Meet Marie, Ray, Cora, Eddie and Eva, the mascots of the Sustainable Singapore Movement (SSM), here to encourage people to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle.
Launched yesterday at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza, the SSM is a community movement that is part of the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (SSB) that the Government hopes will galvanise ordinary Singaporeans and encourage them to adopt "greener" practices.
The SSB is a $1.5 billion plan with a series of environmental goals to be met by 2030.
Launching the mascots and the movement yesterday, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli said each mascot will represent one of the five key pillars of the SSB.
The pillars are: building towns with smart and eco-friendly technology; reducing reliance on cars; reducing waste; encouraging businesses to be more sustainable; and getting the community here to take ownership of the environment.
"The SSB must not just be a government publication. It is about a common and shared identity in wanting to keep Singapore clean, green and sustainable," said Mr Masagos, adding that the mascots will give the SSB a visual identity. "We hope they will make their way into the hearts of Singaporeans."
He also hopes Singaporeans will understand that "less is more".
"This refers to a new way of living our lives, where we cherish what natural and man-made resources we have, consume less but enjoy more, and practise sustainable habits," he said.
Developer City Developments has been encouraging its staff and tenants to adopt what it calls "eco-office" practices, said its chief sustainability officer Esther An. "That's why this movement is key. We have to build a kampung spirit. Everyone must believe he can do something."
Methodist Girls' School Secondary 1 student Victoria Guo believes Singapore can use more renewable sources of power, such as solar energy.
To get her message across, she submitted a photograph of solar panels glittering in the evening sun on the Marina Barrage to the SSB Photography and Short Film Competition.
She won the top prize of $2,000 in the schools category yesterday.
"I wanted to show that we can capture the sun's energy with solar panels to power our nation," she said.
