Hanoi:Former Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has highlighted the crucial role of strong government policies combined with community-led actions to reach a positive tipping point for planetary health.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Khairy described a positive tipping point as a series of effects leading to irreversible, beneficial change. He emphasized that achieving this requires firm government commitments, such as the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, along with effective enforcement, implementation, and balanced incentives and penalties.

At the Global Tipping Points Conference 2026, Khairy noted the importance of community-driven efforts involving individuals, religious authorities, and social institutions in promoting grassroots change. He stated that combining substantial policies with local initiatives could create a virtuous cycle leading to positive outcomes.

Addressing the challenges of mobilizing public action for planetary health, Khairy reflected on his COVID-19 pandemic experience, noting that the immediate threats of the pandemic made public action easier to motivate compared to the less tangible threats of environmental issues.

He acknowledged that while environmental problems like haze and floods are already affecting people, they are not perceived as imminent threats like COVID-19. Additionally, Khairy pointed out that political leaders often lack the motivation to transition towards sustainability due to misaligned incentives.

At a global level, Khairy expressed concern over the lack of coordinated action, hindered by differences in national jurisdictions, development levels, and political interests, particularly when some leaders remain skeptical about climate change.