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[PRESS RELEASE]

20 November 2020, Singapore – EB Impact, the non-profit sister organisation of Eco-Business, has launched a new programme called ‘Sustainability Exchange’ in partnership with tech company Facebook. 

This inaugural programme is specially tailored for youths to work on solving problem statements under the guidance of seasoned professionals who work on a wide range of sustainability issues. 

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Youths today will play an increasingly critical role in shaping how organisations adapt to an uncertain world beset with urgent environmental and social problems, but they need the tools to navigate a business and policy landscape that has changed radically.  

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By 2030, the United Nations estimate that the number of youths, defined as persons aged 15 to 24 years, will have grown by 7 per cent to nearly 1.3 billion. 

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Around the world, the youth population is increasingly vocal in their demands for amore equitable, sustainable and resilient future. There is a need for greater human capital investment in youths today, to accelerate their understanding of the critical challenges ahead for humanity and to equip them with the skills to navigate this challenging landscape. 

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This three-month programme will help youths develop new capabilities in the area of sustainability and serves as a thought leadership platform for youths and mentors to exchange ideas and to drive sustainability innovation in Singapore. 

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The youths and mentors accepted in this programme will be matched according to their interests in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs, launched in 2015, serves as a blueprint to address the global challenges facing humanity – such as inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, excessive consumption and production  – and to achieve a sustainable and resilient future.

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The mentor–youth matching process facilitated by EB Impact will align the interests of participants and to allow them to develop new capabilities that will help to achieve the SDGs.

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The youth teams will work in tandem with their mentors on a project that could be applicable to their organisation, or more broadly applicable to Singapore’s climate context.

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Earlier this year, the Singapore government enhanced its Paris Agreement pledge, to peak emissions at 65 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030, halve emissions from its peak by 2050, with a view to achieving net zero emissions as soon as viable in the second half of the century. It also announced plans to phase out ICE vehicles and have all vehicles run on cleaner energy by 2040.

Sustainability Exchange offers a unique opportunity for the mentors and their respective organisations to tap on youth talent to solve some their organisational challenges and more importantly, to solve a broad range of Singapore’s climate and sustainability issues.

“We are excited to be launching this new programme to help drive sustainability innovation in Singapore and help the country and its organisations achieve its climate and sustainability targets. We look forward to helping the youths and mentors create solutions that will address the SDGs,” said Jessica Cheam, Board Member, EB Impact and chair of the Climate Action SG Alliance, a supporting organisation of the programme.

To mark the official launch of the programme, EB Impact hosted a virtual dialogue on 20 November where leaders in government, businesses and the youth community gathered to discuss the critical challenges faced by Singapore as it seeks to reach carbon neutrality by the second half of the century.  

The virtual dialogue provided valuable insights on how individuals and organisations can work together to achieve this target, and how our youths can play a part in driving sustainable impact through innovation.  

“Facebook has a strong commitment to partnering with others to develop innovative solutions for a more sustainable world. We are proud to partner with EB Impact and Climate Action SG Alliance to help youth in Singapore become involved in solving some of our toughest challenges,” said Gavin Chua, Head of Infrastructure Engagement in Asia for Facebook.

“Facebook has been a part of the Singapore community since 2010 through our offices and the construction of our first data centre in Asia, and we look forward to seeing the results of this programme,” Chua added.

Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, who was guest-of-honour at the event, observed that “as countries look to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, the pursuit of sustainability will present opportunities for economic recovery and growth. But more importantly, an environmentally sustainable approach has to be the new norm for all countries, in order to mitigate the long-term existential challenge of climate change.”

“As we continue this journey of sustainable development, there will be many new and exciting green job opportunities for our youths – for instance, in the agri-food industry, climate science and carbon services. While you will be among the groups affected by the impacts of climate change, you can also be a climate game-changer and make a positive difference to Singapore and the world. It is therefore important that you not only gain an understanding of the impacts of climate change and importance of sustainability, but also knowledge of the intricacies, considerations and trade-offs that are often required when incorporating sustainability in policy and business decisions. This will enable you to effectively lead the charge against climate change,” added Dr Khor.

Swati Mandloi, youth delegate, Singapore Youth for Climate Action, one of the speakers at the dialogue, said: “I believe that climate change mitigation and adaptation will require, most of all, intergenerational solidarity and engagement of stakeholders across different sectors. There are clear pathways towards building a strong economy through the integration of environmental protection and social inclusion; to achieve this youth have an important role to play as citizens, employees, investors and consumers."

Mentors and youths are invited to apply for ‘Sustainability Exchange’ from now till applications close on 11 December 2020, 2359h.

The applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. It is highly recommended that interested applicants get their application in as soon as possible. Successful applicants will be notified of the subsequent steps via their registered email.

To apply as a youth applicant, please click here.

To apply as a mentor, please click here.

-Ends- 

Note to Editors: 

All media coverage on the event should include a mention of Sustainability Exchange, an initiative by EB Impact, in partnership with Facebook and supported by Climate Action SG Alliance. 

View the full programme here. 

Full list of speakers 

• Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Republic of Singapore

• Gavin Chua, Head of Stakeholder Engagement, APAC, Facebook
• Sang Shin, Director of Digital Innovation, Temasek
• May Liew, Head of Sustainability and Open Innovation, SP Group
• Swati Mandloi, Youth Delegate, Singapore Youth for Climate Action
• Sheri Zuleika, Student, Singapore Management University
• Jessica Cheam, Board of Directors, EB Impact
• Robin Hicks, Deputy Editor, Eco-Business

For media inquiries and photos, please contact: 

Samantha Tan 

samantha.tan@ebimpact.org 

Partnerships Manager 

EB Impact  

The SDG Co, 2 Science Park Drive | 01-03, Ascent | Singapore 118222 

About EB Impact 

EB Impact is the non-profit arm of Eco-Business, 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 and our three strategic areas of focus are: Education, Youth, and Nature-based solutions. All our programmes are designed to directly generate positive environment and social impact for society.  

About Facebook 

Founded in 2004, Facebook's mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. People use Facebook's apps and technologies to connect with friends and family, find communities and grow businesses. Facebook is a trademark of Facebook, Inc.  

About Climate Action SG Alliance 

Climate Action SG Alliance comprises of a group of 17 NGOs and business leaders to advocate climate action and raise public awareness on climate issues.