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IAQ As Public Infrastructure

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), As Public Infrastructure

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is no longer a building-level concern. It is a public health, energy, ESG, and national resilience issue. Governments and organisations that have an indoor air quality policy and performance frameworks will achieve better health outcomes, lower emissions, stronger productivity, and long-term societal resilience.

Is IAQ public infrastructure?

Yes. Indoor air quality is increasingly recognized as a form of public health infrastructure.

Just as governments ensure access to clean water, safe buildings, and reliable power, the air people breathe indoors underpins population health, workforce productivity, and societal resilience. Since the majority of exposure to pollutants occurs indoors, IAQ has a direct influence on healthcare outcomes, education performance, and economic stability.

Poor IAQ increases the burden on healthcare systems through respiratory and cardiovascular illness, while good IAQ reduces long-term public expenditure by preventing disease rather than treating it.

Governments in regions such as the GCC are now aligning IAQ with sustainability, public health policy, and national vision strategies. Treating IAQ as infrastructure enables performance-based building standards, smarter energy use, and healthier indoor environments at scale.

How does IAQ support ESG and sustainability goals?

Indoor air quality directly supports Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) objectives.

From an environmental perspective, IAQ enables performance-based ventilation strategies that reduce energy consumption and associated carbon emissions. By cleaning indoor air rather than relying solely on high ventilation rates, buildings can achieve better air quality with lower energy demand.

Socially, IAQ protects occupant health, wellbeing, and productivity—key ESG outcomes for employees, students, patients, and communities. Healthier indoor environments reduce absenteeism, improve performance, and enhance quality of life.

From a governance standpoint, IAQ demonstrates responsible asset management, regulatory compliance, and long-term risk mitigation. It aligns with global frameworks such as WELL, LEED, and ASHRAE, and supports transparent ESG reporting.

In this way, IAQ is not a cost burden but a strategic enabler of sustainable, resilient, and high-performing buildings.

IAQ and Public Health Policy

1. Indoor Air Quality and Public Health Policy

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Policy is a core public health determinant, not a discretionary building feature. In modern economies, citizens spend more than 90% of their time indoors - primarily in schools, hospitals, workplaces, and housing. The quality of indoor air directly influences respiratory health, cognitive performance, infection transmission, and long-term healthcare costs. Poor IAQ has been consistently linked to increased incidence of asthma, cardiovascular disease, absenteeism, and reduced learning outcomes.

For governments, this translates into higher public healthcare expenditure and reduced human capital performance.

How does IAQ improve national productivity?

Forward-looking public health policy now recognises indoor air quality (IAQ) Standards as preventive infrastructure. Just as water quality and sanitation standards were codified in the last century, indoor air quality must be embedded into:

Building codes and performance standards
Healthcare and education facility guidelines
Public housing and social infrastructure policy

Performance-based IAQ strategies - aligned with international standards such as ASHRAE - enable governments to protect public health while maintaining energy efficiency and operational resilience.

IAQ and Net Zero

2. IAQ Net Zero Buildings

Buildings are among the largest contributors to global energy consumption and carbon emissions, particularly in hot-climate regions where cooling demand dominates. Traditionally, indoor air quality (IAQ) improvements have relied on increasing outside air ventilation - often at the cost of significantly higher energy use.

Modern IAQ strategies decouple air quality from energy penalty.

Decarbonisation and IAQ:

Reduced dependence on excessive outside air intake
Lower cooling and fan energy demand
Optimised HVAC operation without compromising occupant health

This supports a shift from prescriptive ventilation to performance-based ventilation, enabling compliance with Net Zero targets while maintaining high indoor air quality.

From a decarbonisation perspective, IAQ becomes an enabler of Net Zero, not a trade-off. Energy-efficient air quality solutions reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions associated with building operations, supporting national and corporate climate commitments.

IAQ and ESG

3. IAQ and ESG

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a material ESG issue across Environmental, Social, and Governance pillars:

Environmental (E)

Reduced energy consumption through efficient HVAC operation
Lower carbon intensity per square metre
Support for Net Zero and climate targets

Social (S)

Healthier indoor environments
Improved workforce productivity and cognitive performance
Reduced absenteeism and sick leave
Enhanced occupant comfort and wellbeing

Governance (G)

Measurable IAQ performance data
Compliance with international standards (ASHRAE, WELL, LEED)
Transparent reporting and accountability

IAQ and ESG building performance is increasingly referenced by investors, insurers, and regulators as an indicator of operational quality, risk management, and long-term asset value. Buildings that actively manage sustainable indoor air quality demonstrate stronger ESG performance and future readiness.

IAQ and National Resilience

4. National Resilience and Productivity

National resilience depends on the ability of societies to function effectively during both normal operations and periods of stress - pandemics, extreme climate events, or economic disruption.

Together with a healthy buildings policy, indoor air quality (IAQ) plays a critical role in resilience by:

Reducing airborne transmission risk in high-occupancy buildings
Supporting continuity of education, healthcare, and essential services
Maintaining workforce performance under demanding conditions

Why indoor air should be treated like water, power, and safety systems

At a macroeconomic level, IAQ directly influences productivity. Cleaner indoor air has been linked to improved decision-making, concentration, and task performance - factors that compound across entire workforces and education systems.

By treating Indoor air quality management as national infrastructure, governments can:

Strengthen public health preparedness
Improve economic output per worker
Reduce long-term public expenditure
Enhance societal resilience

Together with indoor air quality standards, healthy buildings enable healthy populations - and resilient nations are built from the inside out.

GCC Vision Alignment

Why Active Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Matters in the GCC/MENA

Executive Summary

In hot-climate, high-occupancy buildings across Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, active air purification technologies - particularly DBD bi-polar ionization -offer the most effective path to healthier indoor environments, lower energy use, and compliance with ASHRAE, WELL, LEED, and ESG frameworks.

Buildings in Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE share common characteristics:

High cooling demand year-round
Dust and particulate ingress
High occupancy densities
Long HVAC run times
Strong focus on energy efficiency and sustainability mandates

This makes IAQ inseparable from energy, public health, and national development goals.

IAQ: Oman (Vision 2040 Alignment)

Focus on public health resilience, education, and healthcare infrastructure
IAQ supports:
- Reduced respiratory illness
- Improved learning outcomes
- Lower long-term healthcare costs
Active air purification enables better IAQ without increasing ventilation energy, supporting national efficiency goals

Role of IAQ: IAQ as health infrastructure for schools, hospitals, and government buildings.

IAQ: Saudi Arabia (Vision 2030 Alignment)

Vision 2030 prioritises:

Quality of life
Smart cities
Healthcare transformation
Energy efficiency

Active IAQ supports:

Performance-based ventilation (ASHRAE IAQP)
Reduced cooling loads in giga-projects
Healthier indoor environments for megastructures, hospitals, and hospitality assets

Role of IAQ: IAQ as a strategic enabler of productivity, resilience, and giga-project sustainability.

IAQ: UAE (Net Zero 2050 & Smart Buildings)

UAE buildings are increasingly evaluated on:

ESG performance
Occupant well-being
Smart building integration

Active IAQ:

Reduces outside air dependency
Improves WELL scores
Enhances ESG reporting
Integrates with BMS and real-time monitoring

Role of IAQ: IAQ as measurable ESG performance, not just comfort.

IAQ: Standards & Framework Alignment

ASHRAE

Supports IAQP (Indoor Air Quality Procedure)
Enables performance-based ventilation strategies
Active purification allows compliance without excessive outside air

WELL Building Standard

Air Concept (A01–A09)
Focus on occupant health, cognition, and comfort
Active IAQ directly supports WELL certification outcomes

LEED

IAQ credits
Energy optimisation
Enhanced filtration effectiveness
Reduced fan energy through lower pressure drop

ESG Frameworks

Environmental: Reduced energy use, lower carbon intensity
Social: Healthier indoor environments, fewer sick days
Governance: Measurable IAQ data, compliance, transparency

How does ASHRAE 62.1 IAQP work?

When should air purification be integrated into new builds?

What factors determine the right IAQ strategy for a building?