Today's interview is with David Leathers, Director of the National Commission on Climate and Workforce Health, an initiative of the Health Action Alliance.
What is the National Commission on Climate and Workforce Health?
What is the National Commission on Climate and Workforce Health, and can you share more about your mission?
David Leathers - The National Commission on Climate and Workforce Health is the leading national initiative helping U.S.-based employers understand, manage, and adapt to the increasing health risks climate change poses to their workforce. The Commission brings together leaders from business, health, and sustainability who recognize the growing impact of climate threats on American workers, and builds and advises on programming to engage businesses at scale to address this challenge. It is co-chaired by former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D., and Susan Potter, President of Mercer U.S. and Canada.
We believe health is an underrecognized pillar of climate adaptation, and employers have an important but currently undefined role in managing this risk for their workers. Our mission is to empower thousands of employers to protect millions of workers from the accelerating climate-related health risks. Many business leaders are beginning to connect these dots, and we are helping them shape a new “playbook” of climate adaptation strategy in the private sector.
The Commission was established by the Health Action Alliance, Mercer, and the CDC Foundation, with support from The Hartford, Elevance Health, and Google. As part of the wider Health Action Alliance portfolio, we’ve built a cross-sector platform that engages more than 11,000 employers representing over 50 million workers nationwide.
Initiatives
What initiatives has the Commission implemented to help employers protect their workforce from climate-induced health risks?
David Leathers - Since our launch last year, the Commission’s strategy has centered on two pillars: raising awareness among businesses of climate risks as a workforce health issue, and empowering employers to take action to mitigate those risks.
To launch the Commission, we published our flagship report, Climate and Health: The Increasing Risks to Our People-Powered Economy. This report outlines how climate-driven hazards are impacting workers and business operations and makes the case that workforce health is a business risk. We’ve also developed free, easy-to-use tip sheets for employers and employees focused on some of the most pressing risks: extreme heat, poor air quality, mental health, and disasters.
We have held webinar series, engaged employers at numerous events, conferences, and other gatherings, and helped place op-eds and interviews with our Commissioners in major publications.
Support
How does the Commission support employers in preparing for and mitigating the health impacts of wildfires on their workforce?
David Leathers - The Commission has made wildfire preparedness and response a key focus, especially following the devastating events in Los Angeles earlier this year. As we're seeing in California, the danger of wildfires doesn’t end when the fire is out — their long-term impacts make them one of the most serious climate risks we face.
We’re working to equip employers with clear, actionable guidance on how to protect their workers from both the immediate and long-term impacts of wildfires. Our resources provide advice on improving indoor air quality systems, distributing protective equipment, and crafting emergency response protocols. We’re also addressing the broader ripple effects of climate change, such as mental health concerns associated with extreme heat, wildfires, and other climate disasters.
Additionally, we are in the planning stages of a project to engage with employers, employees, and other stakeholders affected by the L.A. fires to understand what worked, what didn’t, and what, specifically, employers can learn from this disaster to not only help L.A. become more resilient but also take these lessons nationwide.
Collaboration
How does the Commission's collaboration across sectors enhance climate adaptation efforts?
David Leathers - As the field of climate adaptation grows, the Commission believes that health represents both an underrecognized climate impact and a key opportunity for adaptation. Our cross-sector approach is built around this belief. We start from the understanding that, at any given time, most people are employees. And whether they’re working on a job site or from home, they are increasingly vulnerable to climate perils, be it extreme heat, worsening air quality, or extreme weather.
Employers are often trusted sources of information, resources, and support for their people. That's why employers are such a powerful and underutilized lever in climate resilience. Businesses have a vested interest in protecting their workforce, not only to ensure safety and well-being but also to maintain continuity, productivity, and long-term business viability.
The Commission sits at this intersection of public health, business, and climate adaptation, helping to unlock that potential. By partnering with leading public health organizations — like the de Beaumont Foundation and CDC Foundation — and collaborating directly with major employers such as Disney, Google, Elevance Health, and The Hartford, we’re not just bridging sectors, we’re building solutions together. This new collaborative model is essential to drive action on today's complex and dynamic climate and health challenges.
Future Initiatives
What future initiatives does the National Commission on Climate and Workforce Health plan to launch to further support employers in climate adaptation?
David Leathers - The next phase of our work focuses on equipping employers with the tools and strategies to make the business case for workforce health — and to take action. For example, we are working with our partners on a new, innovative tool that will help employers quantify and project health care cost growth based on the climate perils most likely to impact the locations of their workforce, which should launch within the next couple of months.
Of course, that data then will lead to the question: What should we do about this? In parallel, we’re preparing to release a new scorecard tool — a mapped assessment of leading research and strategies that will give employers a benchmark to evaluate their current readiness and identify gaps in resilience.
We’re also building partnerships with academic institutions and research centers to connect employers with the latest thinking and research on climate, health, and workforce resilience. This includes work on extreme heat, insurance innovation, benefits design, and other emerging challenges. We will play an important connecting role in identifying cutting-edge research both domestically and internationally, and translating it into a clear roadmap for U.S. employers.
Data Points
What are the key data points that you think employers should pay attention to?
David Leathers - First, from our People-Powered Economy report: Over 80% of corporate value in the S&P 500 is now tied to human capital. That means people are the most important asset on most companies’ balance sheets, yet many businesses are overlooking one of the greatest risks to that investment: climate-driven health impacts.
Second, according to our partner Mercer’s latest Survey on Health & Benefits Strategies for 2025, only 4% of employers have conducted a vulnerability assessment to identify which employees are most at risk from climate events, despite the fact that 64% of workers have already been affected by climate impacts in just the past two years.
How to Get Involved
What opportunities are there for individuals or organizations to get involved with the Commission?
David Leathers - The Commission seeks partners who understand the importance of this work. Please stay in touch via our newsletter, and feel free to reach out to David at dleathers@healthaction.org
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