Cover Sustainability drivers: Tulika Raj, Jessica Cheam, Oh Chu Xian, Susan Chong and Mathilda D’Silva are among the influential women leaders in Singapore who are shaping a more sustainable future (Image: Getty)
Sustainability drivers: Tulika Raj, Jessica Cheam, Oh Chu Xian, Susan Chong and Mathilda D’Silva are among the influential women leaders in Singapore who are shaping a more sustainable future (Image: Getty)
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From finance and policy to oceans and circular innovation, these trailblazing women are redefining sustainability in Singapore—driving impact, shaping strategy and inspiring the next generation
Not long ago, “sustainability” was little more than a line item in an annual report—a polite nod to corporate social responsibility. Today, that narrative has been rewritten. Sustainability has moved from the margins of business and policy to the centre of global decision-making.
As Singapore charges toward its mid-decade Green Plan 2030 targets—from slashing landfill waste by 20 per cent by 2026 (with an ultimate 2030 target of 30 per cent reduction) to anchoring itself as Asia’s carbon services hub—the stakes have never been higher. While pioneers of the movement, such as Grace Fu, who currently serves as Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, and Esther An, chief sustainability officer at City Development Limited (CDL) and the first person from Singapore to be recognised as a UN SDG Pioneer in 2018, spent decades laying the foundations, a new generation of female leaders is shaping how economies grow and create long-term value.
See also: The Equity Shift: The new leaders helming Singapore’s women’s advocacy organisations
Above Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment
Above Esther An, chief sustainability officer at CDL
Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment
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Crucial to this evolution are the networks that bind these leaders together. Organisations like Women in Sustainability and Environment (WISE) are providing the mentorship and platforms that allow emerging leaders to thrive. WISE was launched in 2021 by philanthropist Trina Liang-Lin, and its board members include Jaclyn Seow (current president), Mrinalini Venkatachalam and Ruth Yeoh, while An and Eu-Lin Fang, who leads the Sustainability and Climate Change practice at PwC Singapore, are among the network’s advisors.
In Singapore, women are driving sustainability across every vertical, from climate finance and renewable energy to ocean conservation and deep-tech innovation. They are the founders, policymakers and advocates engineering, funding and legislating change.
Meet the women ensuring the “little red dot” continues to lead as a green powerhouse.
The institutional leaders
The power players steering the flow of global capital and policy
Abigail Ng
Abigail Ng plays a key role in shaping Singapore’s position as a leading centre for sustainable finance. As chief sustainability officer at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, she leads initiatives to develop green finance frameworks, climate risk management standards and regional partnerships that help mobilise capital toward Asia’s energy transition.
Emily Chew
As head of sustainability at Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC, Emily Chew oversees the integration of environmental, social and governance considerations across one of the world’s largest global investment portfolios. Her work focuses on managing climate risk while identifying opportunities in the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Kimberly Tan
As head of investments at GenZero, Singapore’s Temasek-backed climate investment platform, Kimberly Tan helps deploy capital into solutions that accelerate the global transition to net zero. Her work spans carbon markets, nature-based solutions and climate technology, positioning Singapore as a hub for climate finance while backing companies and projects driving measurable environmental impact.
Poh Li San
Member of Parliament Poh Li San plays a key role in advancing Singapore’s sustainability agenda through policy and public engagement. As chairperson of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Sustainability and the Environment, she contributes to discussions shaping environmental policy while advocating initiatives that support the country’s long-term climate and sustainability goals.
The disruptors and innovators
The founders and fellows reimagining industry and waste
Above Susan Chong, founder and CEO of Greenpac, and founder of Greenphyto
Susan Chong, founder and CEO of Greenpac, and founder of Greenphyto
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Susan Chong
Long before sustainability became a corporate mandate, Susan Chong was already re-engineering the future. Having spent two decades revolutionising the industrial packaging world with Greenpac, she has recently been scaling her next ambitious venture: Greenphyto, the world’s tallest indoor vertical farm—a Guinness World Record-holding facility in Jurong which blends high-tech AI with circular economy principles.
Jane Zhang
As a fellow at Breakthrough Energy, the global climate innovation platform founded by Bill Gates, Jane Zhang is part of a new generation of scientists and entrepreneurs working on breakthrough technologies to address climate change. Her work focuses on advancing scalable solutions that could play a pivotal role in decarbonising critical industries.
Above Tulika Raj, co-founder and CEO, SunGreenH2
Tulika Raj, co-founder and CEO, SunGreenH2
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Tulika Raj
While many discuss the energy transition, Tulika Raj is building the hardware to make it happen. As the leader of SunGreenH2, she is spearheading a breakthrough in green hydrogen production—using proprietary technology to produce hydrogen more efficiently and affordably. Her work is a cornerstone of Singapore’s ambition to become a regional hub for low-carbon energy technology.
Shen Ming Lee
Shen Ming Lee is on a mission to rethink one of the world’s most controversial commodities: palm oil, an industry in which, incidentally, her family has deep roots. Through Terra Oleo, she is developing alternative oils designed to replicate palm oil’s functionality while reducing the environmental pressures associated with traditional production, including deforestation and biodiversity loss.
Above Oh Chu Xian, founder, Magorium
Oh Chu Xian, founder, Magorium
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Oh Chu Xian
At the intersection of waste management and infrastructure, Oh Chu Xian is rethinking what roads are made of. As founder of Magorium, she has developed technology that converts plastic waste—including contaminated plastics that would otherwise be incinerated—into a sustainable road-building material known as NewBitumen. By transforming one of Singapore’s most persistent waste challenges into a scalable construction solution, Oh is helping pave the way—quite literally—for a more circular future.
Tingzhi Liu
Through her venture WASTD, Tingzhi Liu is rethinking waste as a resource. The Singapore-based startup transforms discarded materials—from textiles to plastics—into functional and design-led products, championing circular economy principles while challenging conventional ideas about consumption and material value.
The ocean stewards
The leaders dedicated to protecting our oceans and biodiversity
Above Mathilda D’Silva, founder and CEO, Ocean Purpose Project
Mathilda D’Silva, founder and CEO, Ocean Purpose Project
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Mathilda D’Silva
Marine conservationist Mathilda D’Silva founded Ocean Purpose Project to tackle ocean pollution and protect marine ecosystems through community action and research. From beach clean-ups to education initiatives, her organisation works to raise awareness about the impact of plastic waste and empower individuals to become stewards of the ocean.
Inez Alsagoff
As head of partnerships at Ocean Culture Life, Inez Alsagoff works to build collaborations that support marine conservation and ocean literacy. Passionate about protecting marine ecosystems, she is part of a younger generation of advocates working to deepen public understanding of the vital role oceans play in sustaining life on Earth.
The storytellers and strategists
The minds driving regional strategy and public perception
Above Jessica Cheam, founder and managing director, Eco-Business
Jessica Cheam, founder and managing director, Eco-Business
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Jessica Cheam
Jessica Cheam is a leading voice in Asia’s sustainability ecosystem through Eco-Business, the region’s influential sustainability media platform that she founded. She provides insights, intelligence and reporting on ESG, climate action and sustainable innovation, connecting corporates, policymakers and communities to accelerate meaningful environmental change across Asia.
Lim Kar Min
At renewable energy developer Gurin Energy, Lim Kar Min leads strategic initiatives shaping the company’s expansion across Asia’s fast-growing clean energy markets. With a focus on solar, wind and energy storage projects, she is helping scale the infrastructure needed to accelerate the region’s transition away from fossil fuels.
Pauline Wray
At Tree Media Group, Pauline Wray produces documentaries and storytelling projects that bring environmental issues to global audiences. The company, founded by filmmaker Leila Conners, focuses on climate, conservation and sustainability narratives, using film and media to spark dialogue and drive action on some of the planet’s most pressing challenges.
About
Rachel Duffell is regional content director for Power & Purpose, including Front & Female, and former regional content director for Tatler Dining. She is a journalist and editor who has been covering people, gender, impact, leadership, culture and lifestyle for more than 15 years.
