Climate change is no longer a distant threat for many young people in Southeast Asia, but a lived reality that is actively shaping their values, studies and ambitions. For 19-year-old Nathania Frida, an environmental engineering student at the National University of Singapore (NUS), the effects of climate change became personal while growing up in Jakarta. She recalls a beach she once visited with her father disappearing below sea level and roads near her home being damaged by saltwater erosion during the rainy season. These early experiences inspired her to pursue sustainability, not as an abstract academic interest, but as a way to contribute to practical and lasting solutions.
Frida’s story reflects a wider regional trend, with many young people across Asia growing up on the frontlines of environmental change. In Singapore, NUS student and research assistant Ng Kao Jing describes how childhood experiences in Pasir Ris, surrounded by mangroves, beaches and coastal ecosystems, made him increasingly aware of the growing pressures of waste pollution and urbanisation. That awareness encouraged him to better understand how natural spaces function and why sustainability efforts are critical for protecting and restoring them over the long term.
This growing concern among youth is also reflected in national data. Surveys by Singapore’s National Youth Council have consistently found that environment and sustainability rank among the top five concerns for young Singaporeans. However, while interest is high, many young people still face barriers in turning that concern into meaningful action due to limited access to mentorship, resources and structured opportunities. To address this gap, the ComfortDelGro–EB Impact Sustainability Education Grant was created to help tertiary students transform their ideas and lived experiences into practical sustainability projects.
Backed by S$50,000 in funding, the grant supports students who are committed to creating real-world environmental solutions. More than just a financial award, the programme offers mentorship, professional development and learning opportunities that help participants connect sustainability to a wide range of fields, including engineering, transport, education, community organising and storytelling. Launched in 2024, the grant is now in its second year and has supported 20 students across two cohorts, making it a first-of-its-kind initiative focused on sustainability education and youth leadership.
For 2024 grantee Ng, the programme expanded his understanding of marine conservation through a field course in Bali and Lombok, Indonesia. There, he explored issues such as mangrove research, shark fisheries, coral restoration and women’s empowerment, while also seeing the visible impacts of marine degradation. The experience reinforced his belief that conservation cannot succeed through top-down approaches alone and that local communities must be recognised as essential actors with deep ecological knowledge and lived experience. This perspective now informs his work in plastic credits, beach and urban clean-ups, and his advisory role with the social enterprise Jalan Journey, which creates immersive learning experiences around environmental and social issues in Singapore.
For 2025 grantee Koh Ying Xi, who is pursuing a double degree in anthropology and environmental engineering, sustainability is most powerful when it becomes tangible and participatory. Through an internship with Werms.inc, a start-up that converts food waste into insect protein and fertiliser, he learned how to translate complex environmental concepts into engaging, hands-on workshops. His academic projects during an exchange semester at Purdue University further strengthened his belief that experiential learning is one of the most effective ways to help people understand environmental issues and make more conscious choices. He sees education as a powerful tool for change when it gives communities ownership over what they are learning.
Frida’s own sustainability journey has also shown her that impact can begin in small, personal ways. By choosing to reuse items at home instead of constantly buying new ones, she inspired her parents to notice and reflect on more sustainable habits, making the idea of sustainability feel more real and shared within her family. She has also experienced the power of youth-led action through Project Oceanus, a student initiative that raised funds to install solar-powered lighting and water systems in a village in Laos. For her, this project demonstrated how leadership, environmental responsibility and social impact can come together to create meaningful change.
The grant programme reflects a broader belief held by its organisers, ComfortDelGro and EB Impact, that sustainability solutions are strongest when they are shaped by people who live closest to the problem. ComfortDelGro, a major global transport operator with a growing cleaner-energy fleet, sees the initiative as part of its commitment to sustainable mobility and preparing the next generation of leaders. EB Impact, a Singapore-registered charity focused on sustainability education and community-building, ensures that the programme remains grounded in public-interest outcomes and social impact.
Importantly, the experiences of these young grantees highlight that there is no single pathway into sustainability. Whether through engineering, education, conservation, storytelling or community engagement, the programme recognises that meaningful environmental work can take many forms. Koh notes that some of the most impactful sustainability efforts happen quietly through relationship-building, translation and care rather than through highly visible activism alone.
Overall, the story of the ComfortDelGro–EB Impact Sustainability Education Grant shows how climate change is influencing a new generation of innovators and changemakers. As rising seas, pollution and environmental degradation become part of daily life for many young people, these experiences are pushing them to seek solutions that are practical, inclusive and community-driven. With the right support, mentorship and trust, climate education can transform lived loss into long-term leadership and help build a more resilient and sustainable future.
