SINGAPORE - Singapore is growing greener by the minute, with efforts to become more sustainable and battle climate change ramped up on all fronts.
Cheryl Tan and Shabana Begum highlight some key initiatives.
City in nature
• Over 130ha of new parks, or about twice the size of Pasir Ris Park, will be developed. About 170ha of existing parks will be spruced up with lusher vegetation and natural landscapes by the end of 2026.
• Additional 1,000ha of green space by 2035. One-fifth will be new nature parks.
• 30ha of forest, marine and coastal habitats will be restored and enhanced.
• A further 80ha of skyrise greenery.
• One million more trees will be planted.
• Every household will be within a 10-minute walk of a park by 2030.
Sustainable living
Saving water, reducing waste
• Cut daily waste sent to the landfill by 20 per cent per capita by 2026, and by 30 per cent per capita by 2030.
• Reduce daily household water consumption to 130 litres per person by 2030, down from 141 litres in 2019.
Green commute
• 75 per cent of trips during peak periods to be on public transport by 2030.
• New stations or lines will open almost every year over this decade to expand the rail network.
• Triple cycle path networks to 1,320km by 2030, up from 460km last year.
• Expand rail network to 360km by the early 2030s, from around 230km today.
• Buy only cleaner-energy public buses.
Sustainable schools
• Eco Stewardship Programme in all schools to enhance environmental education.
•At least 20 per cent of schools to be carbon neutral by 2030.
• A two-thirds reduction in net carbon emissions in the schools sector by 2030.
• Pilot sustainability features and related concepts in selected schools.
• The new Science Centre will champion public education on sustainability
Energy reset
Cleaner-energy vehicles
• All new car and taxi registrations to be cleaner-energy models from 2030; new diesel car and taxi registrations to cease from 2025.
• Target 60,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging points by 2030, with eight EV-ready towns by 2025.
Greener infrastructure and buildings
• Green 80 per cent of Singapore's buildings (based on gross floor area) by 2030.
•80 per cent of new buildings to be super-low-energy from 2030.
• Best-in-class green buildings to see 80 per cent improvement in energy efficiency by 2030.
Sustainable towns and districts
Reduce energy consumption in HDB towns by 15 per cent by 2030.
Green energy
• Quadruple solar energy deployment to 1.5 gigawatt-peak by 2025.
• Tap cleaner electricity imports and increase research and development in renewable energy and emerging low-carbon technologies.
Green economy
Sustainability in jobs
• New Enterprise Sustainability Programme to help local enterprises adopt sustainability practices.
• Develop Singapore to be a carbon services hub and a leading centre for green finance.
• Develop Jurong Island to be a sustainable energy and chemicals park.
Resilient future
Protecting coastlines against rising sea levels
• $5 billion dedicated to coastal and drainage flood protection measures.
• Creation of coastal protection plans for City-East Coast, North-West Coast (Lim Chu Kang and Sungei Kadut) and Jurong Island by 2030.
Safeguarding food security
• Produce 30 per cent of our nutritional needs locally and sustainably by 2030.
Keeping Singapore cool
• Moderate the rise in urban heat, such as with cool paint and by increasing greenery
SOURCE: MINISTRY OF SUSTAINABILITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
