Conference Programme

Objective

The GTP Report 2025 makes one thing certain: the cost of inaction far exceeds the cost of transition. Climate finance that accounts for long-term economic and health benefits are more urgently needed than ever. For the Global South, the finance gap remains the primary barrier to triggering positive tipping points. This plenary dives into the mechanisms needed for health-centred mitigation and adaptation and examines potential positive tipping points in the financial sector – building on the GTP2025 report’s notes on green technology affordability. Is the current global financial architecture fit for purpose or does it reinforce the vulnerability of the Global South? How can planetary health investments become the default, low-risk option for emerging markets?

Objective

From the grassroots Pacific youth movements to the halls of The Hague, the 2025 International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on Climate Change stands as a watershed moment in climate history, confirming the legal obligations of states to prevent harm to the climate system and consequentially, people. Reflecting on the role of climate litigation and youth, this session explores: How will this legal clarity accelerate an era of changing governance structures?

Objective

Every major shock carries within it the seeds of a faster transition if societies are positioned to seize it. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz earlier in 2026, the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market, has made that proposition uncomfortably real. It has sorted countries into those who invested in energy resilience before this crisis struck and those who did not. The hunger for energy to feed an AI arms race is exacerbating this crisis and its geopolitics This plenary examines how that investment pays economic and political dividends when shocks arrive. Drawing on the science of tipping points, it identifies the policy triggers, finance mechanisms, and regional coalitions that can turn instability into irreversible momentum, with particular attention to Asia's capacity to lead the global clean energy transition.

Objective

Filmmaker and storyteller Lara Ariffin brings the hidden world of Malaysia’s last wild tigers to the global stage in a powerful, TED-style talk. In “Who Will Speak for the Tigers?”, Lara draws on years of work filming wildlife—and living alongside the Menraq communities who have long been guardians of the rainforest. Through intimate footage and deeply human stories, she reveals what is at stake when a species vanishes—not just biodiversity, but culture, identity, and our collective future. Blending cinematic storytelling with lived experience, Lara challenges us to confront a simple but urgent question: if we lose the voices of the forest, who will speak for those who cannot? Her talk is a call to listen more closely—to the land, to indigenous knowledge, and to the fragile threads that connect planetary health with our own survival.

Objective

Conflict, instability, and environmental stress increasingly reinforce one another, creating negative tipping cascades. This session explores peace and social cohesion as stabilising forces that enable health systems, climate action, and development progress. The fireside chat will examine how investments in peacebuilding, governance, and health security can prevent systemic collapse and instead reinforce positive tipping points for long-term resilience and wellbeing.

Objective

As temperatures rise, the future of sport is already changing. From reduced performance and slower recovery to growing health risks for athletes and children, heat is becoming one of the biggest hidden challenges in sport today. In this dynamic 10-minute talk, Nicol David—former world champion and one of Malaysia’s most admired sporting icons—shares why heat matters to every athlete, from elite competitors to children playing on local courts and fields. Drawing on her own experience at the highest level, Nicol will explore how resilience, training, and wellbeing are being reshaped by a warming world. She will also highlight how the Nicol David Organisation is working with parents and communities to inspire healthier lifestyles, environmental awareness, and a new generation that understands the connection between human health and planetary health. An inspiring call to action on sport, leadership, and protecting the future our children will inherit.

Objective

Bring participants together to synthesise insights from parallel sessions and connect themes across the conference programme.