Singapore, 16 December 2021 – From mobilising community members in the Philippines to planting a million trees, to launching solar-powered innovations in India, to scaling up lab-grown seafood in the region, those driving positive impact across the Asia Pacific region were recognised and celebrated at the third edition of the Eco-Business A List today.
The Eco-Business A-List and A-List Youth 2021 – the annual who’s who list of influential sustainability leaders in Asia Pacific – were unveiled today at a virtual awards ceremony that recognised 19 outstanding individuals who have achieved measurable impact for society and the environment in the last 12 months.
These included individuals working across a wide range of organisations, from tech giant GoTo to venture capital firm Circulate Capital, alternative protein company Shiok Meats, mobility firm Gogoro and activists from indigenous communities.
Never has the work of sustainability leaders been more crucial than at a time when Covid-19 has threatened to roll back years of sustainable development progress. This year’s A-Listers were recognised for specific initiatives in their organisations and communities that they have championed despite the difficult economic environment.
The 2021 Eco-Business A-List and A-List Youth drew more than 100 nominations from a wider geography this year, including from Nepal, Japan, India, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
For the first time, this year’s A-List also went beyond business to recognise government and civil society leaders – those in the frontlines of delivering the much-needed action to address societal and climate related challenges.
The nominees were assessed by two distinguished panel of judges from across society. After careful deliberation, nine individuals from the business, government, and civil society sectors and 10 youths made it to the final A-List.
Commenting on the Eco-Business A List 2021, Jessica Cheam, founder and managing director of Eco-Business said: “Huge congratulations to this year’s A Listers who represent the best of what we can all do as individuals if we are committed and passionate about effecting change. These individuals have prevailed amid a tumultuous year to deliver significant initiatives that have contributed to solving societal and environmental problems. Thank you to all our judges too who gave their time to assess all the nominees from across the region.”
The A List judges included:
• Pamela Mar, Executive VP, Fung Academy
• Jessica Robinson, Founder, Moxie Future
• Steve Melhuish, Vice Chairman and Co-founder, PropertyGuru
• Amelie Tan, Regional Lead, Commit to Action, CDP
• Professor Seeram Ramakrishnan, Director Circular Economy Taskforce, NUS
And judges of the A List Youth included:
• Shaheen Chughtai, Regional Advocacy & Campaigns Director Asia, Save the Children
• Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer, CDL
• Victoria Alonsoperez, Founder and CEO, Chipsafer
• Benjamin Moody, Co-Founder, Seven Clean Seas
• Qyira Yusri, Education Director of Undi18
The winners of the Eco-Business A-List 2021 are:
1. Armelle Bihan, Founder and CEO, Green Building Consulting & Engineering
2. Emilyn Arboleda-Depon, Acting Capiz Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (CaPENRO), Provincial Government of Capiz
3. Georgekutty Kariyanappally, Founder and Managing Director, Lifeway Solar Devices
4. Horace Luke, Chairman & CEO, Gogoro
5. Rob Kaplan, Founder and CEO, Circulate Capital
6. Sandhya Sriram, Group CEO & Co-founder, Shiok Meats
7. Shaq Koyok, Contemporary Artist and Indigenous Activist
8. Sonika Manandhar, Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer, Aloi
9. Tanah Sullivan, Group Head of Sustainability, GoTo
The winners of the Eco-Business Youth A-List 2021 are:
1. Cheryl Cadeline Lee, Community Engagement Manager, Up2degrees
2. Han Jing Toh, Sustainability Educator and Regenerative Farmer, Little Green Chef
3. Lester Mendoza, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Farm Box
4. Katrina Lee, CEO and Co-founder, Savour!
5. Mark Jacinto, curator, Online SDG Youth Action Forum
6. Qiyun Woo, sustainability consultant and climate change communicator, @theweirdandwild
7. Robert Luo, co-founder and CEO, Mi Terro
8. Samantha Kong, environmental educator and civil engineer, ARUP
9. Swati Mandloi, assistant market transformation manager, World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature - Singapore
10. Tanya Francesca Granados, Founder, Mission Isla
Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer, CDL and Youth A-List judge said: “CDL is extremely excited to spotlight and celebrate the work of these exceptional sustainability leaders with our partners and thought leaders today. For over two decades, we stand firm in our belief that nurturing eco-champions is one of the key ways to build a force for change. As we push forth in this decade of decisive action, youth engagement and empowerment are critical in accelerating the climate action and paving the way towards a more sustainable future for all.”
Shaheen Chughtai, Regional Advocacy & Campaigns Director Asia, Save the Children and youth A-List judge said: “I know that the Youth A List winners are in many ways just the glittering tip of a much bigger iceberg of talented young people that champion the cause of a safe and sustainable future for us all. They can’t all be with us here today, but let’s remember that the hopes and future of the whole planet rests on the shoulders of such youth.”
Tanah Sullivan, Group Head of Sustainability, GoTo and A-List 2021 awardee: “[The pandemic] has put sustainability at an even more critical light in our company, from the way that we now support our drivers to make sure that they are empowered and have all the right information and resources at hand to be able to support what they do. We are investing in that to make sure they are resilient so that they are not one more disruption away from falling below the poverty line.”
Cherly Lee, Youth A-List winner said about her hopes for the future: “A quote that I carry through in a lot of the works that I do is a Hawaiian proverb called: “E mālama i ka ʻāina a na ka ʻāina e mālama iā ʻoe”. It means take care of the land and the land will take care of you. I hope this simple messaging could be more prominent in the different decisions that we make more consciously.”
This ceremony – which featured a video of the winners, their portraits, and live interviews - commemorates the third edition of the annual A-List presented by Eco-Business, Asia Pacific’s leading media and business intelligence organisation dedicated to sustainable development, in partnership with Singapore-listed City Developments Limited.
One-to-one interviews with A-List recipients and judges are available upon request. For interviews and media queries, please contact: monique.armstrong@eco-business.com
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