Experts from the Pathfinder Initiative presented at the 2025 Planetary Health Annual Meeting (PHAM) to discuss research, policy and action on climate and health, using a planetary health perspective.
The 2025 Planetary Health Annual Meeting took place from 6 October to 10 October in Rotterdam, bringing together experts from a range of disciplines and backgrounds with the aim of sharing knowledge, and exploring challenges and solutions for planetary health. The 7th PHAM foregrounded wide ranging perspectives including those of scientists, policymakers, leaders from Indigenous communities, health professionals, communications experts, and representatives from multilateral development banks.
The Pathfinder Initiative research team played a prominent role in discussions. Professor Andy Haines took part in a plenary session on the 10th Anniversary (from the Lancet publication to Planetary Health 7th Annual Meeting). His speech focused on the major opportunities to improve health through mitigating climate change, drawing on evidence from the Pathfinder Initiative. Professor Haines highlighted the rise of militarism as a threat to planetary health, and the need to reframe security in these terms. He also spoke about how research can contribute to transformational change, from identifying positive tipping points for social change, and understanding opportunities for and benefits of action, to evaluating and catalysing the uptake of policies, technologies and interventions.
The Pathfinder Initiative also hosted a parallel session at the conference, with the title ‘Advancing solutions for planetary health: insights from the Pathfinder Initiative’. Speakers included: Dr Iris Blom (moderator) from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Pathfinder Initiative, and World Health Organisation; Dr Lorna Benton (LSHTM and Pathfinder Initiative), Dr Peninah Murage (LSHTM and Pathfinder Initiative), Dr Emma Hutchinson (LSHTM), Dr Elizabeth Kimani-Murage (African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) and Pathfinder Initiative); and Dr Rebecca Newbould (LSHTM and Pathfinder Initiative).
Presentations covered findings from the first phase of the Pathfinder Initiative and emerging findings from the second phase of work. The session featured evidence on the health benefits of climate action across sectors, findings from reviews of evidence on the health benefits of nature-based solutions and on climate and health action in cities, and learnings from research, knowledge sharing and capacity strengthening work in Africa.
During the session, Dr Lorna Benton showcased examples from the Pathfinder Initiative Climate & Health Evidence Bank; Dr Peninah Murage shared findings from a recent review of evidence on the health and wellbeing benefits of tree-based interventions; Dr Emma Hutchinson shared early findings from a review of the climate and health impacts of actions implemented at the city-level; Dr Elizabeth Kimani-Murage spoke on an analysis carried out by APHRC on health in Kenya’s climate policies; and Dr Rebecca Newbould presented findings from work with the African Institute for Development Policy on framing climate and health action in Africa, and the establishment of a new Community of Practice on climate action and health in Africa.
The Pathfinder Initiative team also presented research posters and featured in key discussions throughout the conference, including a plenary session on closer alignment of the planetary health and planetary boundaries frameworks. While the meeting highlighted growing challenges, including health and environmental risks from the transgression of seven of nine planetary boundaries, it also created a space to share progress and ideas, and build momentum towards securing a more sustainable future for all.
Reflecting on the conference, Dr Benton said: “This conference reminds us not only why safeguarding planetary health is vital, but also how we can achieve it - by demonstrating that collaboration and inclusivity are indispensable to designing, implementing, and evaluating solutions that reimagine the systems shaping our shared future.
These values are central to the Pathfinder initiative’s second phase, as we work with the research community to build more consensus-based guidelines on best practice evaluation, while continuing to support cities in operationalising co-benefits, considering trade-offs and building evidence-informed, resilient futures that put equity and vulnerability at the heart of action.”