A young advocate making waves in Singapore’s environmental scene

At just 22 years old, Terese Teoh has made her mark on the local and global environmental landscape.

In addition to serving as President of Singapore Youth for Climate Action (SYCA), she was also the youngest candidate to be honored with the 10 for Zero Award, presented to 10 youth activists for their continued commitment to forging a future without waste and carbon emissions. .

But Terese’s achievements extend beyond the national stage. Last year, she was among a select group of seven Singaporean youth who attended the United Nations (UN) COP27 climate conference in Egypt, where world leaders come together to tackle pressing climate challenges.

Yet environmental activism was not always her preferred path.

Like many young Singaporeans, she aspired to become a doctor from the age of nine. So when she finally chose to study environmental and political science at Nanyang Technological University, her parents were amazed.

She talks about her experiences in high schoold: “How or why do we learn in class that excessive use of plastic is bad, but when I go to the cafeteria I am simply socialized to use it?”

Driven by this internal conflict, she started a plan to introduce an eco-digester at her high school to combat food waste. However, the demands of her O levels forced her to put the project on hold.

“I was dissatisfied that I didn’t realize it, and I just asked myself questions. I have all these good results, but what does this mean for me in the long run? I didn’t want to spend my JC life like this,” she explained.

Determined to make an impact, she started volunteering at Plastic-Lite Singapore at the age of 18. It was also during this time that she and two friends organized a one-day event to teach older residents about the importance of reducing plastic waste.

But the world of environmental work often produces intangible results. Despite her growing commitment to these issues, Terese experienced periods of doubt and disconnection.

“I felt quite lonely because no matter how much my friends could relate, they didn’t have the same feelings. But how can I just not care and be so indifferent to it? she said, adding that she drifted in and out of environmental work for a year.

Searching for a deeper purpose, she came to realize that many environmental problems often led to social inequalities, making it critical to address these inequalities to achieve environmental justice.

“That shift in perspective gave me more clarity, because it is not just for the environment, but for everyone, for the people who live here and now,” she said, pointing to the plight of migrant workers who bear the brunt of climate change. Rising temperatures in Singapore are working outdoors due to climate change.

Since this revelation, Terese has remained steadfast in her efforts.

Although society often dismisses young people as idealistic, it remains unfazed. SYCA even hosted its first in-person local youth conference last week, where their recommendations will contribute to discussions at COP28 in November.

She said: “It’s about balancing idealism with pragmatic realities. Ultimately, climate goals depend on a certain kind of idealism, so if we don’t have that, we will never achieve climate goals.”

While she accepts that not everyone cares about the environment, she hopes to broaden the environmental discourse in Singapore and engage in more conversations about social issues.

“From the apple we eat, to the land we stand on, to the phone in our pocket, everything comes from Mother Nature,” she said, “so we must remember where they come from, the labor involved in production and associated environmental problems.”