ASIA’s first Global Tipping Points Conference will bring together scientists, policymakers, health leaders, financiers, business leaders and youth advocates to explore ways to accelerate positive change as the world’s climate and ecological systems approach critical thresholds.
The four-day Global Tipping Points Conference 2026 (GTP 2026) will be held at Sunway University from Oct 12 to 15, marking the first time the global conference is being hosted in Asia.
The conference aims to translate scientific understanding of critical thresholds in Earth systems into practical action on climate change, clean energy adoption and ecosystem restoration, with a particular focus on the challenges and opportunities facing South and Southeast Asia.
The Global Tipping Points initiative is led by Prof Tim Lenton and the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter.
GTP 2026 co-chair and executive director of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health (SCPH) at Sunway University, Prof Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood, said the conference would bring together diverse voices to examine how positive tipping points could be accelerated.
“Together, scientists, policymakers, business leaders, civil society, Indigenous voices, artists and youth will unite to spotlight South and Southeast Asia’s lived realities and accelerate the positive tipping points we need for a healthier planet and future,” she said.
GTP 2026 is co-chaired by SCPH, the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).
Rather than following a conventional conference format, the programme will take participants through a four-day progression, beginning with the scientific foundations of positive tipping points before moving into the social, cultural and economic factors that can drive transformation.
The conference will centre on three cross-cutting pillars — understanding the shift, igniting imagination and accelerating action.
The first pillar will examine climate and nature-related risks alongside social and economic pressures affecting health, food security and stability.
The second will explore the role of culture, faith, creativity and moral leadership in shaping societal transformation, while the third will focus on policies, investment and partnerships that can reinforce and sustain change.
The third day will examine mechanisms that can make transformation lasting, including finance, law and social cohesion, as well as the clean energy implications of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and the global artificial intelligence race.
The final day will bring together findings from plenary sessions, action workshops, fireside chats and lightning talks before concluding with a session on collective action and the launch of an outcome declaration.
The conference will open with remarks by Sunway University president Prof Sibrandes Poppema, followed by a keynote address by the Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah.
The programme will also feature 20 action workshops and a special screening of How to Live on Earth, produced by Open Planet Studios and narrated by actor Benedict Cumberbatch.
GTP 2026 is the third edition of the conference, following previous editions held at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom in 2023 and 2025.
Sunway University Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education, Employability and Alumni) Prof Chai Lay Ching said hosting the conference in Asia would provide an opportunity for students, academics and the wider community to engage with global experts and contribute to discussions on planetary health.
“Sunway University is proud and excited to host the Global Tipping Points Conference 2026, the first time this gathering has come to Asia,” she said.
