By Professor Dato Dr Ahmad Ibrahim
The Academy of Sciences Malaysia, ASM, has officially launched the National Planetary Health Action, NPHAP, one which has been internationally hailed as a first in the world. Kudos to the team. The scientific assessment of our planet’s health is alarming. According to the 2025 Planetary Health Check, seven out of nine key planetary boundaries—the processes that maintain Earth’s stability and resilience—have been breached, and all are trending in the wrong direction. This isn’t a future threat; it is our current reality, with climate change already disrupting national economies and affecting lives, with the poorest and most vulnerable bearing the heaviest burden.
Beyond climate, our daily choices, particularly our food systems account for about one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, and poor diets are a leading risk factor for premature death worldwide. This creates a vicious cycle where food production harms the environment, which in turn threatens our ability to produce nutritious food for a growing population. In response to these dire warnings, the world has not been silent. The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, stands as a landmark commitment, with nations pledging to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius. However, the latest climate assessment report says this may also be breached. The framework however acknowledges that our health and our environment are inextricably linked. This political will is matched by a growing grassroots movement. The Planetary Health Alliance, for instance, has galvanized over 500 member organizations across more than 80 countries, all dedicated to addressing these interconnected challenges. From healthcare professionals, to universities integrating this knowledge into their curricula, a global community of practice is emerging.
Despite this awareness, a chasm remains between ambition and action. A sobering analysis of the energy transition reveals that every major region is falling short of its climate pledges. Even Europe, a frontrunner in climate policy, is projected to miss its net-zero target by 14 years based on current trajectories. The gap between targets and forecasts has become obvious to many. Furthermore, critical frameworks for building resilience lack the teeth to drive change. The Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), established to help vulnerable communities adapt to climate impacts, still lacks quantified, measurable targets and sufficient finance to be truly effective. This leaves the nearly 3.6 billion people highly vulnerable to climate change without adequate support.
Bridging this gap requires more than just technical fixes; it demands a fundamental shift in how we operate. We must empower local communities. As the principles of the GGA suggest, adaptation and solutions must be locally led, allowing those most affected to have decision-making authority and budgetary control. What works in one region may not work in another.
Planetary health is not a standalone issue. Our climate actions must be integrated with other global goals, such as biodiversity protection and combating desertification. The healthcare sector’s adoption of the Planetary Health Diet is a prime example of this synergistic thinking, simultaneously targeting human and planetary well-being. It is easy to make pledges for 2050. It is harder to make difficult decisions today. As the energy transition analysis shows, the final steps of decarbonization are the most politically and socially challenging, requiring interventions in daily life, from home heating to travel. True commitment means accepting this disruption.
The world is sending a patient to the emergency room with a coordinated, well-rehearsed chant of “We’re here for you!” while the doctors debate the treatment plan and the bill goes unpaid. We have the diagnosis and the knowledge to begin healing, but we lack the courage to administer the full course of medicine. Our commitment today is like a New Year’s resolution—made with genuine hope but often broken by the inertia of old habits and the fear of short-term discomfort. The question is not whether we are aware of the problem, but whether we are brave enough to prioritize our long-term survival over our immediate convenience.
The evidence shows we have not yet crossed that threshold. But the growing alliance of scientists, doctors, students, and local leaders proves the will to fight exists. That collective agency, if fiercely nurtured and translated into bold, accountable policies, is our best hope for shifting from being passive inhabitants of a deteriorating planet to active stewards of a regenerating one. The NPHAP has been endorsed by the country’s highest body of science decision making, the National Science Council, chaired by the Prime Minister. There is therefore strong hope that the necessary financial and governance support will be there. The plan certainly needs a strong driver!
The author is affiliated with the Tan Sri Omar Centre for STI Policy Studies at UCSI University and is an Adjunct Professor at the Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies, Universiti Malaya.