Teacher for special needs students, young social entrepreneur, and senior director who champions sustainability and waste reduction among EcoFriend Awards recipients this year.

Singapore, 13 September 2024 – In honour of their dedication to protect, promote, and improve our environment, 13 individuals received the EcoFriend Award from the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, Ms Grace Fu, at a ceremony today organised by the National Environment Agency (NEA).

2          The EcoFriend Awards was launched in 2007 and stand as one of NEA’s flagship recognition platforms. The Awards celebrate the efforts and achievements of outstanding individuals, who have made significant contributions to Singapore’s sustainability journey. 472 individuals were nominated [1] for the EcoFriend Awards this year, which marks a 34 per cent increase from the last edition in 2022. In total, 159 environmental champions have been recognised since the inaugural EcoFriend Awards.

Recipients harness creativity and determination for the environment

3          EcoFriend Award recipients are recognised for their selflessness and leadership in initiating environmental efforts and outreach, which comprehensively benefit the environment and the community. Please refer to the full list of 16^th EcoFriend Awards recipients in Annex A. Some of the recipients this year are:

• Fiona Goh is the Science Coordinator and Environmental Club teacher-in-charge at APSN Chaoyang School. She empowers her special needs students to participate in many environmental initiatives involving partners from both the private and public sectors. Their efforts have achieved a notable reduction in electricity and water consumption, a 50 per cent decrease in food waste and 20 per cent increase in recycling by students, staff and their families. Since 2017, she and her students have been collecting 25kg of e-waste and 26kg of school supplies for recycling or reusing annually, and have donated 150 toys to social charities. Looking forward, she is planning the use of solar panels, recyclable and reusable materials, eco-furniture, and hydroponic plants in APSN Chaoyang’s new campus that is projected to be ready in 2025.
  
• Fashion student Nuryanee Anisah is the Co-Founder and CEO of Commenhers LLP, which upcycles textile waste into retail-ready or corporate gifts. 87 creative makers are employed in three co-sewing spaces located at Toa Payoh, Yuhua, and Jurong East. Nuryanee’s team has upcycled over 2,000kg of textile waste, and projects to triple this number this year through secured collaborations. She has secured partnerships with major brands such as Decathlon and brought awareness to over 5,000 individuals on the importance of upcycling and sustainable fashion.
  
• Dr Lim See Yew started and led the School Sustainability Committee in ITE College Central since 2016. He introduced food waste reduction projects and the creation of self-sustaining edible gardens. Dr Lim also implemented the Smart Manufacturing Hub which imparted skills and knowledge on minimising manufacturing waste.

EcoFriend Awards alumni pay it forward  

4          Previous recipients of the EcoFriend Awards have continued paying it forward by mentoring the next generation to do their part for their environment. For instance, Mr Veerappan Swaminathan, Ms Pek Hai Lin, Ms Samantha Thian, and Mr Loo Deliang, who received the Awards in 2016, 2019 and 2022 respectively, are currently Youth for Environmental Sustainability (YES) Advisors in NEA’s  YES Leaders Programme.

5          Meanwhile, 2022 EcoFriend Awards recipient, Mr Preston Wong, the Co-Founder and CEO of social enterprise, treatsure, has saved an estimated 60 tonnes of food from waste since the treatsure app’s release in 2017. He was also appointed a co-lead of the governmental sustainability youth panel #GreenHacks, to provide sustainability recommendations for the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, and assisted the Singapore Management University to develop a sustainability law course for its new Master of Sustainability programme.

6          2018 EcoFriend Awards recipient, Ms Esther An, published the first sustainability report in Singapore in 2008 and issued the first green bond by a Singapore company in 2017. She was named in the inaugural TIME100 Climate Leaders in Business 2023 list, and led City Developments Limited to become the first company in Singapore to adopt the global Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures framework in 2024.

7          After receiving the EcoFriend Award in 2007, Mr Kwong Kok Chan has conducted STEM Learning Journeys to the PacificLight power plant, mentored environmental projects in schools, organised community initiatives in celebration of World Water Day, and served as a panel judge for competitions like Fuhua Primary’s photography contest, Shell NXplorers, and Crea8 Sustainability competitions.

8          NEA thanks everyone who contributes selflessly to sustain a Clean and Green Singapore. This year’s EcoFriend Award recipients inspire all to protect our environment through green practices, and championing a sustainable way of life.