Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), together with the Planetary Health Alliance Japan Hub, launched the Planetary Health Academy in 2025 to promote knowledge and awareness on the relationship between health and environment. Following the first three sessions, the Academy has now concluded with the completion of its final three lectures.

The course progressed systematically across six lectures: first establishing foundational concepts of planetary health and examining how human activities affect Earth’s systems, then analyzing specific pathways through which environmental degradation impacts health (climate change, environmental exposures), and finally exploring solutions at multiple scales (sustainable urban design, biodiversity conservation, and healthcare system transformation). The completion of the Planetary Health Academy marks a meaningful effort towards advancing planetary health domestically.

Session 4: Domestic and International Efforts to Develop Sustainable Healthy Cities (October 15, 2025)
In her lecture, Professor Keiko Nakamura (Professor Emeritus, Institute of Science Tokyo / Steering Committee Member, Planetary Health Alliance Japan Hub) explored how cities can be designed to promote both human and planetary health. Concepts such as Healthy Cities, 15-minute cities, and value-based urban planning were introduced, emphasizing how urban environments shape well-being and sustainability. The lecture also addressed challenges including air pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change, highlighting solutions from cities worldwide, and underscoring the importance of cross-sector collaboration and participatory urban networks in building sustainable, healthy cities.

Session 5: Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services, and Human Health (October 22, 2025)
Professor Masashi Soga (Associate Professor, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo) explored how biodiversity and ecosystem services influence human health. The role of species, genetic, and ecosystem diversity in supporting well-being is crucial, while urbanization and reduced contact with nature present growing challenges. The lecture also examined how human activities—such as overexploitation, introduction of alien species, pollution, and climate change—are accelerating biodiversity loss.

Session 6: Planetary Health Approaches from the Medical Frontlines (November 5, 2025)
The final lecture was delivered by Dr. Kei Yokota (Director of Emergency Department, Department of General Medicine, Okayama Kyoritsu Hospital; Board Member, Green Practice Japan). Climate change is reshaping health risks, highlighting the importance of sustainable healthcare approaches grounded in planetary health. Rising emissions from the healthcare sector—particularly from pharmaceuticals, electricity use, and hospitalizations—underscore the need for systemic change. The lecture also emphasized the importance of coordinated action across individual, organizational, and policy levels, highlighting the critical role of healthcare professionals in driving low-carbon, prevention-focused care.

Several key themes emerged throughout the program. First, vulnerability is unequally distributed: whether examining children’s susceptibility to environmental contaminants, elderly populations facing heat-related risks, or communities with limited access to green spaces, the lectures consistently highlighted how environmental and health burdens disproportionately affect those least able to adapt. Second, the interconnectedness of environmental and health challenges requires integrated, cross-sector solutions rather than fragmented approaches—from coordinating urban planning with public health goals, to recognizing how biodiversity loss and climate change compound each other’s health impacts. Third, action is needed at all levels: individual behavior change, organizational transformation, community participation in urban design, and policy coordination across sectors.

HGPI hopes that the networks formed and insights gained through this Academy will be utilized by our participants in their respective fields and activities, forming the foundation for promoting planetary health domestically and globally.