The Lancet Planetary Health, May 2025

Power to the people: towards greater social participation in planetary health

People around the world are facing record-breaking threats to their wellbeing, health, and survival due to the rapidly changing climate. Global warming and related environmental shifts are driving rising rates of ill health and mortality and exacerbating deep-seated inequities, particularly in communities already experiencing marginalisation.

Despite being the most affected by the changing climate, these marginalised communities are often the least represented in global discourse and local policy decisions. People from these communities are likely to be a crucial source of potential solutions for adapting to, mitigating, or even preventing planetary health degradation, with unparalleled experiential knowledge of the myriad impacts of a changing climate on their local communities.

We recently had the privilege of holding an online roundtable discussion involving 35 community leaders, health and environmental advocates, academics, and political champions from across the Asia-Pacific region to talk about community participation in planetary health initiatives.