Kate Yeo (born 2001) is a youth climate activist from Singapore.

Kate Yeo
Born
Singapore
EducationDartmouth College
OccupationSustainability advocate
Organization(s)BYO Bottle SG, Re-Earth Initiative, Fossil Free Dartmouth

Activism

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Climate

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In 2018, Yeo started a campaign BYO Bottle SG to advocate against single-use plastics in Singapore.[1] The initiative has worked with 231 drink stalls and reached out to close to 10,000 people.[2][3] She achieved 2nd Prize in the Goi Peace Foundation International Essay Contest for Young People for her essay titled “The Battle Against Plastic Pollution”.[4]

Yeo was one of the organisers of the We The Planet climate strikes for Earth Day 2020.[5] She then co-founded Re-Earth Initiative, an international youth-led NGO striving to make the climate movement more accessible to all.[6] She also helped to organise the Virtual Youth Environment Assembly, organised by the U.N. Environmental Programme’s youth constituency.[7] In April 2021, she was a panellist at the Othering & Belonging Summit, alongside writer and climate activist Naomi Klein and other youth advocates Tokata Iron Eyes, Xiye Bastida and Samia Dumbuya.[8] She attended the COP27 conference in Egypt in 2022 to look at how the international trade of carbon credits will be rolled out.[9] After the conference, she spoke about feeling frustrated at the lack of progress but remaining "stubbornly hopeful".[10]

Yeo is also a founder of Fossil Free Dartmouth, a group calling on Dartmouth College to cut financial ties with fossil fuel companies. [11] In October 2023, she co-authored a report criticizing connections between the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society and Irving Oil. [12][13]

In 2023, she was named to the Eco-Business Youth A-List which recognizes "the most impactful young sustainability leaders across Asia Pacific".[14] [15]

COVID-19 Initiative

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During the pandemic, Kate started an initiative to support local hawkers in Singapore. Her family purchased bulk orders of food and drinks which were given to residents at a halfway house.[16]

References

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  1. ^ Bose, Durva (5 July 2021). "Kate Yeo on championing the 'bring your own' movement". ZERRIN. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  2. ^ "BYO Bottle SG". BYO Bottle SG. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  3. ^ Mah, Jamie (23 June 2021). "Singapore's Sustainability: Our Garden City's Green Efforts". Hype Singapore. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  4. ^ "The Battle Against Plastic Pollution" (PDF). GOI Peace Foundation. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  5. ^ Seah, Kimberly (30 December 2020). "A Singaporean Perspective: Is Activism Enough to Save the Climate?". The IAS Gazette. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  6. ^ Bimal, Nehaa. "The Re-Earth Initiative on Promoting Inclusivity, Accessibility & Unity in the Climate Change Movement". The Teen Mag. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  7. ^ Williams, Rebecca (27 November 2020). "Kate Yeo: Plastics and Climate Youth Activist". EUI Environmental Law and Governance Blog EUI Blogs. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  8. ^ Grossman, Sara. "Video & Recap: The 2021 O&B Virtual Summit". Othering & Belonging Institute. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  9. ^ Tan, Cheryl (6 November 2022). "What S'pore youth want at COP27: Finalising carbon credits plan, financing for vulnerable nations". The Straits Times. The Straits Times. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  10. ^ Faculty of Arts and Sciences (29 November 2022). "'Stubbornly Hopeful': Dartmouth Perspectives on COP27". Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  11. ^ Hoplamazian, Mara. "Dartmouth students urge college to stop accepting research money from fossil fuel companies". NHPR. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  12. ^ Logan, Cloe. "Students at this Ivy League school call out Irving Oil". National Observer. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  13. ^ Zhang, Annabelle. "Fossil Free Dartmouth publishes "Investigating Irving" report critiquing College's ties to fossil fuels". The Dartmouth. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  14. ^ Ng, Wai Mun. "Courage and vision: Celebrating the most impactful young sustainability leaders across Asia Pacific". Eco-Business. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  15. ^ Hicks, Robin. "'You cannot be an activist and not put yourself at risk': Singapore climate campaigner Kate Yeo". Eco-Business. Eco-Business. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  16. ^ Lui, Karen. "S'pore family buys food for 20 pax from Amoy Street Food Centre & donates to halfway house". Mothership. Retrieved 14 December 2021.