The Planetary Health Project at Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) has released a policy recommendation calling for the integration of a “planetary health” perspective—emphasizing the interconnection between the environment and human health—into the core of the “Grand Design and Action Plan for a New Form of Capitalism (2025 Revised Edition).”

This proposal highlights the importance of adopting planetary health as a cross-cutting policy framework to materialize key goals of the new capitalism, such as creating a virtuous cycle of growth and distribution, fostering new markets through the resolution of social challenges, and improving national well-being. It underscores the need to integrate planetary health into green transformation (GX) strategies, healthcare policy, and disaster resilience planning.

Amid growing risks to health systems and public health from climate change, Japan is expected to lead the development of a “nature-coexisting social model.” This proposal presents a comprehensive perspective to help realize a sustainable economic society through various cross-sectoral policy recommendations. These include advancing GX that aligns environmental conservation with health promotion; strengthening health systems to be climate-resilient and low-carbon through international collaboration such as the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH); and implementing urban heat risk countermeasures to protect the elderly and vulnerable populations.

Key Recommendations

1. Integrating Planetary Health into GX Strategy
   Prioritize co-benefits between climate action and health promotion, and place circular economies and nature-positive regional development at the center of growth strategy.
2. Reforming the Health and Long-Term Care Systems through International Collaboration
   Build climate-resilient and low-carbon health and long-term care systems while enhancing environmental responsiveness in healthcare through partnerships such as ATACH.
3. Redesigning Disaster Risk Reduction to Address Climate and Health Linkages
   Promote measures such as appointing Chief Heat Officer (CHO) to address urban heat risks (e.g., nighttime heatstroke), and strengthen nature-based disaster resilience.
4. Establishing Locally-Led Planetary Health Models
   Support region-based initiatives that integrate healthcare, long-term care, the environment, and industry, and promote the development of model cities in Japan and abroad.

Amid compound crises—including climate change, biodiversity loss, population aging, and increasingly severe natural disasters—balancing human health and environmental integrity is no longer optional, but imperative. Planetary health must be recognized as a core pillar of Japan’s growth strategy under the New Form of Capitalism.

HGPI remains committed to supporting social transformation through policy proposals and dialogue with diverse stakeholders.

Please refer to the PDF below for more details.