Singapore, 6 November 2024 – Eight Singaporean and two Asean youths were awarded the inaugural ComfortDelGro-EB Impact Sustainability Education Grant at an awards ceremony hosted yesterday.
In addition, three youth groups – with innovations focused on addressing plastic and food waste issues, as well as a match-making platform for non-profits to corporates – also won S$50,000 in funding from OCBC at the grand finale of Sustainability Exchange, EB Impact’s youth innovation programme.
Both events were held at an event titled ‘Generation Impact’ by EB Impact celebrating youth leadership in sustainability, which convened close to 100 business leaders, policymakers, civil society and youths across a wide spectrum of society at Catapult, 1 Rochester Commons yesterday.
Baey Yam Keng, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and Ministry of Transport, graced the event as the Guest of Honour. He commended the Sustainability Exchange finalists for their innovative ideas as well as the ten pioneer beneficiaries of the grant, encouraging “young leaders and sustainability champions” to “continue working on your ideas, to build a green a liveable, and a climate resilient Singapore together”.
Generation Impact was held in the run up to the United Nations global climate change negotiations (COP29) taking place in Azerbaijan next week, where countries are expected to update their climate change commitments under the Paris Agreement.
The UN’s top climate science body warns that current climate policies are insufficient, potentially leading to global warming exceeding 3 degrees Celsius, far surpassing the agreed-upon limit a decade ago. Countries will need to implement bolder climate policies and action plans, it said.
Jessica Cheam, Founder and Board Chair of EB Impact, emphasized the importance of youth leadership in driving sustainable development outcomes and climate action. “The latest UN report on climate change paints a sobering picture. Amid this backdrop, there is a clear and urgent need to scale climate action across all segments of society. Our programmes are focused on inspiring the younger generation and empowering them to take leadership, equipping them with the tools, resources and aspirations to effect positive change in their communities.”
“We are also grateful for this partnership with ComfortDelGro, which has enabled us to launch an education grant that’s a first in the region, which provides financial assistance to deserving students who pursue a sustainable development-related tertiary education course and provide them with mentorship and leadership development opportunities,” Cheam added.
Group photo of the inaugural batch of the ComfortDelGro-EB Impact Sustainability Education Grant beneficiaries (bottom row) with Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and Ministry of Transport, Baey Yam Keng, ComfortDelGro Board Chair, Mark Greaves, EB Impact Board Chair, Jessica Cheam and members of the ComfortDelGro management team (second row).
Group photo of the Sustainability Exchange Season Four cohort of youth participants and mentors, including the Grand Champion – Smoodee and first and second runners-up, Kloss and EcoCupid respectively (bottom rows), with the judges of the grand finale, Gavin Chua, Head of Stakeholder Engagement, APAC, Meta, Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer, City Developments Limited, Jessica Cheam, Board Chair, EB Impact, Phua Mei Pin, Trust Secretary, SG Eco Fund and Lay San Ng, Managing Director, Group Sustainability, OCBC (third row).
EB Impact earlier this year also launched a new ‘Youth Innovation Hub’ with real estate developer City Developments (CDL) which has provided a new home for EB Impact’s programmes and serves as a dedicated hub for youth innovation, offering resources and opportunities to EB Impact’s youth beneficiaries and a wider network of partners.
Generation Impact unveiled the inaugural beneficiaries ComfortDelGro-EB Impact Sustainability Education Grant. The first-of-its-kind grant provides a total of S$50,000 in financial support to 10 Asean youths in need of financial assistance who are pursuing tertiary education in sustainability and sustainable development, coupled with mentorship and capacity building opportunities, as well as access to valuable professional networks.
ComfortDelGro Chairman, Mr. Mark Greaves said: “As a leading global transport operator, we are committed to creating accessible and sustainable transport systems that connect communities and enhance quality of life. We believe one way to achieve that is by supporting the development of future industry leaders through education. Uplifting a new generation, whose goal is to create meaningful impact for people and the planet, is aligned with our drive towards creating a sustainable mobility future. We look forward to seeing the achievements of the grant recipients as they continue their journey.”
Hailing from diverse backgrounds and countries, the pioneer batch of beneficiaries demonstrate exceptional commitment to sustainable development through self-initiated projects, academic excellence, and community involvement despite many of them coming from financially challenging backgrounds.
One such beneficiary is Ng Kao Jing, who co-founded the social enterprise Jalan Journey, which uses gamified virtual experiences to shed light on issues faced by marginalised communities. He is also actively engaged in ocean conservation, serving as a research assistant at the National University of Singapore and was recently selected for the prestigious OceanX Education Young Explorers Programme (YEP). As a representative of the cohort, he presented a keynote address where he shared “this grant opens doors to invaluable resources and opportunities for my fellow grantees and myself”
Sustainability Exchange
Generation Impact also featured the finale event of Sustainability Exchange Season Four, providing a platform for youths to pitch their ideas to a panel of sustainability experts.
This pioneering youth-professional mentorship programme, established in 2019, provides young individuals with the opportunity to work on practical sustainability projects that directly address Singapore’s Green Plan.
To date, the programme has benefitted over 130 young people, engaged 50 experienced mentors, and facilitated the development of 10 innovative solutions that have received seed funding. Meta, OCBC, City Developments Limited, and the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment’s SG Eco Fund are the programme’s key partners.
This year, five shortlisted teams competed for a total of $50,000 in seed funding to bring their innovative sustainability solutions to life. The first prize of $25,000 was awarded to Smoodee, an instant, blender-free smoothie mix made from waste-bound or blemished fruits and vegetables; the second prize of $15,000 was awarded to Kloss, a reusable bamboo charcoal dental floss product that replaces plastic waste; and the third prize of $10,000 was awarded to EcoCupid, a matchmaking platform for non-profits and corporates, with a digital media capability. With nearly 50 participants this year, Sustainability Exchange Season Four has fostered a vibrant community of green innovation. To equip the participating teams with the necessary skills, six capacity-building workshops covering essential topics such as design thinking, impact measurement, grant writing and pitching.
The finale of Sustainability Exchange was judged by a distinguished panel of sustainability experts, including:
- Gavin Chua, Head of Stakeholder Engagement, APAC, Meta
- Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer, City Developments Limited
- Jessica Cheam, Board Chair, EB Impact
- Phua Mei Pin, Trust Secretary, SG Eco Fund
- Lay San Ng, Managing Director, Group Sustainability, OCBC
“The #OCBCCares Environment Fund, created in 2017, is about seeding ground-up green ideas,” said Ms Koh Ching Ching, Head of Group Brand & Communications, OCBC. “Good ideas with the right amount of funding will come to fruition and scale-up to benefit the wider community. It is exciting to have these young people come together to innovate not only in climate actions, but also find ways to commercialise them. We look forward to the winning ideas being brought to real-world usage.”
Ms Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer, City Developments Limited (CDL), shared, “At CDL, we believe empowering youth with the knowledge and resources to tackle sustainability challenges is key to building a resilient, low-carbon future. Through our flagship programs like the CDL E-Generation Challenge, Youth4Climate, and our partnership with EB Impact for Incubator4SDGs at Republic Plaza and the Sustainability Exchange, CDL demonstrates its commitment to supporting young changemakers in climate action, environmental stewardship, and sustainable innovation. These initiatives align closely with SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) and celebrate the next generation of sustainability leaders and our shared vision for a greener, more sustainable world.”
“As we conclude Generation Impact, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our partners—Meta, ComfortDelGro, OCBC, City Developments Limited, and the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment—for their invaluable support in empowering a new generation of sustainability leaders to drive positive change. EB Impact looks forward to continuing these impactful partnerships and working together to create a more sustainable future.”, shared Gerald Wong, Executive Director, EB Impact.
For more details on the ten beneficiaries, please refer to Appendix A.
View event photos here.
For media inquiries, interviews and photos, please contact:
Kaamela Barvin
Communications and Partnerships Manager
EB Impact
(+65) 9666 0064
1 Rochester Park, #03-01, Rochester Commons, Singapore 139212
About EB Impact
EB Impact is a Singapore-registered charity, focused on delivering training and programmes to Asia Pacific’s underserved communities with a focus on youth to generate positive sustainable development impact. We are headquartered in Singapore with a strategic focus on Education and Youth. All our programmes are designed to directly generate positive environment and social impact for society.
About ComfortDelGro
ComfortDelGro is a leading multi-modal transport operator offering a comprehensive suite of transportation solutions. Our extensive network spans public transport including buses and rail, point-to-point transport with taxis and private hire cars as well as business-to-business mobility solutions. Every day, millions rely on our services across 12 countries including; Singapore, Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), New Zealand, China, Ireland, France, Malaysia, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and the Netherlands.
We play an important role in steering the transition towards a low-carbon economy, with nearly half our fleet consisting of cleaner energy vehicles. ComfortDelGro has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices Asia Pacific (DJSI Asia Pacific) since 2019, the only Singaporean transport company in the index.
About Meta
Founded in 2004, Meta’s mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. Meta is now moving beyond 2D screens, exploring immersive experiences, like augmented, virtual and mixed reality to help build the next evolution in social technology.
About OCBC
OCBC is the longest established Singapore bank, formed in 1932 from the merger of three local banks, the oldest of which was founded in 1912. It is now the second largest financial services group in Southeast Asia by assets and one of the world’s most highly rated banks, with an Aa1 rating from Moody’s. Recognised for its financial strength and stability, OCBC is consistently ranked among the World’s Top 50 Safest Banks by Global Finance and has been named Best Managed Bank in Singapore and the Asia Pacific by The Asian Banker.
OCBC and its subsidiaries offer a broad array of commercial banking, specialist financial and wealth management services, ranging from consumer, corporate, investment, private and transaction banking to treasury, insurance, asset management and stockbroking services.
OCBC’s key markets are Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Greater China. It has over 610 branches and representative offices in 18 countries and regions. These include the more than 330 branches and offices in Indonesia under subsidiary Bank OCBC NISP, and 100 branches and offices in Hong Kong, China and Macau under OCBC Wing Hang.
OCBC’s private banking services are provided by its wholly owned subsidiary Bank of Singapore, which operates on a unique open-architecture product platform to source for the best-in-class products to meet its clients’ goals.
OCBC’s insurance subsidiary, Great Eastern Holdings, is the oldest and most established life insurance group in Singapore and Malaysia. Its asset management subsidiary, Lion Global Investors, is one of the largest private sector asset management companies in Southeast Asia.
About City Developments Limited
City Developments Limited (CDL) is a leading global real estate company with a network spanning 163 locations in 29 countries and regions. CDL’s aim is to be recognised by customers, employees, and peers as an innovative creator of quality and sustainable spaces. CDL values innovation, collaboration, and integrity.
Publish your content with EB Publishing
It's about who you reach. Get your news, events, jobs and thought leadership seen by those who matter to you.
