By Grace Chua

COMMONWEALTH Secondary School was not 14-year-old Wilson Lim's first choice.

But after being posted there and joining programmes such as the clean-ups of Sungei Pandan and dragonfly studies, the young environmentalist has no regrets about attending the neighbourhood school.

And now, he has something of which he can be even more proud.

This evening, Commonwealth Secondary will be the first school to receive the prestigious President's Award for the Environment, the highest national accolade for championing environmental sustainability.

The award, now in its fourth year, will be presented at the Istana in a ceremony presided over by President S R Nathan.

The school, one of two Ministry of Education centres of excellence for environmental education, has been incorporating the green message in its curriculum and activities for several years now.

Its students go on field trips to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and study water treatment and wildlife at the campus' specially constructed wetland habitat. The school is hoping to start a work attachment plan to expose students to environment- related jobs, said principal Cheah Mei Ling.

This environmental push began after its Green Club was formed in 2001. Students and staff then discovered a cause they could champion.

'We hope to inspire other schools to undertake a similar journey,' Mrs Cheah said.

The other award winners this year are the National Youth Achievement Award Council and semiconductor company ST Microelectronics.

The council, launched in 1992 to guide 14- to 25-year-olds in community service, skills development and other areas, has made conservation an element of its service criteria since 1993.

ST Microelectronics has an outstanding track record when it comes to saving energy and recycling its waste and water.

It saves about 6,000 cu m of water each day, enough to fill 2.6 Olympic-size swimming pools, and annually cuts enough energy to power 800 four-room HDB flats for a year.

Facility operations director Benny Lim said: 'We aim to comply with the most stringent frameworks.'

This year's winners were picked from 29 nominees, including individuals, organisations like schools and NGOs, and companies.

PUB chairman Tan Gee Paw, who chaired the award evaluation committee, said of the three winners: 'They have institutionalised environmental awareness, which will continue into the future.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.