provides a common reference point for the built environment and emphasizes the importance of collective action.

Bahar Armaghani, Instructional Associate Professor, University of Florida, highlighted the role of education in preparing professionals to create healthier buildings and communities, emphasizing that indoor air quality affects people's ability to live, learn and work effectively.

Mauro J. Atalla, SVP and Chief Technology & Sustainability Officer, Trane Technologies, pointed to the relationship between energy efficiency, climate objectives and indoor environmental quality. He argued that current technologies can support healthier air while also addressing energy consumption and operating costs.

Jessica Bantom, Global Leader of Equity, Diversity and Belonging, DLR Group, emphasized that access to healthy indoor environments should remain central to discussions about the built environment and accountability.

John H. Barrett, Chairman Emeritus, ISSA, described the Commission's work as an unusually broad collaboration involving professionals from multiple areas of expertise.

Liam Bates, CEO and Co-Founder, Kaiterra, stressed the importance of moving from occasional indoor-air measurements toward continuous understanding and improvement.

Dr. Christine Bruckner, FAIA and Global Director at M Moser Associates, highlighted the importance of measurable PM2.5 targets, effective filtration, pressure management, continuous monitoring and clear operating procedures, particularly in regions such as Delhi NCR where outdoor pollution can be severe during winter.

Dr. Ranga Reddy Burri, President of the Infection Control Academy of India, characterized healthy indoor air as an important preventive-health measure with implications extending across the Global South.

Peter Cantone, Founder of Smart Air Defense, emphasized the potential application of the Framework in schools, where indoor environmental conditions can affect health, safety and learning.

Chris Castro, Founding Director and EVP-Chief Sustainability Officer of Climate First Bank, highlighted the role financial institutions can play in supporting healthier buildings and resilient communities.

Dr. Che-Ming Chiang, Distinguished Professor at National Cheng Kung University, emphasized that in hot, humid and polluted environments, indoor-air management can be particularly important because opening windows may not be a practical solution.

Leonardo Cozac, Chairman of the Board of ABRAVA, pointed to Brazil's longstanding indoor-air regulations and the country's National Indoor Air Quality Plan as examples of coordinated national activity.

Safiya Cummings, Public Health Medical Officer with the Port of Spain City Corporation, argued that healthcare professionals should consider indoor environmental exposures, including ventilation, mold and cooking fuels, when evaluating public-health risks.

Sandra Dedesko of EPFL emphasized the value of bringing experts from different professional backgrounds and countries together to address a challenge that cannot be addressed through a single discipline.

Ömer Döne, Head of Sustainable Workplace Certifications at Sanofi, highlighted indoor air as an important component of healthy workplaces and corporate real-estate strategies.

Jojo Ekuban, CEO of ChazahGlobal Ltd, described the Framework as an opportunity for governments, including those in Africa, to strengthen national approaches to indoor-air quality.

Nora Wang Esram, CEO of New Buildings Institute, emphasized the importance of incorporating indoor-air quality into building codes, performance standards and retrofit programs rather than treating it as an optional feature.

María Figols, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-founder of inBiot, stressed that continuous monitoring can make indoor air visible and manageable, while common standards can help turn monitoring into routine practice.

Adam Giandomenico, CEO of Particles Plus, emphasized the importance of accurate, repeatable and accessible measurements as the foundation for managing indoor-air quality.

Candi Hampton, VP Global Sustainability at Shaw Industries, described the Framework as an opportunity to improve indoor environments in the places where people live, work, learn and play.

Prof. Mukesh Khare, a Fellow of the Wessex Institute of Great Britain and the Institution of Engineers, India, emphasized the role of measurement and modeling in managing indoor-air quality and connecting exposure science with standards, technology and public policy.

Dave Kieft, CEO of Raven Delta Group, highlighted the value of combining reliable data with practical solutions to strengthen decision-making and accountability.

Dr. Khee Poh Lam, Professor of Architecture and the Built Environment at the National University of Singapore, called for continued efforts to create cleaner and healthier environments.

Joyce S. Lee, FAIA, emphasized the need for collaboration, expertise and consensus around indoor air as an important but historically undervalued resource.

Joakim Lindh, Managing Director of Airthings for Business, described healthy indoor air as essential infrastructure and stressed the importance of combining science, policy, technology and implementation.

Malisa Maynard, Chief Sustainability Officer at Mohawk Industries, said the company supports the Framework and highlighted its efforts to expand its range of products without volatile organic compounds.

Sean McCrady, Vice President Advisory at UL Solutions, emphasized the importance of converting global ambition into measurable outcomes through coordinated action.

Dr. Gráinne McGill, Lecturer at Queen's University Belfast, called attention to the need to understand how buildings perform during actual use and to connect building-performance data with population-health information.

Dr. John McKeon, Principal of the iAIR Institute and President of ASHRAE Ireland, emphasized that healthy indoor air needs to be measurable and verifiable and incorporated into building codes, standards and certification systems.

Jenna Mikus, CEO of Eudae Group and Honorary Fellow at the University of Melbourne, described indoor air as a fundamental consideration in designing environments intended to support health, well-being and performance.

Anil Namdeo, Professor of Air Quality at Northumbria University, characterized indoor pollution as a major but often overlooked environmental health concern and emphasized the need to close the gap between scientific evidence and implementation.

Paula Olsiewski, PhD, Contributing Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, described the Framework as an important development in efforts to improve indoor air quality.

Zakaria Oulad, Vice-President of the Urban Planning and Smart City Commission in Agadir, Morocco, compared the potential role of the Framework to the way common seismic building standards helped shape development following the 1960 Agadir earthquake. He also emphasized the importance of measurable indicators.

Guillermo Simon Padros, Executive Director of the Argentina Green Building Council, highlighted the relationship between healthy indoor environments, sustainable construction and resilient communities in rapidly urbanizing regions.

Sotirios Papathanasiou, Founder of Global Open Air Quality Standards, emphasized collaboration across the air-quality community and the importance of communicating the significance of indoor air.

Kay Sargent, FASID, FIIDA, CID, LEED AP and Senior Principal at HOK, highlighted indoor air as an important design consideration and argued that it should receive greater attention in the creation of healthy interior environments.

Deepa Sathiaram, LEED Fellow, USGBC & WELL Faculty and Executive Director of En3 Sustainability Solutions, emphasized the opportunity for India and other countries to use the Framework as a basis for developing locally appropriate approaches.

Andres Schwarz, Professor at the University of Buenos Aires, welcomed the increased international attention being given to indoor-air quality.

Paul Scialla, Founder and CEO of Delos, described the Framework as the beginning of a shared international agenda for organizations and professionals working to improve indoor air.

Chandra Sekhar, Professor in the Department of the Built Environment at the National University of Singapore, emphasized the connection between HVAC systems, indoor air, comfort and human health.

Drew Shula, Founder and CEO of Verdical Group, highlighted the importance of healthy air as a component of a healthy lifestyle and welcomed the Framework as a guide for future action.

Andrew Snowhite, Founder of Snowhite Strategies, emphasized the value of having consistent strategies that can be adapted to different countries, markets and stakeholder groups.

Federico Steinvorth, Partner and Sustainability Director at SPHERA, highlighted the importance of integrating indoor-air quality into public policy and community-scale development.

Steven Shuai Tao, Founder of Air Aurora, described healthy indoor air as an essential element of safe buildings and emphasized technological innovation, independent verification and practical improvements in schools, healthcare facilities and community spaces.

Martin Townsend, Growth Director at the British Standards Institution, emphasized the Framework's effort to combine policy, scientific evidence, public awareness and market mechanisms rather than relying on a single intervention.

Bert Van Hoof, CEO of Willow, highlighted the potential of operational artificial intelligence to continuously evaluate building conditions and coordinate responses while balancing health, comfort, energy use and sustainability.

Narendra Babu Vattem, Founder and CEO of iSpatial Techno Solutions and Founder of SmartEco.AI, emphasized that monitoring can make indoor environmental conditions visible and create a basis for accountability.

Nelzair Vianna, Researcher in Public Health at Fiocruz, Brazil, highlighted the connections between indoor environments, human health, climate, equity and planetary health.

Danjuma Waniko, President of Green Building Council Nigeria, emphasized the importance of considering indoor air alongside climate, energy and building resilience.

Sally Witcher, Founder and Director of Inclusive New Normal, highlighted the significant impact poor indoor air can have on people who face elevated risks from airborne infections and called for broader attention to the issue.

Nathan Wood, Managing Director of Farmwood Ltd, described the Framework as a mechanism for connecting international goals with practical improvements in ventilation and indoor-air quality.

Professor Yinping Zhang of Tsinghua University highlighted the substantial health and economic costs associated with indoor air pollution in China. He cited an estimated economic cost of 2,880 billion Chinese yuan in 2017, equivalent to 3.45% of China's GDP, and emphasized the potential health and economic benefits of improving indoor air quality.

The central message emerging from the Framework is that improving indoor air quality requires more than individual technologies or isolated building projects. Progress depends on coordinated action involving science, regulation, finance, education, building design, operations, monitoring, industry and public engagement.

By establishing a common international framework while allowing individual countries and communities to determine their own priorities, the initiative aims to connect scientific knowledge with practical implementation.

The long-term objective is to make healthy indoor air a measurable and routinely managed feature of the buildings in which people spend their daily lives.

Growing attention to indoor air quality, healthier schools and the connection between buildings and human health is driving a broader policy conversation. Against this backdrop, the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), together with Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative, will hold the third annual Healthy Building Policy Summit in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, September 29.

The day-long summit will take place at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy on the university’s Capitol Campus. Policymakers, public health specialists, academics, business executives and professionals from the building sector will gather to discuss how emerging policies can make buildings more effective contributors to public health, economic productivity and community resilience.

IWBI President and CEO Rachel Hodgdon said the healthy buildings movement is entering an important new phase, driven by scientific evidence as well as growing expectations from businesses and communities. She said the current momentum presents an opportunity to develop policies that improve building health, raise indoor air quality standards, promote brain health and longevity, and recognize the importance of buildings to national security and biosecurity.

The summit will open with a fireside conversation featuring Dr. Joseph Allen, Director of the Healthy Buildings Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and co-author of Healthy Buildings. His discussion will examine the ways buildings affect human health and workplace productivity, while also considering the next steps required in research, policy and industry practice.

Other sessions will look at the role of cities in promoting healthier buildings and infrastructure, the ability of public and private investment to drive improvements, and ways policymakers can establish stronger links between building performance and measurable health and community benefits.

Uwe S. Brandes, professor and director of Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative, said the summit brings together experts who view healthy-building policy as an important foundation for creating thriving communities. He highlighted the need to better coordinate policy, urban planning and investment around this shared objective.

Speakers at the Summit
Nearly 30 speakers are scheduled to participate, including:

Key Policy Issues
The summit's agenda will address several major issues affecting the built environment. Indoor air quality and the evidence supporting the return on investment from healthier buildings will be among the central themes. Participants will also examine how legislation can influence market transformation and encourage wider adoption of healthier building practices.

Additional topics will include equitable access to healthy environments, the role of state and local governments in leading change, and the contribution of professional associations and technical standards to the development of healthier buildings.

The event has attracted support from companies involved in building health and sustainability. Trane Technologies, SafeTraces, Citadel EHS and AtmosAir are event sponsors, while Attune, Daikin, Cisco, Johnson Controls and Lutron are supporting the summit as IWBI global sponsors.
Media partners include FacilitiesNet and BUILDINGS magazine. Supporting organizations include the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), Global Green, Green Building Initiative, Institute for Market Transformation (IMT), ISSA – Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), ASHRAE, National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE), U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and International Interior Design Association (IIDA).

Growing Momentum for Healthy Buildings
Jason Hartke, Executive Vice President of External Affairs and Global Advocacy at IWBI, described the healthy buildings movement as reaching a turning point. According to Hartke, increasing cooperation among leaders and organizations is expanding the movement's reach and creating stronger momentum for policy change.

He said that, after three years, the Healthy Building Policy Summit has developed into a major forum for examining policy approaches that could shape the next stage of the healthy buildings movement.

Research is also playing an increasingly important role in that policy discussion. Whitney Austin Gray, Senior Vice President of Research at IWBI, noted that buildings can influence people's lives in numerous ways, affecting how they think, learn, work and age.

She said the expanding research base connecting healthier buildings with areas such as cognitive health, productivity, longevity and resilience provides policymakers with stronger evidence for developing effective solutions. Improved building policies, she added, can generate measurable benefits for individuals, businesses and communities.

Industry Support
Representatives from the organizations supporting the summit also emphasized the importance of combining technology, policy and implementation.

Scott Tew, Global Head and VP of Sustainability Strategy and the Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability at Trane Technologies, said companies worldwide are increasingly looking for ways to improve occupant health while making their buildings more efficient and effective. He described the summit as an opportunity for industry leaders to establish common priorities and develop strategies for creating healthier and more resilient organizations.

Erik Malmstrom, CEO of SafeTraces, said indoor air quality should be viewed not only as a public health concern but also as an issue connected to national security and biosecurity. He said the Washington summit provides an important platform for policymakers to consider the health benefits of improved indoor air while also examining the role buildings can play in national biosecurity planning.

Julie Wojnowski, Practice Leader for ESG & Sustainability at Citadel EHS, stressed that protecting occupants requires policies that are scientifically sound but also practical enough to work in real-world environments. She said bringing environmental health and safety expertise into the policy discussion can help organizations translate broad objectives into practical measures for reducing risk and improving indoor environments.

Technology is another major component of the discussion. Tony Abate, Chief Technology Officer at AtmosAir, said advances in indoor-air-quality technologies are happening quickly, but technology alone will not be sufficient to change the building market. He said collaboration among government, public health and building-sector leaders is needed to develop the policies, standards and incentives required to speed up adoption of healthier indoor-air solutions.

Registration and Global Growth of WELL
Those interested in attending can register through IWBI's Healthy Building Policy Summit registration page.

The growing international adoption of the WELL Building Standard is another indication of increasing interest in health-focused buildings. Since 2020, global adoption of WELL has expanded twelvefold. The standard now covers nearly 6.5 billion square feet of real estate, with almost 100,000 locations across 138 countries adopting people-focused approaches to the built environment.

About the International WELL Building Institute
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation focused on improving health and well-being through buildings, organizations and communities. Its work includes developing and administering the WELL Building Standard (WELL), WELL for residential, the WELL Community Standard, WELL ratings and the WELL AP credential.

IWBI also works to translate scientific research into practical applications, produces educational resources and advocates for policies intended to create healthier, people-centered environments.

More information about WELL and IWBI is available through the organization's official website.
International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL EP, WELL Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Performance Rated, WELL Equity Rated, WELL Equity, WELL Coworking Rated, WELL Residence, Works with WELL, WELL and related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries.

During the recent IWBI webcast, From Classrooms to Communities: The Future of Healthy Indoor Air Policy and Advocacy, leaders in health, policy, and technology came together to discuss how innovations in indoor air quality (IAQ) are transforming the built environment—particularly within schools, a sector central to community well-being and future progress.

“What began as a small weekend idea completely took on a life of its own. Eleven years later, here we are,” said Liam Bates, CEO and Co-Founder of Kaiterra, describing how his company was born from a passion project to improve access to cleaner indoor air.

“COVID made everyone realize that the places where we live, work, learn, and play are more than just a slogan—they’re essential to survival and human health,” noted Jennifer Berthelot-Jelovic, Client Development Director at BranchPattern, pointing to a lasting shift in how people perceive the importance of healthy buildings, where research shows we spend about 90% of our lives.

“We need to put more muscle behind modernizing our schools so that we don’t lose an entire generation,” emphasized Mary Filardo, Executive Director of the 21st Century School Fund, highlighting the urgent need for investment in school infrastructure.

“Students’ well-being should come before closing off outdoor air to save a few dollars. We have to do better,” added Glenn Wilson, Business Development Manager at Daikin Applied, referring to how some schools still prioritize short-term savings over proper ventilation.

Moderated by Jason Hartke, IWBI’s Executive Vice President of External Affairs and Global Advocacy, the conversation explored how technology, policy, and advocacy intersect to improve indoor air quality—from classrooms to offices to public spaces. The session spotlighted how schools can drive broader community change through data-driven approaches and collaborative partnerships between the public and private sectors.
 
Turning Passion into Public Impact
For Jennifer Berthelot-Jelovic, the push for healthier air begins at home. As both a parent and a sustainability professional, she has seen how education leads to awareness and action. “When my teenage son turned on the exhaust fan after attending the WELL Healthy Homes Summit,” she shared, “I realized education is everything. That same understanding needs to reach our schools.”
 
Standing Together for Stronger Schools
With over three decades of experience leading the 21st Century School Fund, Mary Filardo reminded attendees that America’s school infrastructure remains vast, aging, and underfunded. “Every community makes decisions about the condition of its schools,” she said. “When education, civic, and industry leaders work together, we can make real progress and ensure we don’t miss a generation.”

As the lead author of the upcoming State of Our Schools report, Filardo revealed that the funding gap for school infrastructure continues to widen. Yet she remains hopeful: “If we approached facility investments more intelligently and holistically, that gap would shrink dramatically.”
 
Innovation Rooted in Purpose
For Liam Bates, advocacy for cleaner indoor air was personal. When his wife’s asthma worsened due to pollution, he sought affordable ways to measure air quality but found none. That challenge sparked Kaiterra’s creation. “We wanted to make the invisible visible,” he said. He also encouraged action, no matter how small: “If every school collected just one air quality data point, we’d instantly know which buildings are struggling—and which fixes are simple and cost-free.”
 
Designing for Healthier Learning
Glenn Wilson offered a practical perspective drawn from his field experience. “I’ve been on too many school rooftops where the fresh air dampers are screwed shut,” he said. “Saving a bit on energy shouldn’t come at the expense of children’s health.”
 
Looking Forward
Throughout the discussion, one message was clear: America’s school facilities—and the people inside them—deserve better. The panel called for innovative funding strategies, smarter policies, and stronger collaboration to modernize schools and safeguard public health.

In closing, Jason Hartke summarized the shift in mindset needed: “For decades, we’ve poured billions into energy efficiency. Now, it’s time to invest in health with the same focus and commitment.”