Singapore sets sustainable targets for next 10 years

The Government of Singapore has this week released details of a national agenda on sustainable development with the unveiling of the Singapore Green Plan 2030.

Introduced as a “whole-of-nation” strategy charting green targets over the next 10 years, the Singapore Green Plan 2030 is being spearheaded by the nation’s Ministry of Education (MOE), the Ministry of National Development (MND), the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE), the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and the Ministry of Transport (MOT).

In a joint media release introducing the plan, the five ministries advised that it also strengthens Singapore’s commitments under the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and Paris Agreement.

The Five key pillars of Singapore Green Plan 2030 are:

City in Nature - creating a green, liveable and sustainable environment for Singaporeans.

Sustainable Living - reducing carbon emissions, maintaining a clean environment, and saving resources and energy in Singapore.

Energy Reset - using cleaner energy and increasing energy efficiency to lower Singapore’s carbon footprint.

Green Economy - creating green jobs and transforming the country’s industries.

Resilient Future - strengthening Singapore’s climate resilience and enhancing its food security.

Introducing the initiative on Facebook, Singapore Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong wrote “we need to ensure a Singapore for our future generations. All of us have to work together, and make Singapore a bright green spark for the world.”

Also on Facebook, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said that climate change is an existential challenge for Singapore, writing that the country "will be making a determined effort to address this challenge head-on.”

He added "I hope the Green Plan will catalyse a broader national movement to take action to secure a sustainable future for Singapore. With each of us playing our part, I have every confidence that we will be able to build a more vibrant and greener home for future generations.”

Initiatives under the plan include requiring all new car registrations to be cleaner-energy models from 2030, and doubling electric vehicles charging points from 28,000 to 60,000 by 2030. Additionally, at least 20% of schools will be carbon neutral by 2030.

The Green Plan will also see the five ministries ‘actively involve’ the public and other partners to further develop ideas and undertake relevant initiatives as part of this national engagement process, stated the media release.

This will begin with a series of ‘Green Plan Conversations’ this year to seek the views of Singaporeans and to explore potential partnerships. These sessions will be hosted by the ministers overseeing the Green Plan, with other engagements will also be planned through the year.

The Plan also includes a commitment for more green spaces and park connectors with 1,000 hectares of green spaces to be added, of which 200 hectares will be new nature parks. The new nature parks will provide more recreational options, such as hiking and birdwatching, and protect nature reserves from urbanisation.

There will also be measures to develop a ‘Green Citizenry’ that consumes and wastes less. This will be achieved by encouraging water conservation and water efficient practices for households and industries.

Singapore will also be developed into a sustainable tourism destination and a carbon services hub, with the requisite capabilities and networks across the value chain.

There will also be initiatives to strengthen Singapore as a vibrant location for global and local companies to develop new sustainability solutions for Asia, with research and development as an enabler, in areas such as sustainable packaging, decarbonisation, waste upcycling, urban farming, and water treatment.

Images: Singaore's Green Rail Corridor (top) and Infographics on the Singapore Green Plan 2020 (middle and below: Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment).