Sunway University is Hosting Asia’s First Global Tipping Points Conference 2026

Kuala Lumpur, 12 October 2026 — The Global Tipping Points Conference 2026 (GTP 2026) officially opened today at Sunway University, marking the first time the conference has been held in Asia. Over the next four days, scientists, policymakers, health leaders, financiers, business executives, civil representatives, Indigenous voices, artists and youth advocates from around the world will convene to explore positive tipping points can unlock rapid, transformative change for people and planet.

Co-chaired by the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health (SCPH) at Sunway University, the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter, and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), GTP 2026 comes at a critical moment as climate change, biodiversity loss, geopolitical instability and growing health challenges place increasing pressure on societies worldwide. The conference seeks to shift the global conversation from managing crises to identifying opportunities for accelerating solutions.

The Global Tipping Points initiative, led by Professor Tim Lenton and the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter, is an international research and policy programme focused on understanding how small but strategic interventions can trigger large-scale transformations in areas such as climate action, clean energy adoption, ecosystem restoration and societal resilience.

By hosting the conference in Asia for the first time, GP 2026 places a region that is both highly vulnerable to climate and environmental risks, and uniquely positioned to drive transformative solutions, at the centre of a growing global movement for change.

The conference is structured around three cross-cutting pillars that run throughout the programme:

• Understanding the Shift – examining the interconnected climate, environmental, social and economic forces reshaping our world.
• Igniting Imagination -exploring how culture, faith, storytelling, creativity and moral leadership can inspire societal transformation.
• Accelerating Action- identifying the policies, investments, technologies and partnerships capable of creating self-reinforcing momentum for change.

The opening day focuses on the science of tipping points and the leadership needed to navigate an era of profound change. Subsequent sessions will explore the human dimensions of transformation, including communication, values, health and nature, before turning to the systems and mechanisms that can make positive change self-sustaining through finance, governance, social cohesion, innovation and technology. The conference will conclude with a synthesis of key outcomes and the launch of a declaration outlining pathways for collective action.

GP 2026 opened with welcoming remarks by Professor Sibrandes Poppema, President of Sunway University, followed by a special keynote address by His Royal Highness Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, Sultan of Perak.

The programme features more than twenty action workshops alongside plenary discussions, fireside chats, research sessions and lightning talks designed to foster collaboration across disciplines and sectors. Delegates will also have the opportunity to attend a special screening of How to Live on Earth, a feature documentary produced by Open Planet Studios and narrated by award-winning actor Benedict Cumberbatch, which explores how humanity can work with nature to address some of today’s most pressing environmental challenges.

GP 2026 is the third edition of the Global Tipping Points Conference, following previous conferences held in Exeter, United Kingdom, in 2023 and 2025. By bringing together global expertise and regional perspectives, the conference aims to catalyse the positive tipping points needed to build a more resilient, equitable and sustainable future.