Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Grace Fu, has been named among the Forbes Sustainability Leaders 2025, a list that recognises 50 individuals worldwide who are shaping a just and sustainable economy.
Now in its second year, the Forbes Sustainability Leaders list highlights innovators redefining climate leadership — from harnessing artificial intelligence to meet soaring energy demand, to restoring ecosystems and reshaping global finance. Selected by an international panel of judges including impact investor Laurene Powell Jobs, actor-activist Jane Fonda, and climate financier Tom Steyer, the honourees are credited with driving measurable progress amid a volatile geopolitical backdrop.
Fu, who has helmed Singapore’s environment ministry since 2020, was recognised for her decisive leadership in advancing both domestic and regional climate action. Under her watch, Singapore has allocated nearly $4 billion to coastal resilience projects in the low-lying city-state and committed $500 million at COP29 towards decarbonisation initiatives across Asia.
She has also championed the Singapore Green Plan 2030, introducing a nationwide plastic bag charge in 2023 and preparing a beverage-container recycling scheme slated for launch in 2026. In a global first, Singapore under Fu’s leadership has incorporated alternative proteins into its Paris Agreement commitments, investing 24 times more public funding in the sector than the United States.
Reflecting on the recognition, Fu wrote on LinkedIn: “I am truly honoured and humbled to be recognised alongside global sustainability leaders on this year’s Forbes Sustainability Leaders List. Tackling climate change has become more challenging in the current geopolitical climate. Whilst there are setbacks, there are also new opportunities and breakthroughs… The work ahead is immense, but Team Singapore and I will continue to do our part, working with global partners to turn collective effort into real impact.”
Her comments also referenced Singapore’s role in concluding the implementation rules for carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement — a breakthrough that enables the global trade of high-quality carbon credits.
As Forbes noted, this year’s honourees are not merely working to restore what has been lost, but are charting the next phase of the transition. Fu’s inclusion highlights Singapore’s rising influence in shaping international climate policy and its bid to balance resilience at home with responsibility abroad.
