17th EcoFriend Awards - Ms Grace Fu

1. Good evening. It is my pleasure to join you at the 17^th EcoFriend Awards Ceremony. I am encouraged to see many new faces alongside past EcoFriend Awards recipients here today.

2. The EcoFriend Awards was introduced by NEA in 2007 to recognise the achievements of individuals who have contributed significantly to Singapore’s sustainability journey.

3. Awards recipients come from all walks of life, from students to community volunteers and corporate leaders. They exemplify the spirit of environmental stewardship, and what it means to contribute to building a shared, sustainable future for all.

4. This year, NEA received a total of 510 nominations across seven categories, with nominations exceeding 500 for the first time in more than a decade. This points to a sustained and growing interest in environmental sustainability, from private and public sectors to non-government organisations, grassroots volunteers, educational institutions, as well as youths and students.

5. Beyond the awards ceremony itself, the biennial EcoFriend Awards has become one of NEA’s flagship events for a growing network of environmental champions to come together, exchange ideas, and partner one another to amplify our collective impact. We welcome this year’s award recipients and other like-minded partners in joining this community to co-create a cleaner and greener Singapore.

17^th EcoFriend Awards Recipients

6. Today, we recognise 14 exceptional individuals who have embodied what green citizenry looks like in action. Their initiatives have strengthened community networks, encouraged resourcefulness, and galvanised action to keep our shared spaces clean, green, and resilient.

7. One of the recipients today is Mr Low Swee Seh. Mr Low is the CEO of Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu-Chi Foundation (Singapore), a non-government organisation which is dedicated to serving the underprivileged.

   1. Under Mr Low’s leadership, the Foundation started Tzu Chi Environmental Sustainability Day in 1999, which has been held annually ever since. This initiative spans 39 neighbourhoods across Singapore and is supported by Residents’ Committees to educate thousands of residents and volunteers on recycling.

   2. To date, more than 10 million kilograms of recyclables have been diverted from the Semakau Landfill through this initiative.

8. Another award recipient is Mr Arunraj S/O Chidambaram, Chairman of Zhenghua Youth Network.

   1. Since 2022, Arunraj has led weekly food rescue efforts across the Zhenghua precinct, saving 100 to 200 kilograms of surplus produce each week and resourcefully redistributing it to residents.

   2. Arunraj is also the chief organiser of Clean Up Zhenghua, a community-based litter picking programme launched in 2022. This initiative rallies youths, students, and volunteers to improve the cleanliness of shared spaces while fostering civic responsibility.

9. Another award recipient is Ms Rebecca Tan Tze Shuen, former President of the Republic Polytechnic Conservation Interest Group.

   1. While she was President, Rebecca organised a campus-wide clothes collection and redistribution drive, collecting a total of 3,732 clothing items of which 2,956 were redistributed to underprivileged communities and 776 redirected to upcycling projects.

   2. Her initiatives diverted an estimated 1,866 kilogrammes of textile waste from landfill while delivering significant savings in water use and carbon emissions.

10. Our youngest award recipient this year is 13-year-old Mr Boston Pek, proving that environmental stewardship can begin at a young age and that anyone can make a difference.

    1. As a former student and CCA Leader of Westwood Primary School’s Environmental Sciences Society, Boston saw how his school’s cleaners faced difficulties in keeping classrooms clean. Together with like-minded schoolmates, they designed a robot vacuum cleaner made from upcycled materials. The project went on to earn the Best Prototype Award at the school’s Design Thinking Competition.

    2. Boston was also instrumental in the school’s annual collection and distribution drive of used textbooks, storybooks and uniforms. As the project leader, he worked closely with student volunteers and the Parent Support Group to establish clear workflows for collection, sorting, and distribution, cultivating sustainable habits across the school community.

11. My heartiest congratulations to Mr Low, Anunraj, Rebecca and Boston, and all our award recipients this year for your outstanding contributions in building a sustainable and climate-resilient Singapore!

Appreciation to Professor Emeritus Leo Tan

12. Finally, I would also like to pay special tribute to Professor Emeritus Leo Tan, who will be stepping down as Chairman of the EcoFriend Awards’ Evaluation Panel after this edition.

13. Prof Tan is widely respected as an outstanding science educator and a passionate advocate for the environment. Over the course of his distinguished career, he has played a pivotal role in advancing nature conservation and environmental awareness in Singapore, and was awarded the President’s Award for the Environment in 2007, the highest accolade for individuals who have made outstanding contributions towards environmental sustainability in Singapore.

14. Since the inception of the EcoFriend Awards in 2007, Prof Leo has chaired the Evaluation Panel with wisdom, dedication and unwavering commitment. For close to 20 years, his guidance has helped shape the Awards and ensure that individuals making a meaningful difference to Singapore’s sustainability journey receive the recognition they deserve.  My colleagues and I are grateful for his dedicated service and contributions on the Panel, and we wish him well as he embarks on new endeavours.

Year of Climate Adaptation

15. The contributions of our EcoFriend Awards recipients and growing network of environmental champions go far beyond keeping Singapore clean and green. Through your efforts, you are bringing people together, strengthening communities, and helping to build a Singapore that is more resilient and better prepared for the challenges of a changing climate.

16. Earlier this year, MSE designated 2026 as the Year of Climate Adaptation. We are engaging a wide range of stakeholders to develop Singapore’s first National Adaptation Plan (NAP) – a long-term living strategy to protect Singapore and Singaporeans from the impacts of climate change. As a highly urbanised and densely populated city-state, Singapore is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change – from hotter temperatures to more intense rainfall and sea level rise. Preparing for these challenges will require not only infrastructure and technology, but also strong community partnerships and collective action.

17. This is why the perspectives and experiences of communities such as our EcoFriend Awards recipients and partners are so valuable. Many of you have brought people together, inspired behavioural change, and mobilised action within your neighbourhoods, schools, workplaces, and organisations. As we step up our engagements through our National Adaptation Conversations, I invite you to join us and share your views on how we can collectively strengthen our climate resilience. You can share your thoughts with us at go.gov.sg/NAPfeedback, and I encourage you to invite your friends and families to share with us too.

Conclusion

18. Our award recipients exemplify the power of individuals to create positive change. Change begins with each one of us, and I hope that your efforts will inspire more Singaporeans to step forward to be an EcoFriend in their own ways.

19. Thank you.