10 youths crowned as ‘Nature’s Young Champions’ at inaugural 10 for Zero Awards; to receive mentorship from conservation experts

Ten youths have been chosen for the 10 for Zero Awards by Conservation International Singapore, with the ceremony being held in commemoration of World Environmental Day.

The 10 for Zero Awards is a new initiative that seeks to recognize, celebrate, and empower young environmentalists who are passionate about the natural world, sustainable development and climate action and presented in conjunction with the opening symposium of the ArtScience Museum’s latest exhibition, Sensory Odyssey.

The award is given to “capable and creative young individuals”, aged 18 to 35 years old who are passionate in striving towards a zero waste future and have demonstrated positive environmental impacts, social benefits, and strong leadership in their community circles.

Shortlisted nominees for the award were required to attend a video interview and prepare a five minute presentation. The final 20 candidates had to attend a face-to-face interview with the judging panel.

Winners were carefully selected from nation-wide applications and nominations by a panel of subject experts, for the social benefit of their work, environmental impact, and community influence towards a future of zero waste, net zero carbon emissions and a healthy natural world.

The awarded youths will get to join an exclusive youth network that offers mentorship and coaching from global conservation experts, and opportunities to participate in local and international environmental proposals, value-adding workshops, field research, and overseas climate summits. 

The ten winners are:

Heng Li Seng: Founder and CEO of Green Nudge, a Singapore-based social enterprise dedicated to promoting sustainability and driving positive environmental impact. His focus lies in building thriving green communities through activities, outreach, training, and consultancy.

Kong Man Jing: The co-founder of “Just Keep Thinking,” a Science and Nature channel with over 450,000 followers across all platforms. She has invaluable knowledge and insights of different sectors, having worked in both public and private environmental organisations.

Muhd Nasry: An environmental sciences student at Nanyang Technological University, Nasry also serves as the Executive Director of Singapore Youth Voices for Biodiversity (SYVB). He focuses on building up youths to push for systemic change and engaging in consultations with government stakeholders on land-use planning and wildlife issues.

Ng Lee Kiang: A marine educator with over 10 years of experience. She co-founded Young Nautilus, an environmental education organisation that develops and delivers nature-themed programmes to inspire an appreciation for the natural world and to foster a sense of responsibility for conservation.

Oh Chu Xian: Founded Magorium, a business that molecularly transforms contaminated and unsorted plastic waste into a novel material used to build roads. She also founded M-Impact, which focuses on youth environmental literacy programmes to help younger generations engage with sustainability issues more holistically.

Pamela Low: Founder of Tingkats, she partners with businesses to identify new opportunities and create strategies for sustainable development. She is also a Young Southeast Asia Leaders Initiative fellow, a network of entrepreneurial youths from 11 Southeast Asia countries to alleviate poverty, economic growth and sustainable development.

Sam Shu Qin: A marine biologist who studies and protects coral reef ecosystems in urbanised marine environments and co-founder of Our Singapore Reefs (OSR). She has conducted numerous regional sharing sessions and organised clean-up activities.

Samantha Thian: Founder of Seastainable, a business that supports marine conservation in Singapore and around Southeast Asia. She is also part of the Climate Action Singapore Alliance and the Public Hygiene Council’s Youth Action Group and developed the Stridy app for clean-ups 

Terese Teoh: President of Singapore Youth for Climate Action and an aspiring environmental lawyer. She enjoys using her studies in law to create spaces for climate justice and a regional just transition.

Yasser Amin: Chief Stridy Officer at Stridy, a non-profit organisation addressing urban waste management issues worldwide. Yasser is involved in various sustainability activities, including organising community events, advocating for cleaner environments, and connecting individuals and organisations in the green space.