Young Changemakers Take Centre Stage As the From Children to Children (FCTC) Initiative Champions Environmental Awareness, Innovation and Community-Driven Sustainability

KOTA KINABALU, 22 OCTOBER 2026 – The Sustainable Action Conference 2026 (SAC 4.0) celebrated the creativity, innovation and environmental leadership of Sabah’s younger generation through its flagship “From Children to Children” (FCTC) initiative, a platform dedicated to empowering schoolchildren to develop practical solutions to sustainability challenges while fostering a spirit of community responsibility.

Held on 21 October 2026 at The Magellan Sutera Resort, Kota Kinabalu, officiated by YB Datuk Ceasar Mandela Malakun, Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister of Sabah. The initiative brought together six finalist schools from across Sabah, each presenting innovative projects addressing environmental challenges within their respective school communities. The participating schools and their projects included:

• SMK Tambunan – “Waste to Plate”, transforming food waste into compost for sustainable vegetable cultivation.
• SK Unggun Menggatal – “EcoLoop SKUM – Sustainable 3R Centre”, promoting recycling, waste separation and upcycling.
• SK Kionsom Inanam – “School Recycling Garden”, transforming discarded materials into productive gardening spaces.
• SK Kibabaig – “Project FLOW”, addressing flooding and standing water through nature-based solutions.
• SK Bantayan Inanam – “JANGAN BUANG DULU!”, promoting creative upcycling and waste-to-worth initiatives.
• SJK (C) Chung Hwa Tamparuli – “Zero-Waste Canteen Initiative”, encouraging waste segregation, composting, recycling and Bring Your Own Container (BYOC) practices.

The projects demonstrated how young Malaysians are translating environmental awareness into practical action, addressing challenges ranging from food waste and recycling to water management and sustainable resource utilisation.

As part of the initiative’s commitment to supporting school-led sustainability projects, each of the six finalist schools received RM5,000 each. The champion, SJK (C) Chung Hwa Tamparuli, was awarded an additional RM10,000 to implement its sustainability project at other schools, extending the initiative’s impact beyond the competition and encouraging the sharing of environmental knowledge, innovation and practical solutions among school communities.

Further strengthening the conference’s commitment to social responsibility, an additional RM10,000 was contributed to Pertubuhan Membantu Pesakit Parah Miskin Malaysia, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to assisting underprivileged patients facing serious illnesses. This contribution reflects the broader spirit of sustainability, recognising that meaningful progress encompasses not only environmental stewardship but also social well-being, compassion and community support.

Together, these contributions amounted to RM50,000, made possible through the support of Control Union Malaysia and sponsors of SAC 2026, reinforcing SAC 2026’s commitment to delivering tangible benefits to schools and communities beyond the conference itself.

The FCTC initiative reflects SAC’s broader mission to translate sustainability ambitions into meaningful action. By encouraging students to take ownership of environmental initiatives and share their knowledge with other schools, the programme promotes collaboration, leadership and collective responsibility, demonstrating how grassroots efforts can contribute towards lasting environmental and social progress.

Organised by Control Union Malaysia with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, SAC 2026 was held under the theme “Sustainability as the New Economic Advantage”, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, sustainability practitioners and key stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and accelerate sustainable development.

For more information on SAC 2026, please visit www.sustainableactionconference.com or contact us at malaysia@controlunion.com.