Appointments in new Cabinet show climate change remains a priority for Singapore

SINGAPORE – Climate change first shot to the top of the national agenda in 2019 under then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, when he said in his National Day Rally speech that Singapore’s climate change defences were of as much existential importance for the country as its armed forces. 

Following that speech, the Government rolled out numerous initiatives for Singapore to do its part in tackling the planetary crisis, including higher carbon taxes and plans to import clean generated electricity from abroad. 

Now, based on

the latest Cabinet appointments

by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, it appears that mitigating climate change is likely to remain a priority for the new Government. 

A notable development is the creation of an Energy and Science & Technology portfolio within the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), which will be helmed by Dr Tan See Leng.

Singapore’s energy sector is dependent on natural gas, a fossil fuel that currently accounts for about 40 per cent of the country’s total emissions.

Given the country’s electrification push,

such as for land transport

, this sector’s contribution to total emissions is likely to increase, and Singapore urgently needs to find cleaner, alternative fuel sources if it is to achieve its target of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. 

In announcing his new Cabinet line-up on May 21, PM Wong said that energy – especially clean energy – will be an important part of his Government’s agenda, and that with Dr Tan’s new role, the Government will consider how it can better organise itself to accelerate its transition to clean energy. 

Dr Tan, who is also Manpower Minister, had already been overseeing energy issues when he was Second Minister at MTI. The Energy Market Authority is an agency under the ministry. 

But the new portfolio takes on added significance given that PM Wong had said in his Budget speech in February that the Government will be reorganising itself to place greater emphasis on the study of

the potential deployment of nuclear energy

in Singapore. 

The process of generating nuclear energy does not involve the release of planet-warming gases such as carbon dioxide. Nuclear energy can also provide a stable supply of electricity, compared with, say, solar energy, which can be intermittent during cloudy days or at night. 

No decision has been made yet on this front, but the Republic is actively studying the latest technologies and evaluating options to assess if Singapore can deploy nuclear power in a safe, cost-effective way. 

Whether Dr Tan’s new portfolio is part of the governmental reorganisation to look into nuclear still remains to be seen. 

But having a minister-in-charge of energy issues draws focus to this traditionally emissions-intensive sector. 

On the international front, PM Wong has retained Ms Grace Fu as Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, a position she has held since 2020.  

Ms Fu has been representing the Republic at multilateral environmental platforms such as at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations, from the time when the green agenda was at its peak after the Covid-19 pandemic, to the current geopolitical situation which is comparatively more unfavourable towards climate action. 

Tackling climate change is a tragedy of the commons, and despite Singapore signalling its commitment to do more in recent months, the country will need to find like-minded partners to make any progress.

This requires an understanding of the various countries’ positions on climate change – something that Ms Fu has a good grasp of. 

Finally, in the latest Cabinet reshuffle, PM Wong has asked Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong to oversee the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS).

The NCCS, part of the Prime Minister’s Office’s Strategy Group, develops and implements Singapore’s domestic and international policies and strategies to tackle climate change. 

It seems likely that Mr Gan will also take over as the chair of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change from former senior minister Teo Chee Hean, who has retired from politics.

But whether or not he does assume that role, having the deputy prime minister oversee the NCCS sends a clear signal of the importance of the secretariat’s work.

Despite the global headwinds confronting climate action, Singapore has indicated in recent months that it considers climate change an existential threat, and that it will continue to work towards reducing its emissions. 

It is one of only about 20 countries that have submitted a climate target for 2035. The UN had called the almost 200 nations party to the Paris Agreement to do so by February. 

Singapore has committed to reducing its emissions to between 45 million and 50 million tonnes by 2035, down from around 60 million tonnes in 2030.

This new climate target for 2035 puts Singapore on track to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, with the planned decline in emissions on a linear trajectory.

Singapore’s total greenhouse gas emissions in 2022 amounted to 58.59 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, with emissions projected to peak as the economy grows before moving towards its long-term emission targets.

Members of the international community have acknowledged Singapore’s progress on climate action, but also called on the Republic to do more. 

On May 23, the UN Special Rapporteur welcomed Singapore’s efforts to address climate change, and the country’s contribution in advancing environmental treaties.

But Ms Astrid Puentes Riano noted: “While Singapore contributes 0.1 per cent of global climate emissions, it ranks high in terms of climate emission per capita and consumption-related emissions, therefore there is significant space for improvement.”

Singapore ranks 20th in carbon emissions per capita, based on a review of 156 countries or territories.

How the new Government intends to navigate the complexities of climate action in the current climate, while balancing the trade-offs on Singapore’s economy, will be something to watch out for.