Singapore, 1 February 2024 – Local government leaders, chief sustainability officers, entrepreneurs and prominent activists who have pushed for change in their organisations and communities in the Asia Pacific region were honoured and celebrated today at the fifth edition of the Sustainability Leadership A-List Awards by Eco-Business.
A diverse range of individuals across Asia Pacific were recognised, such as those who spearhead efforts across decarbonisation, nature conservation, smallholder empowerment, healthcare, and waste management.
The Sustainability Leadership A-List awards by sustainability media and advisory firm Eco-Business are the annual who’s who list of distinguished sustainability leaders in Asia Pacific. Winners were unveiled at the inaugural EB Impact charity gala dinner hosted at the PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay in Singapore on Thursday.
Themed ‘Onwards: Sustainability Leadership in a Time of Urgency’, the event also saw the launch of the CDG-EB Impact Sustainability Education Grant, the first-of-its-kind grant in Singapore which aims to transform the lives of underserved youths in Singapore who have plans to enrol in a tertiary education course with a focus on sustainability and sustainable development.
EB Impact is a Singapore-registered non-profit established in 2019 focused on delivering training and programmes on youth and education to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Some of its flagship programmes include a youth mentorship programme Sustainability Exchange as well as the Sustainability Media Academy which upskills journalists and editors on climate and sustainable development reporting and story-telling.
EB Impact founder and Board Member, Jessica Cheam, said: “Through this initiative, we hope to provide a helpful nudge to young students to pursue sustainability-driven courses, to prioritise those in financial need and provide them with not just financial assistance in the form of grants but also leadership development programmes.”
In his opening address as guest of honour, Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and Ministry of Manpower said: “2023 was Singapore’s fourth hottest year on record. For the rest of the world, it was the warmest year on record. Unfortunately, this is not the kind of record we can pat ourselves on the back and say ‘congratulations’ – it is something that should get all of us to worry. The effects of climate change and the impacts of it are very real. We must collectively take actions today to safeguard the well-being of our current and future generations. We have to set an inflection point. And if we don’t take these inflection points seriously, we will soon be past the tipping point.”
ComfortDelGro Managing Director / Group CEO, Mr. Cheng Siak Kian said: “ComfortDelGro is committed to creating a sustainable future not only through our business operations but also by nurturing young leaders and talent in the sustainability field. We believe that the CDG-EB Impact Sustainability Education Grant will empower our youths to champion sustainable development and drive change. We hope that the recipients of the grant will be able to embark on fulfilling careers and help chart a sustainable future for Singapore.”
Singapore-listed ComfortDelGro (CDG) is one of the world’s largest land transport companies with global operations spanning seven countries – Singapore, Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, China, Ireland and Malaysia. The group is one of the companies leading the sector’s decarbonisation in Asia. In 2021, CDG became the first mobility operator in Asia to commit to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and is among the few Singapore companies to be included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index Asia Pacific since 2019.
As a start, 10 youths — eight from Singapore and two from ASEAN countries — will be awarded a SGD5,000 grant at the start of their academic year. These beneficiaries will gain access to mentorship and leadership opportunities through EB Impact’s programmes and sustainability ecosystem, as well as potential internships where suitable.
Applications for the CDG-EB Impact Sustainability Education Grant officially opened on the night of the gala, with more details and link to the application form available on the website for youths who wish to apply.
Sustainability Leadership A List
The awards ceremony on Thursday commemorated 20 outstanding individuals who have made a measurable impact on society and the environment in 2023.
These included individuals working across a wide range of organisations, such as energy storage solution start-up deMITasse Energies, global real estate company Lendlease and the Quezon City local government in the Philippines. Prominent environmental activists, including an Indigenous grassroots leader, were also recognised for the impact they have demonstrated in the causes that they are fighting for.
The Sustainability Leadership A-List 2023 by Eco-Business drew over 100 nominations from Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore, as well as South Asia and Australia.
The nominees were assessed by two distinguished panel of judges representing leaders from business and civic society. After careful deliberation, 10 individuals from business, government and civil society sectors and 10 youths made it to the final Sustainability Leadership A-List.
The list celebrates individuals who are diverse in background and age, and serves as a testament that passionate young people have the power to make a tangible impact in sustainability in the region.
The event, which was attended by 200 guests in person and hundreds more virtually, commemorates the fifth edition of the annual Sustainability Leadership A-List presented by Eco-Business in partnership with Indonesian conglomerate RGE, Singapore-listed property firm CDL, and LinkedIn.
The charity dinner also marked the 15-year anniversary of Eco-Business and five years of EB Impact since its inception.
Jessica Cheam, Founder and Managing Director of Eco-Business, said: “We are delighted to commend the work and efforts of these talented individuals, who come from all walks of life and are a testament that age presents no boundaries when united for a common cause.”
Ng Wai Mun, Deputy Editor, Eco-Business added: “It is clearer than ever that our climate crisis will continue to adversely affect the lives and livelihoods of people worldwide, especially those from vulnerable communities, underlining the importance and impact of effective and persistent climate action. We hope that by celebrating the efforts of these individuals, that others will truly be inspired. We congratulate all the awardees who were recognised today, we thank all our partners and community for supporting this initiative.”
The Sustainability Leadership A-List judges included:
- Ramnath Iyer, Lead, Sustainable Finance Asia, IEEFA
- Su-Yen Wong, Board Director, Singapore Institute of Directors (SID)
- S Viswanathan, Professor of Operations and Corporate Sustainability, Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
- Tom Brzostowski, Singapore Country Director, The Nature Conservancy
The Sustainability Leadership Youth A-List judges included:
- Esther An, Chief sustainability officer, City Developments Limited (CDL)
- Lahiru Wijedasa, Asia Forest Coordinator, Birdlife International
- Madhumitha Ardhanari, Sustainability Strategist, Forum for the Future
- Tanah Sullivan, Group Head of Sustainability, GoTo
Here are the winners of the Eco-Business Sustainability Leadership A-List 2023: (see Appendix I for detailed citations)
- Aida Greenbury, Senior Sustainability Advisor, Independent Oil Palm Smallholders’ Union (SKPS) and Board Member, Farmers for Forest Protection Foundation, for supporting and speaking up for smallholder farmers’ welfare in Indonesia.
- Cate Harris, Group Head of Sustainability and Global Head of Lendlease Foundation, Lendlease, for pushing the real estate industry to tackle value chain emissions.
- Celine Lim, Managing Director, SAVE Rivers, for enduring in fight against timber logging in Sarawak, Malaysia.
- Cherrie Atilano, Founder, President and CEO, Agrea Agricultural Systems International, for pioneering economic models to lift farming communities out of poverty.
- Eric Lim, Chief Sustainability Officer, United Overseas Bank (UOB), for mapping transition finance pathways to support a sustainable Southeast Asia.
- Felix Ayque, Founder and CEO, Komunidad, for building climate resilience in typhoon-prone Philippines with technology.
- Joy Belmonte, Mayor, Quezon City, Philippines, for leading the charge to invigorate and green the Philippines’ most populous city.
- Krista Milne, Co-Chief Heat Officer and Climate Change and City Resilience Director, City of Melbourne, Australia, for instituting effective policies to help Australia beat the heat.
- Mahesh Nakarmi, Founding Chairman and Executive Director, Health Environment Climate Action Foundation (HECAF360), for redesigning healthcare waste management systems in Nepal.
- Vijay Prateik, CEO, deMITasse Energies, for harnessing technology for a new class of energy-storing power plants.
The winners of the Eco-Business Sustainability Leadership Youth A-List 2023 are: (see Appendix II for detailed citations)
- Antonio Flores, Founder and Executive Director, FarmLab Ecopraxis, for reimagining community-owned agriculture in the Philippines.
- Ho Xiang Tian, Co-founder, LepakInSG, for examining Singapore’s green policies to drive ambition and accountability.
- Jann Vinze Barcinal, Founder and Chairperson, Dulungan Youth, for championing youth environmental stewardship through hornbill conservation.
- Kong Man Jing, Co-founder, Just Keep Thinking, for making science education fun and accessible.
- Krishna Ariola, Lead Convenor, Youth for Climate Hope, for leading a local environmental movement to fight for ecological justice.
- Mihir Pershad, Founder and CEO, Umami Bioworks, for combatting unsustainable fishing with cell-cultivated seafood innovation.
- Natasha Zulaikha, Co-founder, Coralku, for advocating research-based coral conservation in Malaysia.
- Oh Chu Xian, Founder, Magorium, for giving new life to contaminated plastic waste with proprietary technology.
- Tamara Dewi Gondo Soerijo, CEO, Liberty Society, for helping refugee women rebuild their lives through fashion entrepreneurship.
- Yasser Amin, Chief Stridy Officer, Stridy, for tackling Singapore’s litter problem.
Lucita Jasmin, Director for Sustainability and External Affairs, APRIL Group said: “Congratulations to this year’s A-List Awards recipients. We commend these winners who exemplify that sustainability is about practical, collective action on the ground and delivering positive impact to our stakeholders, particularly the local communities. We applaud Eco-Business for recognising sustainability leaders who are balancing the objectives of business and the global ambitions for climate, nature and inclusive development.”
Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer, CDL and Youth A-List judge said: “2023 was the warmest year on record, with deadly extreme weather events occurring under global warming of about 1.1°C. With less than six years left to actualise the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the power of youths in the battle against the climate emergency cannot be understated. As a longstanding advocate of youth empowerment, CDL is thrilled to have supported the Eco-Business Youth A-List since its inauguration in 2020, and delighted to recognise youth leaders who are able to drive change towards a more sustainable future in the public, private and people sectors.”
Grace Kerrison, Head of LinkedIn Sales Solutions, Asia-Pacific said: “The best way to predict the future is to create it. LinkedIn is proud to partner with Eco-Business in celebrating the Eco-Business Sustainability Leadership A-List awards this year. Together, we’re honouring the trailblazers in Business Sustainability – the practitioners, entrepreneurs, and social innovators who are not only leading but also transforming companies and communities to make a meaningful difference in the Asia Pacific region. Their commitment to putting our planet and society first is not only inspiring, it’s the blueprint for a sustainable future. Congratulations to this year’s Sustainability A-List and Youth A-List nominees and winners.”
Sustainability Leadership A-List winner Joy Belmonte, Mayor of Quezon City: “What inspires me to keep pushing on is the people of our city. It is when you see that the people are receptive to what you believe in, that they are cooperative and see the point of why you’re doing something and work with you, and then you get inspired to continue the task – because you know that your efforts are not futile. When that realisation strikes you, that’s the greatest inspiration that you can ever have to just keep on moving. It’s the fact that you know your actions are impacting the community, the environment and the people that live in in your communities.”
Sustainability Leadership Youth A-List winner Kong Man Jing, Co-founder, Just Keep Thinking: “From the people who we manage to reach through our videos, to the families who enjoy our nature-guided programmes and workshops, to the children that come up to tell me how much they have learned about nature and how much they want to protect the planet – these moments are all very precious to me and inspire me to continue pushing forwards.”
Read more about the Sustainability Leadership A-List winners and the Sustainability Leadership Youth A-List winners in our special reports.
One-to-one interviews with Sustainability Leadership A-List winners, judges and partners are available upon request. For interviews and media queries, please contact:
Gabrielle See
Finance correspondent
