Environmental stewardship boosted by green philanthropy
To commemorate International Day of Biological Diversity, Singapore-based environmental non-profit organisation Pan Pacific Conservation Foundation (PPCF) removed marine debris from Changi Beach with the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), Nature Society Singapore (NSS) and People’s Movement to Stop Haze (PM.Haze).
Together, 47 of their staff, volunteers and members, joined by Guest of Honour Ms Poh Li San, Co-Chair for the PAP Climate Action Group and Member of Parliament (MP) for Sembawang West, removed 171kg of marine debris, maintaining a cleaner and healthier environment for Singapore's coastal and marine flora and fauna. Ms Valerie Lee, MP for Pasir Ris-Changi GRC in which sits Changi Beach, also took part in the collaborative event.
“Marine litter demonstrates the cross-border impact of our actions on our environment, stated Mr Peter Zhu, Founder and Chairperson of PPCF. “The rubbish we removed from the beach would have come from non-local sources. Yet, left here by the tide, it pollutes our shores and can be deadly for the local environment andecology.”
PPCF, established in May 2024 by Mr Zhu, who is also an entrepreneur and a board member of the SEE (Society of Entrepreneurs & Ecology) Foundation in China, is supporting ITE, NSS and PM.Haze in their outreach and education of youth and the community on ecological conservation.
“We believe that it is necessary to involve the community in becoming active leaders and stewards of the environment,” highlighted Mr Zhu. “ITE, NSS and PM.Haze are doing good work in engaging and empowering their respective target audiences and we are happy to support their efforts.”
“It is important for everyone to feel responsible and take action for environmental conservation and climate action. But that’s very hard to achieve. We must persist and involve our community, especially youths, to participate in meaningful conservation efforts whenever possible.” said Ms Poh.
The three Singapore-based programmes supported by PPCF in 2026 are:
ITE’s Environmental Stewardship Programme;
NSS’s Every Singaporean a Naturalist; and
PM.Haze’s RE.Peat 2026
Each programme has received a grant of between $21,000 and $27,120 from PPCF.
The ITE Environmental Stewardship Programme (ESP) cultivates environmental consciousness and leadership amongst ITE students. The core objective is empowering students to transition from passive environmental observers to proactive Green Ambassadors who champion sustainability initiatives within their communities. By fostering enhanced environmental awareness alongside practical leadership skills, ESP creates a network of environmentally literate advocates capable of driving meaningful change and promoting long-term environmental resilience across Singapore's educational landscape.
PPCF supports two key components of the ITE ESP: a leadership camp in Singapore and an overseas trip focusing on building environmental leadership capabilities and global awareness through practical conservation experiences, sustainable business analysis and climate literacy education, empowering them to become active environmental advocates.
“The ITE Environmental Stewardship Programme empowers students to grow from observers into Green Ambassadors who lead sustainability efforts in their communities. With PPCF’s support, our students will gain the skills and global perspective to drive meaningful environmental action,” said Ms Catherine Soh, Director, School of Engineering, ITE College East.
Since 2017, the NSS Every Singaporean a Naturalist (ESN) has been a flagship citizen science and nature education programme aimed at nurturing hearts and minds that ultimately lead the participants to support advocacy and conservation of the natural environment. ESN provides hands-on opportunities for schools to partake in eco-stewardship. It is designed to build the capacity and competency of its participants and create platforms to turn their knowledge and skills into action. As part of ESN’s Urban Biodiversity Monitoring, participants will head outdoors to learn and reconnect with nature while contributing to conservation and science.
“Nature Society Singapore aims to provide platforms for participants to take action and contribute to conservation in various ways,” shared Ms Huang Ningxin, Executive Director, Nature Society Singapore. "We want to make nature accessible and empower everyone to play a role in nature conservation. It doesn't take a researcher or a scientist to contribute to conservation—everyone can play a different role in this.”
RE.Peat 2026 is PM.Haze’s flagship regional expedition programme, offering a holistic environmental education experience that nurtures the next generation of Singaporean environmental stewards.
This year’s expedition will bring together 20 youth leaders to visit the peatland ecosystem in Sungai Tohor, Indonesia. For the past six years, PM.Haze has worked with local NGOs to support nature restoration and livelihood activities on the ground. RE.Peat 2026 will mobilise youths by exposing them to practical scientific knowledge of environmental issues and directly engage them in nature-based solutions with local communities. This direct engagement fosters a deeper and more impactful understanding—far more than through online or classroom-based learning—of ecological processes and the consequences of environmental degradation. The participants gain a better understanding of complex issues, such as haze and climate change, through experiential learning and also through an intercultural lens, thus cementing regional solidarity.
“The haze is a constant reminder that we all share the same sky and breathe the same air,” observed Mr Ying Hui Low, President, PM.Haze. "Because environmental issues don't stop at our borders, it is vital that we also care about what happens in our broader neighbourhood. With the support of PPCF, RE.Peat 2026 will empower Singaporeans to look beyond our shores to learn about the importance of peatlands and the role it plays in the health of our regional ecosystem and our well-being."
“PPCF is committed to preserving wildlife and ecosystems in Southeast Asia and the Pacific region,” concluded Mr Zhu. “We invite local environmental organisations who work with their communities for the purpose of conservation to connect with us so that we can explore collaborative partnerships.”