Parliament: Singapore’s sustainability plans

Climate change trade-offs stark but S'pore trying to break out of constraints

Where it can, the nation will take a creative approach to going on a domestic carbon diet: SM Teo

Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean PHOTO: GOV.SG

Climate change is an existential threat for Singapore, but the trade-offs it faces in cutting its emissions are much starker than what most other nations face, Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean said yesterday.

Singapore has limited alternative energy sources, land and manpower, he told Parliament during a debate on the Government's sustainability plans.

"Our carbon emissions set real cross-cutting constraints on our development and the daily lives of Singaporeans," he added.

But the country is attempting to break out of these constraints through careful, long-term planning and innovations in policy and technology, said Mr Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security.

In terms of employment, Mr Teo said workers would have to shift to jobs in new areas of growth. For instance, the switch to cleaner energy will reduce demand for more carbon-intensive fossil fuels. But demand for sustainable fuels, and higher value-added petrochemical products and speciality chemicals, will grow, he said.

These are needed for the modern green ecosystem, such as in solar panels, batteries, thermal insulation for buildings, and durable and light-weight parts for electric vehicles, he added.

"Many of the major energy and chemical companies in Singapore have also committed to reach net zero by 2050," he said. "Singapore will partner them in this shift."

Under the Paris Agreement, Singapore's long-term goal is to achieve net zero emissions as soon as viable. Its shorter-term goal is to, by 2050, halve the amount of emissions it produces from its 2030 peak. But Mr Teo said these goals are not meant to be static.

"We will press ahead with the measures which are within our control... But how soon we can achieve net zero depends not only on what we do, but what is done internationally, in areas such as evolving and maturing key technologies, as well as international collaboration on key areas such as carbon markets, as well as the import and export of green electricity," said Mr Teo.

So, where it can, Singapore will take a creative approach to going on a domestic carbon diet.

For instance, Singapore lacks land for extensive solar farms. But it is tapping sunshine through other fronts - such as on rooftops and reservoirs, he said.

Water and food security are also key national priorities for the country, he noted.

Singapore is leveraging science and technology to do so, he noted, pointing to Singapore's fourth desalination plant in Marina East which started operations last year.

On the food front, the Government is encouraging farmers to harness technology through schemes, including the new Agri-Food Cluster Transformation Fund.

"These (approaches) will help us break out of our constraints to secure our food, through careful long-term planning and innovations in policy and technology, and keep costs affordable while minimising carbon emissions," he said.

Mr Teo said that even as efforts are made to turn Singapore's challenges into opportunities, climate change is a challenge that requires all hands on deck.

He added that he was heartened that the House had unanimously acknowledged the seriousness of the global threat of climate change and called for action.

The Singapore Green Plan 2030 - an initiative of five ministries - also reflects this commitment towards sustainable development.

"Our desire is to partner every Singaporean to transform Singapore into a glowing global city of sustainability," he said.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 05, 2021, with the headline Climate change trade-offs stark but S'pore trying to break out of constraints. Subscribe