The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) announced a new WELL Building Standard (WELL) milestone. According to IWBI, WELL is now being used across more than 5 billion square feet of space in 130 countries. WELL, which is also used by over 150 companies from the Fortune and Global 500, now helps support the health and well-being of an estimated 25 million people in nearly 74,000 commercial and residential locations around the world.
According to IWBI, this major WELL milestone reflects the rising global focus on workforce well-being and deploying efforts to boost employee recruitment, retention and productivity.
Over the past few years, WELL has seen increased adoption across nearly every sector, with WELL adoption also seeing a significant increase in its global presence in every region of the world.
Social sustainability has also taking root as investors and regulators look harder at non-financial performance indicators to better understand risk and uncover growth opportunities.
With a much sharper focus on the social pillar or the “S” in ESG, the IWBI states organizations are leveraging WELL to incorporate health considerations into various stages of their social sustainability or ESG strategy.
Beyond formal reporting, WELL has also been included in over 200 ESG, CSR and sustainability reports since 2018.
In January, IWBI added to its WELL ecosystem the WELL for residential pilot program, an evidence-based, third-party verified certification designed to transform the way homes are designed, built and maintained to support human health and well-being.
The program was launched with 25 pilot participants from 10 countries and more than 30,000 enrolled homes.
Hodgdon also noted that the newly launched Works with WELL directory is becoming a practical platform empowering global WELL users with access to products and service solutions that have been verified to support WELL strategies.
“We recognize that this milestone is very much a shared accomplishment,” said Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI. “Reaching this moment is a testament to our vast WELL community, an incredible group of dedicated experts fighting for a future where all of our buildings support and enhance our health and well-being.”
This past spring, as part of IWBI’s deeper strategic partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the two organizations developed a streamlined review and documentation process for projects pursuing LEED and WELL certifications simultaneously.
Just months after introducing the streamlined LEED and WELL pathway, nearly 350 projects representing over 80 million square feet of space in 38 countries have opted in to use this pathway.
In addition, last autumn, major public health leaders, led by six former U.S. Surgeons General, rallied around the importance of accelerating healthy buildings.
Rachel Hodgdon of IWBI, along with 11 other leaders from many of the country’s top public health organizations, sent an open letter to policymakers urging significant change in how buildings and indoor environments are perceived-from mere structures to critical levers for public health.
The sign-on letter drew attention to an often-overlooked policy opportunity-reimagining the nation’s buildings as a prescription for health. The letter outlined compelling evidence showing the outsized role buildings can play to enhance health outcomes, prevent disease and boost economic productivity, not only in the U.S. but around the world.
Looking forward, IWBI states WELL is poised for even faster adoption, bolstered by signature partnerships, global policy advancements and an increased focus on social sustainability.