On An Eco Mission

Nadya Hutagalung is stepping up on the global stage to raise awareness on conservation and environmental issues.

- Hayley Tai

Nadya Hutagalung has a clear message to spread: Make this world a better place to live in. As perhaps one of the most celebrated eco-activists in Asia, she believes everyone can play a part to make a difference to our environment. 2019 was a busy year that saw her stepping up on the world stage. As a UN (United Nations) Environment Goodwill Ambassador (a role she has taken on since 2015), the Indonesian-Australian spoke on the rise of a new generation of eco-warriors, at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian last July.

Months before that, she presented a series of pop-up fashion installations in Nairobi for UN Alliance For Sustainable Fashion – a movement that aims to halt the environmentally and socially destructive practices of fashion. The mother of three was also the moderator for the Global Environment Outlook session in Nairobi – an assessment on the state of the environment by the UN.

The mantle of eco-activist isn't new for the 45-year-old, who's based in Singapore. She built one of Singapore’s first eco-homes (with floors made of regionally sourced renewable and recycled materials) more than a decade ago, founded Green Kampong in 2006 – an online resource for sustainable living, and worked on Let Elephants Be Elephants, a 2014 documentary on the illegal ivory trade that was aired on National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild.

As we redefine our relationship with nature on World Environment Day this month (June 5) in these exceptional times, Nadya, who’s also an aspiring photographer, tells Her World’s creative director Windy Aulia about her causes, as well as her lifelong journey towards sustainability.