TRINA LIANG-LIN

President of Women in Sustainability and Environment (Wise), and fund manager at an asset management firm focused on renewable energy investments in Asia

Trina Liang‑lin still remembers a field trip to a pulp and paper company in the region during her early days as a bond analyst. Travelling to the city’s outskirts, she was first greeted by lush greenery that soon turned into what she describes as “a complete devastation of forest, with felled trees everywhere”—and the wood converted into paper at the factory.

“It was shocking to see the stark brutality of deforestation. There was a kind of sadness I couldn’t quite fathom at the time. Looking back, all I can think of now is how I had played a part in felling those trees while pushing for that bond deal,” notes the finance industry veteran, underlining the fact that one of the major deals signed at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow last November is to end and reverse deforestation by 2030. This is part of the summit’s main goal of securing global net zero by mid‑century and limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C.

“Even though COP26 has ended, its mission moves on to individual countries, to individual people, communities and their businesses—it should not stop with governments. As [Singapore’s minister for sustainability and the environment] Grace Fu said, the person on the street needs to know how his or her carbon footprint will impact the universe,” Liang‑lin elucidates. In fact, the Singapore Green Plan 2030, introduced last February, seeks to galvanise the public, private and people sectors to mitigate climate change.

This whole‑of‑nation movement inspired Liang‑lin and a group of women to come together to launch a new society, Women in Sustainability and Environment (which has a completely apt acronym, Wise), to coincide with the conclusion of COP26. “We want to build a community, and spotlight women in the sustainability space and the jobs available in this arena, so as to give women a voice in this future economy, and then eventually grow beyond our borders,” she explains. Led by Liang‑lin as president, the Wise committee includes KOP Limited’s Ong Chih Ching, Mewah Group’s Michelle Cheo and YTL Singapore’s Ruth Yeoh.

Liang‑lin, who is Singapore’s current representative to the G20 for women, is herself actively forging public, private and people partnerships towards net zero. She is starting a new job as a fund manager for a US$5 billion firm focused on renewable energy investments in Asia.

Wise’s mission is primarily focused on responsible consumption and production patterns, or goal 12 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS). A recent PWC report states that women influence

70 per cent of brand purchasing decisions, going beyond household products to higher‑value items such as financial investments, property and vehicles. According to UK Aid, female consumers will control US$15 trillion of global consumer spending by 2028. Furthermore, an Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development report notes that women are effective as consumption change agents for families, communities and businesses.

To help guide its purpose, Wise has found a knowledge partner in the Singapore Management University to share research and content around sustainability. “Knowledge needs to be understood, simplified and disseminated,” enthuses Liang‑lin.

It is this same thirst for knowledge that catalysed her entry into the food space a few years ago with Halo Health Asia. Through its annual flagship event, the World Food Future for Women conference, the social enterprise provides consumers with knowledge on the latest in nutrition and food innovation, so they can make conscious food decisions. “This was even before people started talking about the future of food, alternative proteins, or Singapore’s 30 by 30 vision to secure its food supply,” she says. “Food security has become such a big issue in Singapore today, even more so with Covid‑19.”

It was also around that time that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “When you’re put in that situation, you really think about what can heal you, what can fortify you and what can harm you. I needed to understand what I was putting into my body. It’s as simple as that,” shares Liang‑lin, who has been in remission for the past two years.

Even though she has moved into the sustainability space, she is approaching it from the perspective of food. “Before, we looked at food as a separate sector, but over the years, we realised that it’s part of the ecosystem of sustainability,” she explains. “When you talk about food, you look at the supply chains, which include transportation and aviation fuel, as a lot of our food are flown in from various countries. You are then talking about oil and gas, carbon offsets … and even arable land—and whether it should be used to grow food.”

And it’s also through food that Liang‑lin is reducing her own carbon footprint. “I used to eat a lot of red meat, but now, I only eat it once a week,” she says. “I’m also more conscious about not wasting food, writing down and buying only what I need. My husband cooks a lot at home, but I’m the one who looks in the fridge to make sure everything is used up—and that’s the discipline I didn’t have before. It’s a small thing, but if everybody does it, it’s going to make an impact.”