1. Can you share about your role in the Centre for Sustainability & Resilience and what your work focuses on?

Clarice: I am a Sustainability Consultant helping SMEs and companies take their first steps into sustainability. That means helping them strategise and think about what sustainability means to them beyond the 3 Rs of reduce, reuse and recycle.

Angelina: At the Centre for Sustainability & Resilience, I support companies on their sustainability journey through initiatives such as our flagship Chief Sustainability Officer-as-a-Service programme. My role involves working closely with businesses to understand their needs, identify practical sustainability opportunities and connect them with the right resources and stakeholders to create meaningful impact.

2. What inspired you to pursue a career related to sustainability and resilience in the manufacturing industry?

Clarice: I was always inspired since my school days to do something meaningful and impactful. The classic story – learning about my favourite animals coupled with the impact of climate change on their homes – stirred a strange fire inside me as a teenager. There is something profoundly humbling when you look out at the ocean or a forest; you cannot help but agree that nature is greater than you.

Back in 2015, a new term was introduced to me – that we should care not just about the Environment, but also the Social and Governance pillars. Sustainability was gaining

traction after the Paris Agreement, and the buzz was all about how small, individual actions could make a difference. It was the era of youth climate action, banning plastic bags and straws, and powerful Greta Thunberg-inspired speeches – even BTS got in on it in their 2021 speech at the 76th UN General Assembly’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Moment.

After much reflection, I came to a conclusion: while individual campaigns make for great headline stories, nothing will fundamentally change if the people running big companies don’t change how they operate or how they think about the planet. Consumers like me can make better choices — but better choices won’t exist unless manufacturers and brands make them available. I will always be responsible for using crude oil until car manufacturers remove it from the equation, or until the option simply no longer exists.

Angelina: I’ve always been passionate about environmental issues and wanted to contribute to solutions that create long-term positive impact. What drew me to the manufacturing sector is the opportunity to work with industries that have significant influence on how resources are used and how sustainable practices can be implemented at scale.

3. What are some of the biggest challenges you face in helping companies become more sustainable, and how do you overcome them?

Clarice: The biggest challenge is often not technical – it’s getting companies to see sustainability as more than a compliance checkbox. Many SMEs come to me asking “what’s the minimum I need to do?”, and the work really begins in shifting that mindset toward asking “what’s the right thing to do, and what makes sense for my business?”

The second challenge is capacity. Sustainability is still a relatively new frontier for many manufacturing companies, and they simply don’t have the internal resources or expertise to act on what they know they should. That’s where I come in, to make it more accessible and less overwhelming.

I overcome these by meeting companies where they are, without judgment. Every company has a different starting point, and genuine progress happens when they feel supported rather than pressured.

Angelina: One of the biggest challenges is helping companies see sustainability as more than a compliance exercise. Many organisations view reporting as something they need to do rather than something they want to do. I try to take a practical, step-by-step approach, helping businesses understand how sustainability can support long-term resilience, create value and contribute to a greener future.

4. How do you think young people today can contribute to building a more sustainable future?

Clarice: Stay informed and be curious – never stop learning.

Sustainability is a big space with opportunities across every industry, and you don’t have to be an environmental scientist to make an impact. Whether you’re in finance, design, logistics, or communications, there is a version of this work that needs you. The first step is caring enough to pay attention and take the initiative.

Angelina: I think the most important thing is to start small and not be intimidated by the term “sustainability.” Simple actions such as reducing food waste, bringing reusable bags, or making more conscious purchasing decisions can make a difference. Small habits, when adopted consistently and collectively, can lead to meaningful change.

5. What skills or values have helped you succeed in your current role?

Clarice: On the skills side, technical knowledge in sustainability reporting has been essential, but so has learning to work with people, and that’s something I’m always improving on.

On the values side, three things have carried me: being authentic and genuine in how I show up, staying curious enough to keep learning, and having the perseverance and patience to see things through, because meaningful change rarely happens quickly.

Angelina: One value that guides me is always keeping the bigger picture in mind. Sustainability challenges can be complex and progress is often gradual, so having a clear sense of purpose helps me stay focused and continue moving towards meaningful outcomes.

6. How has your past experiences shaped the way you approach sustainability and problem-solving in your work?

Clarice: I used to think sustainability or climate action is a clear-cut answer for a very evident problem. But in the last 2-3 years, I learnt that sustainability should be approached pragmatically, there is no one size fits all solution for companies to be sustainable.

That is how I approach sustainability now, with curiosity and pragmatism. I ask the right questions before jumping to solutions, because a recommendation that doesn’t fit a company’s reality won’t stick. Sustainability has to be built into how a business actually operates, not bolted on.

Angelina: My studies at Tsinghua University taught me to approach challenges with discipline, structure and resilience, especially in a fast-paced environment. Beyond the classroom, opportunities to participate in international exchanges and attend United Nations conferences exposed me to global sustainability discussions and inspired me to think about solutions from a broader perspective.

7. What does sustainability mean to you beyond just protecting the environment?

Clarice: Sustainability to me in 2026, is about balancing the two motivation factors behind our insatiable need for survival. Unlike the rest of nature, our survival now demands for more than the basic needs of species continuity, food and shelter. We’ve built supply chains of such interconnectivity, a Darwin’s Bark Spider’s web would not dare compete. A lot of these supply chains are reliant on natural resources. The question I sit with is: how do we reduce our impact without disrupting businesses, livelihoods and ways of life which people depend on? That tension is what makes this work hard but also what makes it worth doing.

Angelina: Sustainability is often defined as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Beyond environmental protection, I see sustainability as creating businesses and communities that are socially responsible, economically resilient and supportive of the people who contribute to them.

8. What advice would you give to youths who are interested in entering the manufacturing or sustainability sector?

Clarice: Don’t shy away from the fire you feel to do good but also don’t hustle too hard that you burn out within 2 years – even if it’s just an ember.

Passion is what gets you in the door, but it’s curiosity and patience that keep you in the game. The problems we’re trying to solve in sustainability are genuinely hard, they involve people, politics, money and deeply entrenched ways of doing business.

Be willing to start somewhere that might not look glamorous on paper. Some of the most important disruptions and innovations to the industry are happening inside factories, procurement teams, finance departments. Understanding how industries actually operate will make you a far more effective advocate for change than someone who only ever spoke about it from the outside.

Lastly, don’t underestimate the value of learning to communicate well. The best idea in the world won’t move anyone if you can’t explain it simply, or if you can’t make someone feel why it matters. Bridging the technical and the human, as rampant as AI is right now, is still a necessary skill and it will set you apart.

Angelina: Start as early as you can. Whether through internships, volunteering, industry events, or self-learning, every experience helps build your understanding of the sector. Sustainability is constantly evolving, being curious and willing to learn will take you a long way.

9. How do you see the role of young professionals evolving in driving innovation and change within industries?

Clarice: Young professionals today are in an interesting position; we grew up watching the consequences of decisions made before we had a seat at the table. That gives us a different sense of urgency. I think it also gives us permission to question assumptions that older systems have taken for granted.

In industries like manufacturing, innovation tends to be slow and risk-averse. But young professionals can be the bridge between ambition and execution — we’re comfortable with new tools, new frameworks, and new ways of thinking about what “success” looks like for a business. The key is learning enough about how things actually work before trying to change them. You earn more trust — and create more lasting change — when you understand the system from the inside.

Angelina: Young professionals bring fresh perspectives, adaptability and a willingness to challenge conventional thinking. It is encouraging to see more youths contributing ideas and driving conversations around sustainability and innovation. Their energy and commitment will play an important role in shaping the future of industry.

10. Looking ahead, what changes or opportunities do you hope to see in Singapore’s manufacturing industry, and how can youths be part of that journey?

Clarice: I hope to see a future where sustainability is no longer treated as a separate agenda from business strategy – where a company’s environmental and social performance is just as important as its financial bottom line, and where that’s reflected in how they’re funded, recognised, and regulated.

Singapore is well-positioned to lead this in the region. We’re a small country with outsized global trade connections, and what we normalise here has the potential to ripple across supply chains in Southeast Asia and beyond.

For youths, the opportunity is real and it’s now. The manufacturing sector needs people who can think across disciplines — engineers who understand policy, communicators who understand carbon accounting, strategists who understand supply chains. If you’re willing to learn the hard stuff and stay in the room long enough to make change happen, there’s genuinely meaningful work to be done.

Angelina: I hope to see more young talent entering Singapore’s manufacturing industry and contributing to its transformation. As the sector continues to advance in areas such as sustainability, digitalisation and innovation, there are many opportunities for youths to bring new ideas, develop future-ready skills and help shape a more resilient industry.