'Don't wait for consensus': Sultan Nazrin urges immediate action on environmental crises

Sultan Nazrin Shah urged leaders to take immediate action on environmental crises, emphasizing the need for honesty about obstacles, support for communities already affected, and collaboration across various sectors. The Sultan of Perak addressed Asia's vulnerability to environmental risks and highlighted the region's potential to lead through urban experimentation, clean energy transitions, and community stewardship of natural resources.

He cautioned that shifting monsoons, warming seas, and heatwaves were already impacting farmers, fishermen, and city dwellers. Sultan Nazrin cited success stories, such as a 90% reduction in poacher snares in Royal Belum, Perak, and the birth of tigress cubs, as evidence of what can be achieved through stewardship. He warned about the emergence of artificial intelligence as a hybrid tipping point, where technology choices will shape human agency, societal cohesion, prosperity, and the planet's health.

Sultan Nazrin called for investment in "double literacy" — the ability to understand both human values and the technologies shaping daily decisions. The conference, held at Sunway University, aims to identify positive change opportunities and commit to immediate action, as the effects of environmental recovery may take decades to become apparent.