We’ve all heard about the radical actions that Greenpeace has taken to raise awareness for environmental issues. What does Greenpeace do in Southeast Asia? What needs to be done to tackle the pressing problems of deforestation and transboundary haze? Join us in this interview with Heng, Regional Campaign Strategist for Greenpeace Southeast Asia. 

Heng Kiah Chun, or Heng for short, is the Regional Campaign Strategist from Greenpeace Southeast Asia. Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organization that acts to change attitudes and behavior, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace. Heng was involved in Greenpeace projects such as the imported plastic waste trade investigation, and is currently focused on transboundary haze and air pollution campaign in the region.

We learn about Greenpeace’s strategy and practices, such as creative non-violent direct action, and how they work with different stakeholders when it comes to complex socio-environmental issues. Specifically, we zoom in on the transregional haze in Singapore, unpack why it is such a challenging issue to tackle, but also explore some leverage points towards more sustainable palm oil production, less deforestation, and clean air access for all. 

Visit www.act.gp/THPA to learn more about Greenpeace’s campaign for a Transboundary Haze Pollution Act. #CleanAirForAll

Example of a creative campaign where Greenpeace painted a mural to raise awareness about the Haze issue: https://www.instagram.com/p/C3uyJ71JSb4/?hl=en

Greenpeace Southeast Asia’s social links

Website: https://www.greenpeace.org/southeastasia/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenpeacesea/ 

Report: Indonesia’s Chronic Forest Fires – 2023

https://www.greenpeace.org/southeastasia/publication/66509/report-indonesias-chronic-forest-fires-2023/

Latest updates to follow:

The journey toward recognising environmental rights as a human right is making progress with the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia's (SUHAKAM) report launch, welcomed by Greenpeace Malaysia and CERAH Anti-Haze Action Coalition. SUHAKAM will be bringing the six recommendations, that includes a call for the enactment of a Clean Air Act with transboundary haze pollution mechanisms, to be table at the next parliamentary seating. https://www.greenpeace.org/malaysia/press/59024/ending-haze-the-silent-enemy/

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Want to get involved to stop air pollution in Southeast Asia? Check out People’s Movement for the Haze (PMHaze) - a singapore 

Website: https://www.pmhaze.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pmhaze/

Protect Our Peatlands: https://www.instagram.com/protectourpeatlands/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(03:58) Introduction to Greenpeace and its strategies

(07:35) Overview of issues Greenpeace Southeast Asia works on

(11:42) Heng’s role as a Regional Campaign Strategist and how regional activities are coordinated

(15:00) Overview of the haze issue

(19:58) Three perspectives to tackle the problem

(21:18) Greenpeace campaigns on the haze issue

(26:09) Examples of responsible palm oil Initiatives 

(30:30) Can the palm oil industry really keep up with demand without deforestation?

(35:28) Challenges faced in organizing

(38:55) Changing the narrative of environmental challenges

(42:18) Bridging gap between business and local communities

(50:55) The need to strengthen environmental and human rights

(52:16) Deforestation, clean air, and climate change

(54:29) Conclusion

Join us in this conversation as we unravel the red tape around the “Israel-Hamas War” and pro-Palestinian activism in Singapore.

In this episode, we meet the duo behind Youth For Peace (YFP) - Garrett and B. Youth For Peace is a platform that aims to empower youth voices in Singapore to take a stand for peace. This is the second part of a conversation with two members from the group Youth For Peace.

In this second half of our conversation, we situate pro-Palestinian activism in the political climate of Singapore, discussing the challenges of even talking about politics and sharing our thoughts on the importance of dialogue in creating a more open empathetic society. This episode was recorded in June 2024, and therefore there might be differences in contexts compared to the present day.

Follow their Instagram to learn more about their work: https://www.instagram.com/youthforpeace.sg/

One of their most notable contributions is a proposal to the Prime Minister of Singapore that garnered over 10,000 signatories calling for Singapore to do its part to ensure peace in Palestine. Sign on to their proposal here: bit.ly/ProposaltoPM

Use your voice to stand up for peace through the Youth For Peace platform by submitting a solidarity statement here: tinyurl.com/yfpsgsolidarity (Anonymity can be maintained)

CHAPTERS:

(01:34) YFP's Proposal to the Prime Minister

(10:42) The Military-Industrial Complex

(13:51) "Politics? Ew!" How to talk about Palestine with Singaporeans

(18:21) Climate Justice & Palestine

(22:51) Opening spaces for real conversations

(32:33) For lasting peace & justice

Is the Palestinian issue a Muslim issue? Why should youth in Singapore care about conflicts beyond their borders? Join us in this conversation as we unravel the red tape around the “Israel-Hamas War” and pro-Palestinian activism in Singapore.

In this episode, we meet the duo behind Youth For Peace (YFP) - Garrett and B. They share their journey, motivations and challenges in their justice-centric, pro-Palestinian activism. Youth For Peace is a platform that aims to empower youth voices in Singapore to take a stand for peace. It began in 2023 to call for ceasefire and a halt to the genocide in Palestine. Stay tuned for the next episode 8.2 where we continue the conversation discussing the challenges around peace

Follow their Instagram to learn more about their work: https://www.instagram.com/youthforpeace.sg/

One of their most notable contributions is a proposal to the Prime Minister of Singapore that garnered over 10,000 signatories calling for Singapore to do its part to ensure peace in Palestine. Sign on to their proposal here: bit.ly/ProposaltoPM

Use your voice to stand up for peace through the Youth For Peace platform by submitting a solidarity statement here: tinyurl.com/yfpsgsolidarity (Anonymity can be maintained)

(02:36) Meet the founders of Youth for Peace

(05:13) Why solidarity statements?

(08:07) Perspectives from a Muslim and a Buddhist 

(13:48) Why a climate movement talks about Palestine

(14:35) Why should Singaporeans care?

(20:08) Haters, trolls & other pushback

How do academic institutions and their actors play a role in promoting social change? Specifically, what kind of research, education, and mediums can we develop in order to take action for climate justice? What are some developments in the environmental movement in Singapore? 

In this episode of the Climate Kopitiam, we continue our interview with Isaac and Prof. Kenneth Paul Tan, both of whom contributed chapters to a recently-published book by Ethos - We Are Not The Enemy: The Practice of Advocacy in Singapore, and discuss the above questions. The book collects the perspectives of various advocates and activists in Singapore from different backgrounds, from lawyers and journalists, to artists and community organizers. 

In the previous part of the conversation, we focused on their respective chapters, and discuss how academic institutions and their actors fit into the climate movement, especially in the Singaporean context. We also discuss this in terms of how it has evolved, including emerging activism strategies. 

In this part, we go into other topics, including the role of education, and other forms of media like theatre and films, in helping people learn about the climate crisis but also develop skills that could be relevant in the real world. 

Time Stamps:

(00:00) Teaching and learning for social change

(10:45) Forum theatre as a tool

(12:20) Bringing lessons into the real world

(20:04) Isaac’s experience of putting theory into practice as part of SGCR

(24:48) Another book by Prof Tan ‘Movies to Save the World’

(33:02) SGCR’s editorial strategy

(36:20) Conclusion

References:

How do academic institutions and their actors play a role in promoting social change? Specifically, what kind of research, education, and mediums can we develop in order to take action for climate justice? What are some developments in the environmental movement in Singapore? 

In this episode of the Climate Kopitiam, we interview Isaac and Prof. Kenneth Paul Tan, both of whom contributed chapters to a recently-published book by Ethos Books - We Are Not The Enemy: The Practice of Advocacy in Singapore, and discuss the above questions. The book collects the perspectives of various advocates and activists in Singapore from different backgrounds, from lawyers and journalists, to artists and community organizers. 

In the first part of the conversation, we focus on their respective chapters in the book, and discuss how academic institutions and their actors fit into the climate movement, especially in the Singaporean context. We also discuss this in terms of how it has evolved, including emerging activism strategies. 

There’s a part II, where we go into other topics, including the role of education, and other forms of media like theatre and films, in helping people learn about the climate crisis and also develop skills that could be relevant. 

Time Stamps:

(00:00) Introduction 

(00:47) About the book ‘We Are Not the Enemy’ and their respective chapters

(09:00) Academia, students, and environmental movement in Singapore

(16:20) Intersection of environmental and justice movements in Singapore

(24:30) Bureaucratic exhaustion and new activism strategies

References:

Economic or GDP growth is often taken for granted to be what all economies strive for. But does higher economic growth always mean a society that is better off? What is not measured by this number, and what are the social and environmental trade-offs in our pursuit of growth? 

Degrowth is one academic and social movement trying to understand the relationship between the earth’s biophysical limits, social well-being and our economy, and find out what can help economies deliver on “a good life for all” within planetary boundaries. If you have heard of degrowth / post-growth / donut economics before and want to find out more about how it’s connected to climate justice, this episode is for you! 

On this episode of the Climate Kopitiam, join hosts Sammie, Isaac, and our guest, Yong Feng, a masters student at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and SG Climate Rally member, as we give an overview of degrowth’s main arguments - how economic growth leads to environmental degradation and does not necessarily lead to better welfare. We then explore the possibility of various degrowth ideas in policy and ground-up initiatives, whether proposed or already in practice, outside or within Singapore.  

The podcast cover is inspired by this quote from Degrowth: A Vocabulary for a New Era: “Degrowth is not about making an elephant smaller, it is about turning an elephant into a snail”.

Shownotes:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:33) Economic Growth and Biophysical Limits

(07:10) Sociopolitical Aspects of Degrowth

(14:34) Example of Policies for Degrowth

(17:40) Ground-up Degrowth Initiatives in Action

(23:36) Reflections of Degrowth during Covid-19 

(26:32) Possibility of Degrowth Policies in Singapore

(28:28) Degrowth and Climate Justice 

(34:45) What brings you hope when it comes to degrowth?

References:

Additional Resources:

In September, clashes erupted between villagers and security forces on Rempang Island, part of the Riau Islands which includes Batam. At least 43 people have since been arrested. The cause of this conflict lies in a planned Rempang Eco-City development, an industrial and tourist project on the island. The Eco-City would lead to the displacement of around 7500 villagers from their land, which the local communities have been living on since 1834. The villagers have said that the compensation offered is inadequate, and they were not meaningfully included in the discussions before the decision was made to develop the Eco-City. 

Adding to this complexity is how a solar panel factory will be part of the Eco-City, and will likely produce solar panels to be used in a solar farm project jointly undertaken by Singapore and Indonesia, where the electricity generated will be exported to Singapore. To talk more about this complex issue, we speak to Satrio, a policy analyst from Friends of the Earth Indonesia (WALHI) and Fadilla, a researcher from Trend Asia. 

More information:

Statement from The Indigenous People's Alliance of Indonesia (AMAN) on the Rempang Eco-City project: https://tinyurl.com/OnRempangAMANEnglish 

Fundraiser for legal efforts on the ground

Rempang's Eviction Crisis: Absence of Eco City Planning Raises Questions, Suspicions Surround Government Officials in Batam's Solar Power Plant Project by Trend Asia 

Keadilan Timpang di Pulau Rempang (Unequal Justice in Rempang Island) by WALHI 

TIME STAMPS:

(00:00) Introduction

(03:55) Background context of the conflict

(06:16) Impact of relocating the villagers

(09:56) Timeline of the development of the project

(12:03) What are groups like WALHI and Trend Asia doing in response?

(17:11) What would a just energy transition for Indonesia and the region look like?

(19:34) Regional responsibility and what Singapore can do on this issue

(23:11) “We never want electricity to come from the blood of the people”

In the run-up to our rally on 23 September at Hong Lim Park, SG Climate Rally will be featuring the voices and stories of climate activists in our region; after all, the climate crisis is an existential threat that transcends national borders, affecting people, ecosystems, and economies worldwide. 

In the second episode of this series, we speak with Mitzi Jonelle Tan, a full-time climate justice activist based in Metro Manila, Philippines. She is the convenor and international spokesperson of Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines (YACAP), the Fridays For Future (FFF) of the Philippines. In an illuminating chat, we talk about how YACAP aims to educate people about climate justice in the Philippines, Mitzi’s experience engaging with local communities on the ground, the sometimes dangerous reality of being a climate activist in the Philippines, and how regional collaboration on climate action can look like (follow the capital!). 

Check out the first episode of this series with Aroe Ajoeni from Klima Action Malaysia (KAMY) if you’ve not done so already here.

Links:

Mitzi’s Instagram: @mitzijonelle

YACAP’s Instagram: @yacaphilippines

Environmental activists abducted in the Philippines

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction/Who are YACAP?

(03:22) YACAP’s organisational strategy and using storytelling to introduce climate justice

(06:26) How is climate justice viewed in the Philippines?

(08:26) Takeaways from engaging local communities on the ground

(11:25) Challenges for climate activists in the Philippines

(14:21) “That’s why we have no choice but to fight back”

(19:11) The possibilities of a better world

(22:26) Regional and global collaboration with other groups

(24:55) What is your ideal form of regional collaboration?

(25:44) How can Singaporeans support climate activists in the Philippines?

(29:45) Outro

In the run-up to our rally on 23 September at Hong Lim Park, SG Climate Rally will be featuring the voices and stories of climate activists in our region; after all, the climate crisis is an existential threat that transcends national borders, affecting people, ecosystems, and economies worldwide. 

In this episode, we speak with Aroe Ajoeni, a student and Communications Director of Malaysian climate justice and feminist organisation Klima Action Malaysia (KAMY), where she focuses on the production of media content in the formation of a people-based discourse on the climate, and leads KAMY's in-house media production team, Climatea. Aroe shares more about Malaysia’s climate activism scene, how local communities have tackled the climate crisis, and how regional climate organisations can collaborate to foster greater regional solidarity, amongst other interesting insights!

Links:

KAMY Report - CLIMATE AND ENERGY TRANSITION REPORTING IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA'S MAINSTREAM NEWS MEDIA

KAMY Instagram: @klimaaction

Aroe’s Instagram: @aroeajoeni

Aljazeera article on Sabah’s Nature Conservation Agreement 

Clarification: Malaysia latest installed renewable energy capacity target is 70% by 2050, not 2040, as stated in the episode

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction/Who is KAMY?

(04:02) Malaysia's climate activism scene

(07:03) What are the major challenges faced by Malaysian communities?

(12:17) What have been the major challenges for Malaysian climate activists?

(13:33) How should international organisations work with local indigenous communities in rural areas?

(16:30) How have local communities responded to the impacts of climate change?

(18:10) How the Malaysian government support local communities in building climate resilience

(20:10) Collaboration with regional organisations in SEA

(24:40) KAMY at COP27

(27:15) What does a Green Malaysia look like?

(33:08) More on SG’s involvement in the Sabah NCA/Outro

Is Singapore a developed or developing nation? What do these terms mean, and what implications do they have in the world of climate finance and negotiations, and more broadly, climate justice? 

On this second episode of the Climate Kopitiam, join our hosts Isaac, Debby, and Sammie, as well as our guest for this episode, Yi Feng, a coastal ecologist from SG Climate Rally, as we talk about the differences between these two terms, the historical context of development, the Loss & Damage fund and the links between development and climate justice. 

Sources mentioned in this episode:

SYCA statement

Hansard transcript

Orang Laut SG

Wan’s Ubin Journal

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction/What's your favourite Kopitiam Brew?

(01:45) SYCA Statement and the Loss & Damage Fund

(07:30) The diplomatic context to the Developing/Developed divide

(13:00) Indigenous communities and development

(22:00) The Developing/Developed divide and climate finance

(29:05) How does the Developing/Developed divide link to climate justice?

(36:20) "Poorer countries are not underdeveloped, they are overexploited"