Opening Address at the 16th EcoFriend Awards - Ms Grace Fu

OPENING ADDRESS BY MS GRACE FU, MINISTER FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, AT THE 16TH ECOFRIEND AWARDS ON 13 SEPTEMBER 2024

Professor Leo Tan, Chairman of the 16^th EcoFriend Awards Evaluation Panel,

Members of the Panel,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

1 Good evening. My pleasure to join you at the 16^th EcoFriend Awards Ceremony. I am encouraged to see many new faces today. This is a reflection of the growing number of environment champions stepping up to support the sustainability cause.

2 The EcoFriend Awards was introduced by the National Environment Agency (NEA) in 2007 to recognise the efforts and achievements of individuals who have contributed significantly to Singapore’s sustainability journey.

3 EcoFriend Award recipients come from all walks of life, from students to community volunteers and corporate leaders. They are committed to protecting and improving our environment, and serve as role models to encourage others to do their part. They exemplify the belief that no action is too small, and that our collective efforts can make a positive difference.

4 This year, NEA received a total of 472 nominations for individuals across the five categories in the EcoFriend Awards. The five categories are: Private Sector, Public Sector, Non-Governmental Organisations and Grassroots Volunteers, Educational Institutions, and Youth and Students. Impressively, the number of nominations received this year was 30% more than the previous EcoFriend Awards in 2022.

Year of Public Hygiene

5 You may be aware that MSE has designated 2024 as the Year of Public Hygiene. This move emphasises the importance of collective responsibility in maintaining a clean, safe and liveable environment for everyone. Our sustainability journey of going green and keeping clean goes hand in hand.

6 It is thus very encouraging to learn that some of the projects by this year’s EcoFriend Award recipients help to raise awareness on the importance of upkeeping good public hygiene practices. Some examples include a partnership with MSE for Go Green SG and on community-based clean-up initiatives to keep our public areas, beaches and waterways clean. Indeed, through our collective efforts, we would be able to raise the standards of public cleanliness and hygiene across our environment.

16^th EcoFriend Awards

7 The 13 recipients today are outstanding testaments of how individuals can lead by example to galvanise action on the ground. Coming from diverse backgrounds, they have demonstrated exemplary leadership and commitment towards environmental stewardship, and created sustained and positive impact within their communities. A big congratulations on your achievements.

8 One of the recipients is Mr Daniel Yap. Daniel is the founder of Fridge Restock Community SG. It is a grassroots initiative dedicated to rescuing what some might call 'ugly' vegetables and fruits, and then restocking community fridges around Singapore. Daniel has been at the forefront of this movement since 2018, leading a team of 50 volunteers in rescuing food from wholesalers and redistributing it to community fridges twice a week. Under his leadership, Fridge Restock Community has established 13 community fridges, 16 distribution points and supports more than 4,000 families monthly. To date, they have collected over 644 tonnes of food for redistribution.

9 In addition to food rescue efforts, Daniel engages students and corporate volunteers to participate in events that promote the reduction of food waste. His dedication is commendable. Congratulations to Daniel!

10 Another award recipient is Ms Nuryanee Anisah. Yanee is the Co-Founder and CEO of Commenhers. It is a social enterprise focused on upcycling fabric waste into new products. Commenhers employs over 87 seamstresses from vulnerable backgrounds including housewives, single mothers and the elderly. The social enterprise has upcycled over 1,500kg of textile waste and reached out to over 5,000 individuals on the importance of sustainable fashion.

11 Yanee finds time outside of her full-time undergraduate studies to run workshops and incubators to drive innovation and sustainability in the fashion industry. She also oversees marketing efforts for her company and develops partnerships with other eco-conscious organisations. Yanee’s efforts have paid off – Commenhers is collaborating with Decathlon to upcycle their used kayaks, air-mattresses and tents into new items including tote bags, shoe bags and duffle bags. Congratulations to Yanee, these are wonderful efforts.

12 Let me also commend all our other award recipients this year for your outstanding contributions to keep Singapore Clean and Green!

Conclusion

13 The recipients today have demonstrated that individuals can galvanise the community, create lasting positive impact, and play an important role in building a more environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient Singapore.

14 Congratulations again to all the award recipients tonight. Change begins with each and every one of us, and I hope that your efforts will inspire even more Singaporeans to step forward to be an EcoFriend.

15 Thank you.