KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 (Bernama) -- The Global Tipping Points Conference 2026 (GTP 2026) has called for stronger cross-sector collaboration to turn the planetary crisis into opportunities for positive change.
Sunway Centre for Planetary Health (SCPH) executive director Prof Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood said the conference, held in Asia for the first time, brought together experts from various fields to explore solutions to climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
“We are facing what we call a planetary crisis...climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and we are experiencing it every day in our lives,” she said in an interview with Bernama in conjunction with the Global Tipping Points Conference 2026 here today.
She said recurring haze was another example of the consequences of environmental damage, underscoring the need for effective policies, enforcement and collective responsibility.
“If we actually do the right things, we can tip positively, and that can also be something that is unstoppable and good, and that can take us out of all these difficulties,” she said.
Dr Jemilah, who is also the conference co-chair, said the three-and-a-half-day event, which concluded today, featured 12 plenary sessions and more than 20 action workshops.
She said the discussions highlighted the need to translate scientific evidence into action through better communication, financing, legal frameworks, education and community participation.
“The Kuala Lumpur Declaration really is a culmination of all the things we discussed,” she said, adding that the declaration outlined commitments to establish a coalition for communications in Asia, explore natural systems for planetary cooling and improve financial coordination to address tipping points.
She said the conference also emphasised the importance of studying societal tipping points alongside scientific and physical changes to better understand how communities and institutions could drive positive change.
“There are groups from the financial and corporate sectors that have come here and committed to driving sustainable practices,” she said.
Dr Jemilah said community participation was essential in addressing environmental challenges, adding that local communities must have a voice in decisions affecting their lives and surroundings.
She said a report focusing on Asia’s tipping points would examine the region’s specific challenges while identifying both positive and negative tipping points.
The outcomes of GTP 2026 are expected to strengthen advocacy for action among governments, financial institutions and communities.
The next Global Tipping Points Conference is scheduled to be held in Potsdam, Germany, in 2027.
--BERNAMA