What truly offers hope in a burning world is green business — specifically those originating from young people in the most populous continent in the world: Asia “When one person starts doing something that has a snowball effect and spreads to people around them, and they start thinking why is that person doing that, and it can plant a seed in that person’s mind, and it can grow over time, and that is something I think we underestimate,” says Greta Thunberg many young people are heeding the call to tackle the climate crisis They too believe that the smallest of actions can make a big difference — like how one student from the Philippines is using coconuts to build a green business Samuel Tecuala (left) came up with his green business idea to produce coconut milk that reduces carbon footprint and is healthier for the public Samuel Tecuala always had a dream of doing something big that would contribute to a more sustainable future “I wanted to be good enough to be able to go to a community and potentially help them make their lives better in some sort of way,” he shares And Tecuala found his purpose in coconuts — though he didn’t expect his bowel movements would have anything to do with it When he first arrived in the UK to pursue a bachelor’s in business management at King’s Business School Tecuala was amazed at the vast variety of non-dairy milk choices “I actually only realised I was lactose intolerant when I moved to London I realised I didn’t have to go to the bathroom four or five times a day That’s actually not normal,” he says Shocked by the availability and benefits of coconut milk this made him question why it wasn’t available in his home country High carbon footprint contributes to climate change High water use strains freshwater resources “This is very environmentally damaging,” Tecuala says Many children in the Philippines are micronutrient deficient due to the lack of calcium All of this gave Tecuala a light bulb moment Dehusk won the Innovator Award from King’s Business School for his green business idea He started his green business company Dehusk affordable and sustainable plant-based milk made from organic Laguna Tall (LAGT) coconuts a traditional coconut variety in the Philippines After months of working with engineers in Singapore Tecuala was finally able to travel to Singapore at the end of 2021 to collaborate with Tetra Pak Singapore The resulting product is a barista-worthy coconut milk enriched with calcium Green businesses will be a key driver in building a better tomorrow 40% of consumers say they want to spend more on sustainable products And the report says Asians care about the environment just as much as the Western world They care even more about health-related ESG matters This shift could be the after-effect of a pandemic that exposed how vulnerable and unequal certain societies are — which could be exacerbated as the planet heats up to a point of no return Many are worried. According to Google Trends, there was a staggering increase of over 4,550% in searches for “how to live a sustainable lifestyle” in 2020 While the pandemic brought about many challenges the bright side of the lockdown was that it gave us a glimpse of hope New Delhi and Mumbai recorded nearly 40% to 50% reduction in nitrogen oxide levels EHL is consistently ranked as the best hospitality management school in the world with its three campuses located in Switzerland and Singapore has implemented various initiatives aimed to support local communities promote sustainability and enhance digital learning The EHL Lausanne Campus has been designed and constructed as an environmentally-friendly campus featuring new and renovated buildings that consume low amounts of energy The campus is equipped with geothermal probes which extract heat from a depth of 800 metres as well as an innovative system that recovers heat from wastewater Curriculum emphasises accountability for actions both within and beyond the classroom ensuring that students are prepared to make positive contributions to the world “In one of my modules called corporate sustainability we learned about sustainable business practices with a lot of case studies on what’s up and coming in hospitality businesses and where you’d see these types of initiatives being taken in hotels,” shares student Emmett Coughlan “I feel I have a responsibility to the society and the environment to incorporate such sustainable practices,” he says Emmett Coughlan (right) when serving National Service in Singapore Coughlan witnessed sustainable practices even during his time serving National Service in Singapore “Officers in our training programmes practise sustainable efforts They don’t want anything to go to waste so everything that is used has a purpose and will be used to the maximum capacity,” he says EHL has a sustainable week every year across its three campuses where events and conferences and panel discussions are organised to help raise awareness of sustainability “Sustainability is more than just the environment; it is the people It’s about the small actions we take every day to work towards a more sustainable future,” shares Coughlan If you have plans to pursue or switch to a career that involves caring for the planet, you’ll be happy to know that LinkedIn states that the number of job postings in the green sector is increasing at a faster rate compared to the availability of skilled individuals in the same field According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be an increase in employment opportunities across various fields related to environmental preservation and natural resource conservation In order for sustainable business models to become the new norm every company will require professionals with expertise in sustainability to create change it takes time to develop a pool of talented individuals who possess the necessary skills and knowledge If you have been considering making that switch to contribute to a more sustainable future Green-collar jobs are occupations that prioritise environmental sustainability Workers in green-collar roles operate across various industries Here are some roles to consider if you want to change careers into a green-collar job: Several notable graduates have founded sustainable startups or green businesses Nadine Lustre and her boyfriend Christophe Bariou have churned up a new creation together: Dehusk In an interview with ANC along with their co-founders San Tecuala and Quan Tan talked about their advocacy for creating a local milk product made from plants the first reason why we switched to more plant-based is really for the animals We realized that these animals are actually individuals who are like us who deserve love and compassion and who deserve to exist in this world as well," Nadine said.  The Deleter lead star confessed that "understanding how animal agriculture really works" became their turning point in shifting away from meat and cheese She said that now that she eats a plant-based diet A lot of people ask me how being plant-based is like and I love it there's so many veggies and fruits out there that are available And it's really interesting because when we cook now we get to explore we get to experiment and create new dishes," she added When asked how the sustainable milk product started Tecuala explained how they wanted to produce something locally and support Southeast Asian products "We are sourcing most of our coconuts locally in Quezon Province most of the time as well," he shared.  "I think what makes us different from normal gata is that we're actually not as thick We engineered it to have you know the same fat condiments dairy it's not gonna be like the gata you use for cooking It's actually more of a drink," Tecuala added the way Dehusk is manufactured locally and its fortification process sets it apart from all the plant-based milk in the market "Sustainability plays a huge part of Dehusk," he said "Not all plant-based milks are created equally in terms of sustainability almond milk is one of the most plant-based milks out there one of the worst aspects of almond farming is its water usage." He explained that coconut milk production requires little energy and water compared to other plant-based milk products "What we did with Dehusk is we flipped the switch we make it locally with the most abundant crop in Southeast Asia: coconuts," he said adding that they also fortify their products "We include all the necessary vitamins and nutrition to mimic the nutritional content of dairy." expressed how "crazy" and "amazing" her new venture to the business as a co-founder.  "The products that I've been involved with are all tied to my values and my advocacies as well it's all purpose-driven." Nadine expressed.  She pointed out that "disrupting the dairy industry" is one of the things they "really want to champion" and change people's approach to milk products to push for a more plant-based lifestyle Dehusk became part of the Top 100 Startups in the Philippines for 2023 The group eyes to officially launch the product in 2024.  this broadcasting major is not fond of the fruit itself Lemon speaks enthusiasm about public speaking