“What has not been explicitly recognised is the impact of the private sector on human health. The fact that companies’ activities, services and products affect human health is not disputed. These include not only direct effects such as respiratory diseases in coal miners, but also indirect ones such as obesity-driven illnesses caused by excess consumption of sugar through fizzy drinks and processed foods marketed by consumer goods companies.

Initiatives such as the sugar tax recognise that private sector activities have a significant influence on health outcomes and, as such, the private sector can be nudged towards behaviour that leads to more positive health outcomes.”

[COMMENTARY]Some great points are made here. One is why should companies be allowed to make large profits while sickening the public and entities such as governments left to pay for the ill health created? Surely, companies should contribute to those costs in a meaningful way.

Arguments against such a policy include where do you draw the line as to what sickens the public, what the costs are, and who bears them?

Some sort of ESG score concerning product/service health effects could be useful!
Measuring health impacts could expand ESG metrics, by Joseph Mariathasan, May issue, IPE Magazine, UK.