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MSE
Whole of Government

WEATHER AND CLIMATE

Climate Change

1.	What is Singapore doing to tackle Climate Change? We have taken a three-pronged approach to tackle climate change. First, we want to better understand climate change and its impact. Second, we are mitigating climate change by reducing our emissions across all sectors; and third, we are taking measures to adapt to climate change. We also play our part as a responsible global citizen. Understand climate change To better understand climate change, we set up the Centre for Climate Research Singapore (CCRS) in 2013 to strengthen our capabilities in climate science. Today, CCRS is one of the most advanced climate research centres in the region specialising in tropical climate science. CCRS has embarked on the Third National Climate Change Study to provide an update of the projections for future climate change in Singapore and the region. Mitigate climate change To mitigate climate change, we have put in place a comprehensive suite of measures to reduce emissions across all sectors over the years. These include switching to natural gas as a cleaner fuel for power generation, implementing a carbon tax applied uniformly to all sectors without exception, and greening our transport system and buildings. Adapt to climate change To adapt to the impact of climate change, we are prepared to spend an estimated S$100 billion over the next 50 to 100 years to protect Singapore against rising sea levels. Measures may include sea walls, tidal gates and pumping stations. In April 2020, PUB also assumed the role of our Coastal Protection Agency. By combining coastal protection responsibilities with its stormwater management functions, PUB will be well-positioned to look at inland and coastal flooding holistically. You may refer to Singapore’s Climate Action Plan for more information on Singapore’s mitigation and adaptation plans. International and regional efforts No single country will be able to address the challenges of climate change on its own. To effectively address a global problem like climate change and its impacts, we need a strong, collective global response. This is why Singapore is a strong advocate for a multilateral, rules-based approach to addressing climate change. We work with other like-minded countries at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to push for the best possible multilateral deal on climate change. We participate actively in UNFCCC international negotiations and lend our support to the Conference of the Parties (COP) Presidencies to push for a good outcome at the climate conferences. We have also taken an active role to galvanise climate action in the region. As Chair of ASEAN in 2018, we convened the first-ever Special ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Climate Action (SAMCA) and Expanded-SAMCA, where ASEAN, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea reaffirmed our political commitments and discussed ways to step up regional climate action. We have collaborated with partners to improve our understanding of climate change and its impact, through research and institutions like the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre, which is based in Singapore. Through our Climate Action Package, we have partnered and supported fellow developing countries to build capacity in climate-related areas and to implement their Paris commitments and enhance climate action. Singapore has always been a strong supporter of multilateral approaches to global issues, and we work closely with other countries to tackle the climate challenge.
2.	What are Singapore’s climate pledge and aspiration and how does Singapore plan to achieve them? On 31 March 2020, Singapore submitted our enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and Long-Term Low-Emissions Development Strategy (LEDS) document to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Under Singapore’s enhanced NDC, we pledged to peak emissions at 65 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) around 2030. The Government is working across all sectors to achieve this target. This includes the implementation of a carbon tax, efforts to improve industrial energy efficiency, increase solar deployment, and green our transport and buildings. You may refer to Singapore’s Climate Action Plan: Take Action Today, for a Sustainable Future, for more information on Singapore’s mitigation measures. Our LEDS builds on our enhanced NDC target. We aspire to halve our emissions from its peak to 33MtCO2e by 2050, with a view to achieving net zero emissions as soon as viable in the second half of the century. To enable Singapore’s low-carbon transition, the LEDS will have three thrusts: (a) Transformations in industry, economy and society, e.g. more renewable energy, greater energy efficiency, reducing energy consumption; (b) Adoption of advanced low-carbon technologies, e.g. carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), low-carbon fuels; and (c) Effective international collaboration, e.g. international climate action, regional power grids, market-based mechanisms. Achieving our enhanced NDC and LEDS aspiration will require serious and concerted efforts across our industry, economy and society. The extent and speed of emission reductions under our LEDS will become clearer in the coming years, as we gain experience from implementing our programmes, as technology evolves, and as the modalities for international collaboration become formalised. We will invest heavily in Research, Development & Demonstration (RD&D) and continuously review Singapore’s options for opportunities to push the boundaries in our climate action. Low-carbon technologies are being developed and test-bedded in Singapore to help us address our own energy and climate challenges, which will also be useful to other cities facing similar challenges. Our constraints as a small, alternative energy-disadvantaged, island city-state with no natural resources make it challenging to address climate change. However, we have found ways to overcome these constraints in the past, and are confident of doing so in the future, as we co-create solutions with businesses, the community and citizens.
3.	How is the Public Sector taking the lead in reducing its carbon footprint? Under the Public Sector Sustainability Plan, launched in 2017, the public sector as a whole has set targets to reduce electricity consumption by 15% and water efficiency index by 5% from FY2013 levels by FY2020. All public sector buildings will also need to achieve Green Mark standards by FY2020. These efforts leverage the collective capabilities across the whole-of-government to improve resource efficiency in the public sector and effect our commitment towards environmental sustainability. Another way that the public sector is taking the lead is the SolarNova Programme, which aggregates demand for solar deployment across public sector buildings and spaces, catalysing solar adoption in Singapore. For example, HDB’s target to deploy 540 Megawatt peak (MWp) of solar on the rooftops of HDB blocks will make up a significant proportion of our national target to deploy at least 2 Gigawatt peak (GWp) of solar deployment by 2030. We are now reviewing how we can bring public sector sustainability to the next level by raising ambition for the next phase of the public sector sustainability plan.
4.	What is the Government doing to engage and reduce the emissions from companies with significant carbon footprint? Singapore’s approach has always been to pursue sustainable development, by balancing economic needs with environmental protection and social inclusion. Improving industrial energy efficiency is a key pillar of our strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Since 2013, energy-intensive companies are required under the Energy Conservation Act (ECA) to submit annual energy efficiency improvement plans. From 2021, these companies must also establish facility-wide energy management systems and conduct energy efficiency opportunities assessments, which must be submitted to the National Environment Agency (NEA). We will continue to support our companies to be amongst the best-in-class globally in energy and carbon efficiency, and put in place incentives and tools to help them better understand the risks of climate change and make sustainable business decisions. For instance, incentives such as the Resource Efficiency Grant for Energy administered by Singapore Economic Development Board and NEA’s Energy Efficiency Fund help our industries improve their energy efficiency and reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The carbon tax, introduced in 2019, also incentivises businesses to factor in the cost of GHG emissions in business decisions and encourages them to improve energy efficiency and innovate to reduce their carbon footprint. We are prepared to spend more than the estimated S$1 billion in carbon tax revenues collected in the first five years of the implementation of the carbon tax, to help companies invest in energy- and carbon-efficient technologies. To enable further decarbonisation in the longer term, the Government is partnering the industry and research community to study emerging low-carbon technologies such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage and hydrogen. We will continue to work closely with our people, households, researchers and businesses, to co-create solutions, capture new business opportunities in the green economy, and transition towards a low-carbon future.
5.	What can I do to tackle climate change as an individual? Every effort is important as we walk our long-term journey to tackle climate change. Here are some simple steps you can take to reduce your carbon footprint: Set your air-conditioning at 25°C or above to keep your room cool while using less energy; Take shorter showers so that the energy required to treat our waters can be reduced; Take public transport, walk or cycle to commute to reduce your carbon footprint. This will also reduce cars on the road and ease traffic congestions; Support local produce as they are not only fresher and do not travel long distance to reach you. It is also a great way to support our local farmers; Bring your own reusable containers and bags to reduce the energy and resources required to produce and incinerate them; Choose energy-efficient appliances to reduce the electricity required to operate them; Switch off your power mains when not in use; Order what you need, so that the resources and energy used to produce food and to dispose the food waste can be reduced; Resuse items by giving a second life to what would have been a waste; and Recycle right by making sure your recyclables are free of food and liquid contamination so that they can be converted into useful products. You can also keep a lookout and participate in opportunities to co-create and co-deliver solutions to our environmental challenges. You can follow the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment on Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram.
6.	What is the role of the carbon tax in Singapore? How does our carbon tax compare to those in other jurisdictions? The carbon tax was introduced in 2019. It forms part of, and complements, Singapore’s suite of mitigation measures and supports the transition to a low-carbon economy. The Government is prepared to spend more than the expected carbon tax revenue of around $1 billion over the first five years to support worthwhile projects that reduce carbon emissions. The initial carbon tax rate of $5 per tonne of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) is for a transition period of 5 years to give companies time to adjust to the impact of the tax by implementing energy efficiency measures. We will be reviewing the carbon tax rate by 2023, with a view to increase the rate to $10 to $15 per tonne of CO2e by 2030. Our review will take into account international climate change developments, the progress of our mitigation efforts, and our economic competitiveness. The carbon tax applies uniformly to all sectors, without exemption, and maintains a transparent, fair, and consistent price signal across the economy to incentivise emission reduction. This means that our initial carbon tax rate of $5 per tonne of CO2e cannot be directly compared with those in other jurisdictions which may provide significant exemptions for particular sectors, which lower their effective carbon price.

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