• Warning 14.5m of excess deaths are mainly concentrated in vulnerable areas
• Says the health, construction and agriculture sectors could lose more than $1.5 TR
Islamabad: The World Economic Forum (WEF) warns in a new insight report that climate change without addressing could result in more than 14.5 million deaths and trillions of dollars in economic losses by 2050, focusing on the world’s most dangerous regulations.
The report “has death to extreme weather events in these regions has increased 15 times over the past decade, “building the health impact of economic resilience on climate change.”
It also warns that climate health can affect the resilience of threatening businesses, and today less than 5% of global adaptation funds target health protection. “This is a dangerous gap and also provides opportunities for private sector action,” the report said.
The WEF regulations are the climate and health business framework and apply it to four highly exposed sectors to identify specific climate health risks and opportunities.
In terms of food and agriculture, the report says an estimated 24 million people will face hunger by 2050, and agricultural workers are expected to face growing climate health risks. It estimates liquids, mid-range situations, or workers’ estimated losses of $740 billion between 2025 and 2050.
“Businesses investing in resilient and precise agricultural practices and improvement work practices will best meet the globally continuously available health food needs,” the report said.
In the built environment, the forum notes that more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas, with most buildings and infrastructure suitable for extreme climate and air pollution.
Construction workers are particularly vulnerable. The report predicts that the industry could lose at least $570 million in worker availability losses between 2025 and 2050. It says climate-rich designs and remodels have the potential to maintain communities and economies.
The report said that the health and health care sector will face at least $200 billion in worker availability losses from 2025 to 2050 and an additional $1.1 trillion in treatment as the 2050 climb.
“Companies have a huge opportunity to lead this transformation and build resilience by creating new climate-resilient medicines and robust care pathways and improving public health involvement,” it said.
Climate change is also improving health, life and casualty coverage claims. The report cites Swiss forecasts of surplus mortality rates forecasts of 0.75% per year by 2050.
Meanwhile, it notes that only about 8% of people in low-income communities cover health insurance. The report says insurers can support and accelerate resilience by providing innovative products, improving predictive capabilities and incentivizing risk reduction.
It said it is well known that workers’ assist losses between food and agriculture are expected to exceed $1.5 trillion between 2025 and 2050, highlighting the magnitude of climate health challenges.
Although agencies in each department can take action, the report stresses that no department can only deal with challenges.
“Success depends on enabling coordinated action-support policies, interoperable climate health data systems and innovative financing to mobilize capital,” it said. The foundations can help ensure long-term, scalable resilience, WEF added.
The report highlights practical measures that can reduce disease and mortality in vulnerable areas: provide health care to workers, implement cooling solutions and modify work practices. It also calls for expanded investment in R&D to drive science and develop solutions to address health challenges linked to climate.
“When investing in research, businesses can help identify the root causes of climate health risks and develop new treatments, technologies and prevention strategies,” the report said.
Posted at Dawn on September 21, 2025
