NEWSLETTER

May 2025

Man's attitude toward nature is today critically important simply because we have now acquired a fateful power to alter and destroy nature. But man is a part of nature, and his war against nature is inevitably a war against himself? [We are] challenged as mankind has never been challenged before to prove our maturity and our mastery, not of nature, but of ourselves.
 – Rachel Carson, marine biologist, writer, and conservationist, appearing on a CBS documentary about her book Silent Spring shortly before her death from breast cancer in 1964.

Click the tabs below to explore the latest in Planetary Health. On desktop, hover over the image cards for more information. On mobile, scroll horizontally to see all five tabs.

May 2025 Updates


As we continue our 10th Anniversary celebrations, we’re thrilled to unveil a special gift to our community: the Planetary Health 10th Anniversary Campaign Toolkit! This comprehensive resource is packed with branded visuals, messaging guides, and digital assets to help you celebrate, reflect, and inspire action around our collective achievements. The evidence is clearer than ever—human-driven environmental change is reshaping the foundations of health and well-being.

This month, we’re especially proud to celebrate the next generation of Planetary Health leaders. We’re thrilled to announce the winners of the inaugural Planetary Health Challenge 2025! Ezekiel P. Guanbie (Liberia), Amira Puji Hastuti (Indonesia), and Duaa Suliman (UAE) impressed the judges with their “MOZENA” project, an innovative, community-centered solution leveraging Indigenous knowledge of moringa seeds and zeolite for mercury filtration in Indonesia’s Kapuas River. This global competition, focusing on freshwater solutions, showcased inspiring youth-led initiatives, with one finalist team proposing a community-led water waste regeneration blueprint and another developing a “Water Wise Communities” knowledge hub. The winning team will present their impactful work at PHAM 2025 in Rotterdam! Watch the finalists’ presentations.

The Planetary Health Challenge was just one of several projects undertaken by PHA’s inaugural Next Gen Youth Council this year, with three members completing their terms this month while most will continue for a second year alongside new additions. We honor their leadership and contributions, including the development of the Planetary Health Club Guidelines to inspire students to grow communities of practice at their institutions and the creation of the Global Stories & Shared Earth: Lived Experiences in Planetary Health project to bring personal stories to the forefront.

Meanwhile, momentum across our global network continues to build. The International Human Exposome Network (IHEN) launched the first edition of their newsletter—your gateway to exposome research, collaboration, and events. With 200+ members from 38 countries, IHEN is advancing the science of environmental exposures and their impact on human health. Member institutions like Universidade de Lisboa and Università di Pavia are also expanding Planetary Health education through new PhD and summer school programs.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to co-host three transformative events in the coming months:

  • On May 28, in partnership with Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, we’ll launch the Sunway Charter: Faith in Action—a global call for faith communities to lead with compassion and justice toward planetary healing.
  • We’re also teaming up with We Are The Possible on June 2 for a pre-COP30 workshop exploring the intersection of arts and Planetary Health, featuring live animation by Hamishibai and a focus on co-creation and creative storytelling.
  • In collaboration with the Climate Change and Antimicrobial Resistance Network and Skating Panda, we will co-host a webinar on July 10 focused on the most effective strategies for communicating urgent, Planetary Health challenges.

In this newsletter, click on the tabs above to explore the full collection of:

  • Research & Policy: Groundbreaking literature exploring the human health effects of shifts in Earth’s natural systems caused by human activity
  • Opportunities: Jobs, funding, fellowships, and more
  • Events: Planetary Health conferences, webinars, and trainings
  • Read | Watch | Listen: Must-read articles, inspiring videos, and podcasts’

Now is the moment for #PlanetaryHealth to shine. Thank you for being part of this growing global community.

Secretariat News


As the Planetary Health Alliance enters a new chapter, we’re seeking a Marketing & Communications Manager to help shape the global narrative around the Earth crisis through strategic communication. In this role, you’ll lead the development and execution of multi-channel strategies that highlight Planetary Health approaches to society’s most urgent challenges. Located in Washington DC with a hybrid schedule at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center.

As we look ahead, we want to express a heartfelt thank you to Nicky Christensen for your impactful contributions to Planetary Health and for always centering its emotional and human dimensions. Your work has inspired many and helped breathe life into this global movement. Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors.

Planetary Health Roadmap Updates


The Planetary Health Roadmap Working Groups continue to advance key initiatives ahead of PHAM 2025 in Rotterdam. The Mainstreaming survey is now live – calling for organizations to share impactful Planetary Health initiatives for potential inclusion in a new handbook and conference showcase. Cross-group coordination is a growing focus to enhance alignment across working groups and to further clarify messaging. Special projects such as a shared glossary of key Planetary Health terms is being explored. Additionally, there is strong consensus to assess current initiatives in artificial intelligence (AI), technology, and innovation across all hubs. Join us at PHAM 2025 where each group has a session to showcase their work and discuss how to continue the work.

Awdal Youth Volunteers

Awdal Youth Volunteers

Non-Profit Organization

Institute for Global Health and Development, Peking University

Institute for Global Health and Development, Peking University

University/Academic Institution

Youth in Public Health

Youth in Public Health

Non-Profit Organization

Zero Water Day Partnership

Zero Water Day Partnership

Non-Profit Organization

Norwegian Doctors for Planetary Health (Legenes klimaaksjon)

Norwegian Doctors for Planetary Health (Legenes klimaaksjon)

Non-Profit Organization

SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute

SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute

University/Academic Institution

Climate Action Accelerator

Climate Action Accelerator

Non-Profit Organization

See Also


The Promise of Planetary Health

Planetary Health Frameworks

• Introductory Resources

The Promise of Planetary Health

The Promise of Planetary Health is presented by the Planetary Health Alliance in cooperation with the World Wildlife Fund and the Harvard University Center for the Environment Written and narrated by Sam Myers for the Planetary Health Alliance. Video Editor: Alex Griswold Special thanks to: Naze Teo WWF Music: Pond5 Success In Spring, Dragomirescu, AwesomeMedia DPmusic, Brian Wavy, BlueMonk, SoundArt & Youtomee Credits: Alex Griswold, © 2021