SINGAPORE GREEN PLAN 2030

You may wonder why a Garden city like Singapore, already functioning in quite a sustainable way, would need to set down a concrete plan to avoid the drastic effects of climate change. Especially when it is the only country to freeze the growth rate of vehicles on its roads for the present [1]. The country’s NEWater plants, which recycle treated used water, already take care of 40% of the nation’s water demand and is expected to tackle 55% of the demand by 2060 [2]. Well, despite all its efforts, the country still must forge on in this battle against climate change as there is no one-time solution to this recurring problem.

Singapore’s geographical position has made it an important trading hub with one of the busiest ports. However, it has also made the country a low-lying island state [3], facing the threat of rising sea-levels. Apart from this, Singapore must also be prepared for the impact of climate change on global supply chains as it imports over 90% of its food [4]. This means that even if Singapore does its best at mitigating the effects of climate change, climate change can still have an impact on the harvests of other countries, indirectly affecting our country.

However, there is no need to fret as Singapore seems to have a plan to combat these issues. The Singapore Green Plan 2030 [5] is a national sustainability movement that was launched to supplement the efforts aimed at meeting the commitments set out for Singapore by the Paris Agreement. It has five pillars which are briefly summarised below [5].

1. A City in Nature

To set out 50% (200 ha) more land by 2030 for nature parks. There is also a plan to plant a million trees across the country which will help in fixing 78,000 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide.

1. Energy Reset

95% of the country’s electricity is already being produced using natural gas [6]. However, there is a plan to shift to renewable sources such as solar power and biodiesel.

1. Sustainable Living

The country aims to become a circular economy, with a high rate of recycling. NEWater is an example of this initiative. There are also plans to reduce the waste being sent to landfills and make more people shift to the already eco-friendly public transport services already available.

1. Green Economy

In the race for a greener future, creative destruction is bound to happen, where newer jobs replace obsolete ones. On the flip side, this shift of demand to greener products and services creates new opportunities for job creation. There are plans to progress deeper in Green Finance, that will allow the country to shift its resources to areas such as renewable energy and other green businesses.

Resilient future

The country aims to prepare as fast as it can for climate emergencies that might occur in the future. This involves setting up physical barriers along the coastlines to address changes in sea-levels, as well as increasing the local food production to withstand future supply chain disruptions.

Preparing for climate change requires forethought and a lot of planning, but it isn’t impossible. In this regard, it seems like Singapore is already a step closer in achieving its goals.

Want to know more about Singapore’s Green plan? Check out their website!

https://www.greenplan.gov.sg/

Links to some of the terms used in the above reading :

Circular Economy

https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/explore/the-circular-economy-in-detail#:~:text=A%20circular%20economy%20is%20a,the%20consumption%20of%20finite%20resources.

Green Finance

https://www.unep.org/regions/asia-and-pacific/regional-initiatives/supporting-resource-efficiency/green-financing#:~:text=Green%20financing%20is%20to%20increase,sectors%20to%20sustainable%20development%20priorities.

References:

[1] Channel News Asia. (2020, August 13). Singapore’s car growth rate to remain at 0% until January 2022 . https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/lta-singapore-vehicle-growth-rate-zero-cars-motorcycles-13018098

[2] Public Utilities Board Singapore. (n.d.). NEWater. https://www.pub.gov.sg/watersupply/fournationaltaps/newater

[3], [4] Impact of Climate Change and Adaptation Measures. (n.d.). National Climate Change Secretariat. Retrieved May 22, 2021, from https://www.nccs.gov.sg/faqs/impact-of-climate-change-and-adaptation-measures/#:%7E:text=The%20Centre%20for%20Climate%20Research,to%201%20metre%20by%202100.

[5] Singapore Green Plan 2030. (n.d.). Singapore Green Plan. Retrieved May 22, 2021, from https://www.greenplan.gov.sg/

[6] International - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (n.d.). U. S. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved May 22, 2021, from https://www.eia.gov/international/analysis/country/SGP