Singapore government outlines resource, environment goals in $1b blueprint

Jessica Cheam, Straits Times 28 Apr 09;

SINGAPORE'S policymakers have unveiled a sweeping blueprint, 15 months in the making, to help build a greener, more energy efficient and sustainable nation.

The $1 billion plan, to be implemented over the next five years, will change everything from the cityscape and landscape here, to the way Singaporeans live and the way businesses are run.

If successful, it will make energy usage here more efficient, reduce pollution and expand the nation's green spaces - even as the demand for resources rises along with economic growth.

The report of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Sustainable Development (IMCSD) - co-authored by five different ministries - also pledges to advance Singapore's ambition to be a clean technology and urban environmental solutions hub.

This sector is set to add an estimated $3.4 billion to economic output and create 18,000 'green collar' jobs by 2015.

Speaking at the launch of the 130-page report yesterday, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan acknowledged that the document comes amid Singapore's worst recession since independence.

'The temptation is to slow down our efforts in the area of sustainable development while we tackle the immediate economic challenges. However, the two are not mutually exclusive,' he said.

'If we want to face the challenges of the future, we really have to start now, today. It's going to take us a long time... but we're financially committed to it.'

The report outlines the findings and recommendations of the IMCSD, which was set up in January last year to look at ways to create a sustainable nation in the wake of increasing global awareness of the world's dwindling natural resources and climate change.

Over the past year, more than 700 people including members of the public, leaders of non-governmental organisations, businesses, grassroots organisations, academics, and media figures offered views through various focus group discussions.

Members of the public also submitted more than 1,300 suggestions in the process.

The feedback has resulted in some aggressive targets, including a 35 per cent improvement in energy efficiency from 2005 levels, as well as a recycling rate of 70 per cent, by 2030.

Singapore also wants to increase its proportion of environmentally friendly 'green' buildings from 1 per cent currently to at least 80 per cent by 2030.

Industry observers yesterday called the report 'comprehensive and impressive', but some also highlighted critical gaps.

Dr Geh Min, former president of the Nature Society, said the report was a 'a good reflection of extensive intra-governmental as well as community dialogue'.

She applauded the attention given to solar energy, alternative transport such as cycling, and biodiversity conservation.

Singapore Environment Council executive director Howard Shaw said the report was 'holistic in nature, capturing key areas'.

However, he said that it failed to include discussion of carbon emissions and 'cap-and-trade systems', a form of carbon trading where polluting industries have to buy carbon credits for the right to pollute.

The other IMCSD co-chair, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim, said yesterday that Singapore, which lacks natural renewable sources such as wind and geothermal energy, cannot realistically take on such emission targets.

However, the nation is 'betting big' on solar energy and is investing heavily in the sector, and will not rule out mass adoption of solar power when it becomes cost-effective to do so, he added.

In any case, the report is an 'evolving document' which will be reviewed every five years, said Dr Yaacob.

Responding to the recommendations, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that he was encouraged by the participation of so many Singaporeans in the report.

'This issue concerns not just one or two ministries, but the whole country. Hence we will tackle it using a whole-of-government approach,' he added.

Key initiatives
Straits Times 28 Apr 09;

# $680 million has been set aside for research and development (R&D) and manpower training in clean energy, environment and water technologies.

The sector could create 18,000 jobs and boost gross domestic product by $3.4 billion by 2015.

# Programmes are available to train specialist manpower and research talent for the clean energy and water technology sectors.

For example, the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University have set up several R&D centres such as the Singapore Membrane Technology Centre, the Singapore-Delft Water Alliance with the Netherlands, and the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore.

# Singapore also hosts global knowledge-sharing events, such as the annual Singapore International Water Week and the biennial World Cities Summit, and think-tanks like the Centre for Liveable Cities.

Green economy to add 18,000 jobs and $3.4b
Grace Chua, Straits Times 28 Apr 09;

MONEY does not grow on trees but the Government hopes a green economy will pay off by creating 18,000 more jobs and adding $3.4 billion to the Republic's gross domestic product (GDP) by 2015.

Yesterday, the Government released its sustainable-development blueprint which projects that environment and water technologies and clean energy solutions will each contribute $1.7 billion to GDP in the next six years.

Of these, 11,000 jobs will come from environment and water technologies, such as water-treatment plants, while 7,000 will come from the clean energy industry, such as solar-cell plants or biofuels.

To grow the clean technology - or 'cleantech' - sector, a $680 million fund has been set aside for research and development (R&D) and manpower training.

And January's Budget pledged an additional $1 billion for sustainable development over the next five years.

Though this figure is a small percentage of Singapore's $257.4 billion GDP last year, Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan said: 'We are not looking at headline-grabbing numbers...We are looking at something that is doable in the Singapore context, that is practical, that will give us results.'

One strategy is to develop Singapore as a 'living laboratory' for companies to test-bed technologies here.

A 55-hectare cleantech park - about 25 per cent larger than Beijing's Tiananmen Square - will provide companies with a ready testing ground.

The first phase of the park will be ready at Jalan Bahar, near Nanyang Technological University, by 2011, and will be completed over the next 20 years.

The park will set standards for users in carbon emissions, energy use, and water and waste management, said the Economic Development Board (EDB), which is developing the facility with JTC Corporation.

The EDB said details are still being worked out and will be released in the third quarter of this year.

Mr Lee Thiam Seng, chief executive of environment-solutions provider eco- Wise, which operates a biomass co-generation plant, said the cleantech park was a good long-term strategy for Singapore.

'A lot of these things take time. For instance, hydrogen fuel cells may not be commercially viable within the next 10 years, but technology keeps on improving and advancing,' he said.

Another strategy to grow the cleantech sector here is to attract 'queen bee' companies such as Norway's Renewable Energy Corporation (REC), said Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry S.Iswaran.

Mega investments like REC's $6.3 billion solar cell plant in Tuas will in turn attract other supporting companies, he added.

Besides REC, other renewable-energy companies which are calling Singapore home include Finland's Neste Oil, which is building a $1.2 billion biodiesel plant in Tuas, and Danish wind-power firm Vestas, which last year set up its $500 million R&D centre at Fusionopolis.

Returns from investing in solar energy are expected in the next five to eight years, said Mr Iswaran.

But issues such as integrating solar power into the current electricity grid will have to be addressed if it is to be used on a large scale, he added.

Green blueprint
80% of buildings to be eco-friendly by 2030
More than a year in the making, the new blueprint for a sustainable Singapore sets out three key areas for a cleaner, greener environment
Jessica Cheam, Straits Times 28 Apr 09;

GREEN buildings make up a paltry 1 per cent of buildings in Singapore today, but come 2030, that number will grow to cover 80 per cent of all buildings.

This is one of the most ambitious of the many targets outlined by the Inter- Ministerial Committee on Sustainable Development in its inaugural report released yesterday.

To help achieve this, property developers will be offered a carrot - free extra floor area if their new buildings are built in a way that meets high Green Mark standards. The Government has also set aside a $600 million fund to green existing public and private buildings.

Launched in 2005, the BCA Green Mark Scheme is a system that rates a building's environmental performance.

When fully implemented, all these initiatives under the Building and Construction Authority's (BCA's) second green building masterplan will help Singapore achieve annual savings of $1.6 billion in terms of energy cost reductions.

BCA's second masterplan expands on the first one, which focused on greening new buildings. A total of 245 buildings met the Green Mark standard.

But public feedback had urged BCA to do more with existing buildings, which make up majority of Singapore's physical landscape, said BCA's chief executive John Keung.

Under the new masterplan, the public sector will drive the transformation by requiring all new, large air-conditioned public buildings to achieve the highest Platinum standard from now on.

In addition, the Government will pump $500 million into greening all its public buildings to the GoldPlus standard - just one level below Platinum.

For the private sector, BCA will hand out $100 million in cash incentives to building owners to help them retrofit buildings to be more energy efficient.

Land sales to builders in strategic growth areas such as Marina Bay, Jurong Lake District, Kallang Riverside and Paya Lebar Central will also now come with a condition: Buildings constructed on the sites must achieve either a Green Mark Platinum or GoldPlus rating.

To provide incentives to the private sector, BCA is handing out free gross floor area (GFA) for new private buildings - a suggestion made by industry players during the report's feedback sessions.

Developers who build Green Mark GoldPlus buildings will get an extra 1 per cent of GFA, capped at 2,500 sq m; while Platinum buildings will get an extra 2 per cent, capped at 5,000 sq m.

Industry players such as City Developments' managing director Kwek Leng Joo have welcomed the move. Mr Kwek adding that this will 'help developers defray some investment in green technology and features'.

Even smaller developers, such as executive director Lim Yew Soon of Evan Lim & Co, said they would 'happily build green buildings despite the cost' if there were some incentives available.

Dr Keung said the masterplan will 'not only result in more of our buildings being able to achieve substantial savings in energy costs, but it also provides a boost to the 'green collar' job market'.

About 18,000 green specialists are expected to be trained over the next 10 years in the development, design, construction, operation and maintenance of green buildings.

In the longer term, BCA is considering mandating energy labelling for existing buildings so as to encourage building owners to green their physical assets to a high level of efficiency.

Making the Mark
Straits Times 28 Apr 09;

What makes a green building?

Through the use of cutting-edge green technology, occupants enjoy a cut in water and energy bills, as well as an improvement in indoor environmental quality for healthy living. This also reduces the building's impact on the environment.

One key target:

80 per cent of all buildings in Singapore to be certified Green Mark by 2030. The Green Mark scheme rates buildings on their environmental impact.

Initiatives:

# $100 million incentive for private building owners to upgrade existing buildings to meet green standards.

# Developers will be granted the right to extra floor area for new private buildings meeting green criteria.

# New buildings in strategic growth areas to achieve high Green Mark standards.

# All new public buildings will have to attain Platinum standard.

# All existing public buildings will be upgraded to meet the Goldplus standard at a cost of $500 million by 2020.

Solar power to light up 30 HDB precincts
Straits Times 28 Apr 09;

SOME HDB residents across Singapore can soon look forward to solar energy coming to their estates.

About 30 Housing Board precincts - 28 old and two new estates - are set to get a total of $31 million worth of solar panels installed over the next five years.

The locations are still being chosen and will be announced soon, said HDB yesterday. It added that the solar capacity will help build up the capabilities of local firms and workers.

The project will enable HDB to study the effects of location and different block configurations on solar electricity generation.

It also aims to reduce the energy usage of common areas in HDB estates by 20 per cent to 30 per cent within the next five years.

Solar power to light up 30 HDB precincts
SOME HDB residents across Singapore can soon look forward to solar energy coming to their estates.

About 30 Housing Board precincts - 28 old and two new estates - are set to get a total of $31 million worth of solar panels installed over the next five years.

The locations are still being chosen and will be announced soon, said HDB yesterday. It added that the solar capacity will help build up the capabilities of local firms and workers.

The project will enable HDB to study the effects of location and different block configurations on solar electricity generation.

It also aims to reduce the energy usage of common areas in HDB estates by 20 per cent to 30 per cent within the next five years.

Green blueprint
Look forward to much fresher air by 2020
More than a year in the making, the new blueprint for a sustainable Singapore sets out three key areas for a cleaner, greener environment
Yeo Ghim Lay, Straits Times 28 Apr 09;

THE air in Singapore will be cleaner by 2020 as the authorities have laid out plans to reduce pollution from the transport and industry sectors.

At the top of the hit list are the two main pollutants particulate matter (PM2.5) and sulphur dioxide, both of which are known to cause breathing problems and aggravate respiratory diseases such as asthma.

The Government hopes to reduce PM2.5 emissions from the current annual mean of 16 micrograms per cu m of air to 12 micrograms per cu m by 2020.

PM2.5 - the fine particles in the air - is emitted by diesel vehicles and has been linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

Besides keeping PM2.5 emissions in check, the authorities also hope to cap sulphur dioxide levels at an annual mean of 15 micrograms per cu m by 2020.

Sulphur dioxide is known to worsen respiratory conditions. It is currently hovering at about 11 micrograms per cu m of air, but this level is expected to increase over the following years due to economic growth and increased demand for energy.

After 2020, the aim is to sustain these cleaner levels for another 10 years at least despite expected growth in the economy and vehicle population.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim said these targets were well within similar standards set by the United States' Environmental Protection Agency.

To meet these emission goals, the Government will work with transport operators and key industries such as oil and petrochemicals.

To tackle pollution on the roads, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will carry out a trial of hybrid diesel buses with public and private bus operators.

A hybrid diesel engine makes use of an electric motor as a complement to diesel fuel. It can reduce PM2.5 emissions by 85 per cent, and improve fuel economy by 15 to 30 per cent, said the authorities.

The trial involving buses will determine if it is feasible to use such an engine on Singapore's bus fleets. There are more than 3,500 public buses in Singapore.

Public transport operators say they welcome the trial.

SBS Transit, which runs the majority of bus services here, said it is keen to work with the authorities. 'We are constantly looking at new developments in bus emissions technology.'

SMRT said it is also studying the possibility of greener alternatives, such as hybrid engines, for its bus fleet.

The LTA will also study the use of filters which can be fitted to diesel vehicles and can cut PM2.5 emissions by up to 85 per cent.

The trials involving hybrid buses and filters will be carried out at a new vehicle emissions test laboratory, which the LTA hopes to set up with the help of the private sector. No details are known yet.

Aside from buses, electric vehicles will also be tested by the authorities.

Outside of the transport sector, the Government will be working with major emitters like oil refineries and petrochemical plants to cut sulphur dioxide levels in the air. It will also roll out several plans to bring about greater energy efficiency in these industries.

Energy-related benchmarks will be set for key sectors, which will force companies to improve their energy efficiency.

The National Environment Agency will also start an Energy Efficiency Circle programme to get employees involved and to give recognition to companies that have made the effort in this area.

Clearing the air
Straits Times 28 Apr 09;

A BLUEPRINT for cutting the amount of particles and sulphur dioxide in the air includes the following moves:

# Boosting the use of public transport.

# Trials of diesel hybrid buses.

# Testing electric vehicles.

# Studying the use of filters for diesel particles.

# Setting up a vehicle-emissions test laboratory.

# Encouraging cycling with a $43 million network of bike paths and bike parks in five HDB towns.

Working with major industry emitters to cut sulphur dioxide levels.

Green blueprint
Green is the word - from ground to the sky
More than a year in the making, the new blueprint for a sustainable Singapore sets out three key areas for a cleaner, greener environment
April Chong, Straits Times 28 Apr 09;

ALREADY known as the Garden City, Singapore is making plans to become even more green, with new projects and incentives planned over the next two decades.

Under the sustainable development blueprint, 900ha of new parkland will be added in the next 10 years, bringing the total area of parkland to 4,200ha, or about 6 per cent of the nation's land area.

Upcoming parks include Gardens by the Bay at the Marina Bay area, the Coney Island park off the north-east coast of Singapore, and the expansion of the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve near Kranji.

By 2030, there will be 0.8ha of parkland for every 1,000 people.

Getting from one park to another will also be made easier when park connectors triple in length to 360km by 2020. This will complement a 150km round-island route, allowing people to cycle, stroll or jog closer to Singapore's coastline and tropical greenery.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has earmarked areas like Changi, Punggol and Lim Chu Kang to be developed into nature-based leisure sites with camping facilities, spas and chalets.

The green push is not only happening at ground level. Projects will extend skyward with another 50ha of skyrise greenery planned by 2030 - including 9ha of green roof projects, being developed on top of multi-storey carparks in residential estates, within the next three years.

Rooftop garden areas first began sprouting on top of multi-storey carparks in Punggol in 2003. They have now taken root at other estates in Sembawang, Seng Kang and Toa Payoh.

All new buildings here are now required to meet minimum green standards under the Building and Construction Authority's Green Mark scheme. The planting of green rooftops adds to a building's overall points, besides other aspects like water conservation and energy efficiency.

Changi General Hospital's new green roof, for instance, reduces energy consumption by up to a quarter by cooling the rooms directly underneath it.

The garden, which has a fountain and fitness facilities for staff amid the greenery, opened last week and is the size of about 20 tennis courts.

Apart from adding to Singapore's green belt, the Government is also introducing incentives to encourage private developers to grow green thumbs.

The National Parks Board will co-fund up to half the costs of setting up a green roof project in the Central Business District or Orchard Road area.

And existing buildings within the Orchard Road shopping area and downtown will get bonus gross floor area from URA for setting up rooftop outdoor refreshment areas if landscaping is included.

New developments in the Downtown Core near the CBD, Jurong Gateway and Kallang Riverside will also have to provide landscaped areas equivalent to the site area.

Blue spaces here will also increase with the opening of more reservoirs and waterways for recreation.

Currently there are 645ha of reservoirs and 66.9km of waterways for public use, this will increase to 900ha and 100km, respectively, by 2030.

The first two Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters projects by the Public Utilities Board located at Kolam Ayer and Bedok Reservoir were completed last year.

A further 27 water projects are in the pipeline for the next few years, with 130 to be implemented over the next 20 years.

Going green
Straits Times 28 Apr 09;

# Additional 900ha of parkland by 2020.

# 360km of park connectors by 2020.

# Additional 50ha of skyrise greenery by 2030, including 9ha of green roofs on HDB multi-storey carparks.

# Introduce initiatives such as co-funding for green roof projects, bonus gross floor area for rooftop outdoor refreshment areas and landscape replacement policy.

# 900ha of reservoirs and 100km of waterways for recreational use by 2030.

# Action plan to conserve biodiversity.

Singapore Government unveils sustainable development blueprint for next decade
Hasnita A Majid, Channel NewsAsia 28 Apr 09;

Dr Wong Liang Heng, HDB's deputy director for sustainability & building research, said: "It's actually part of HDB's big plans to try to reduce energy consumption for HDB estates. However, solar... is still quite expensive, but we still want to test it out to learn more about this technology and also to build capability in Singapore."

HDB will roll out this project to 28 existing precincts and two new ones. It will be the largest solar test bed programme in Singapore, costing some S$31 million.

This pilot project is part of an ambitious plan to reduce energy consumption by a third by 2030 and to raise the overall recycling rate and public transport share - both to 70 per cent.

Half a billion dollars is available to retrofit public sector buildings, while the private sector can tap on a S$100 million incentive scheme to do the same.

All new government sector buildings will have to achieve the highest Green Mark accolade - the Green Mark Platinum award.

And buildings in four new strategic growth areas will also have to meet the highest Green Mark rating. These areas are Marina Bay and Downtown Core, Jurong Gateway in Jurong Lake District, Kallang Riverside and Paya Lebar Central.

The requirement will reduce the areas' energy consumption by 25 per cent. The sustainable development road map allows for the building of more cycling tracks and greater use of clean transport and technology to make this possible.

For example, S$43 million will be invested into implementing cycling networks in selected HDB towns over the next five years.

The blueprint was unveiled by the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Sustainable Development, chaired by both National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan and Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim.

The committee, set up in January last year, consulted extensively with various groups to put together a clear national strategy in the context of emerging domestic and global challenges.

Mr Mah said: "This is a long-term commitment, we are facing economic difficulties, there is a downturn at the moment, but we need to launch this blueprint even in this not so good time because sustainable development is a long-term challenge.

"What we enjoy today is what was put in place many years ago. So if you want to face the challenges of the future, you really have to start now, you really have to start today and it's going to take us a long time."

Dr Yaacob said: "These targets are what we have worked out from the bottom up with various stakeholders and we are confident that we can achieve this. We will take a five-year period to review as we go along because things may improve, technology may offer new solutions and then we will revise it accordingly."

The spinoff to all this is a "green collar workforce", which will see some 18,000 "green specialists" trained over the next 10 years in the development, design and maintenance of green buildings.

They will form the core of the new "clean tech" sector, which will develop through an R&D park at Jalan Bahar for test-bedding such technologies.- CNA/ir

A long-term commitment
Committee makes its recommendations in the face of a downturn
Zul Othman, Today Online 28 Apr 09;

YOU could soon be living an eco-friendly lifestyle — your home could be a flat in any of the 30 housing estates to be powered by solar energy. And you would have more tracks to cycle on, as well as be able to ride diesel hybrid buses and electric vehicles that use clean transport technology.

Solar energy for homes and eco-friendly transport are some of the highlights in a blueprint rolled out by the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Sustainable Development (IMCSD) as it makes its recommendations for the next two decades.

In response, the Government has set aside $1 billion to implement them over the next five years.

At a media conference yesterday, Minister for National Development and IMCSD co-chair, Mr Mah Bow Tan said: “This is a long-term commitment ... there is a downturn at the moment but we need to launch this blueprint ... because sustainable development is a long term challenge.”

Mr Yaacob Ibrahim, the Environment and Water Resources Minister is the other co-chair of the committee formed in February last year. Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Transport Minister Raymond Lim and Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry S Iswaran are members. The team consulted extensively with various groups over a year.

Improving Singapore’s resource efficiency is part of what the IMCSD wants to achieve by 2030. Among its 10 goals are a 35-per-cent reduction in energy intensity (consumption per dollar GDP) from 2005 levels and reducing water consumption from 156 litres to 140 litres (about one bathtub) per person per day.

Perhaps the boldest initiative is the use of solar technology for housing estates as part of a $31 million large-scale solar test-bedding scheme.

Two new and 28 existing Housing and Development Board (HDB) precincts will be involved, making this the largest solar test bed in Singapore.

If it works, it would help reduce energy consumption. But it could take about 25 to 30 years before energy savings can recoup the costs of the solar panels and of the installation fees.

“We still want to test it out to learn more about this technology, and also build capabilities in Singapore,” said Dr Johnny Wong, from HDB’s Building Technology Department.

The knowledge gained will enable the HDB to see how it can optimise the costs of deploying solar energy should costs come down and become more viable.

Installation currently costs about $250,000 per precinct. Results have been promising and such panels have increased energy savings by another 10 per cent for Serangoon and Wellington precincts.

Besides $43 million to be invested into building cycling pathways in selected HDB estates, other initiatives include minimum performance standards to be set for electrical appliances.

New schemes to promote high-rise greenery will also be introduced, including a pilot grant scheme to be given to developers for the installations of green roofs.

A $100 million green carrot for buildings
Today Online 18 Apr 09;

A $100-million Green Mark incentive scheme will also be set up to encourage more eco-friendly buildings.

Under this, existing downtown offices and residential premises can be retro-fitted. The aim is for at least 80 per cent of all buildings to be energy-efficient by 2030.

To encourage new private buildings to attain higher tier Green Mark ratings — the Green Mark Platinum or Green Mark GoldPlus — incentives in the form of bonus Gross Floor Area will also be offered.

The higher Green Mark standards will also be set on projects developed on Government sale sites as land sale conditions in selected new strategic growth areas including the Marina Bay and Downtown Core, Jurong Gateway in Jurong Lake District, Kallang Riverside and Paya Lebar Central.

All medium or large new air-conditioned public sector buildings will also have to achieve the Platinum award.

These initiatives could result in a “green collar workforce” with some 18,000 “green specialists” trained over the next decade in the development, design and maintenance of green buildings.

The Jalan Bahar Tech Park will also be developed as the first business park to support research and development and test bed clean technologies.

Mr Kwek Leng Joo, managing director of City Developments Limited said the initiatives are “forward looking”. The building sector contributes some 16 per cent of Singapore’s greenhouse gas emissions, making it the third-largest contributor.

“Greenhouse gas from each home has increased 25 per cent as compared to a decade ago,” he added.

Clean, green blueprint to redefine Singapore
Business Times 28 Apr 09;

$1b to kickstart plan for energy-efficient buildings, lower emissions, cleaner transport, other solutions

(SINGAPORE) The government yesterday unveiled a blueprint for sustainable development for the next 10 to 20 years, adopting a 'light-touch' approach for now to spare businesses and households from higher costs at a time of economic hardship.

Even so, there will be huge implications for developers, the transport sector, oil refineries and even makers of airconditioners, refrigerators and clothes dryers.

A key target is a 35 per cent reduction in energy consumption per dollar GDP by 2030 (from 2005 levels), which is projected to potentially generate about $3.6 billion annual savings (net of the cost of investment).

New buildings in Singapore will be more energy efficient while existing ones will be retrofitted to conserve energy.

Electric vehicles and diesel-hybrid buses will be tested out. Minimum energy performance standards for household air-conditioners and refrigerators will be introduced by 2011. In short, the moves will touch all aspects of life in Singapore.

The government will provide 'incentives, information and educate the public, as opposed to other policy options of say legislation or even disincentives such as taxes' as National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan, co-chair of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Sustainable Development (IMCSD), said at a media briefing yesterday.

For a start, the government has set aside $1 billion for the next five years - this was announced in the January Budget statement - to help implement plans in the blueprint.

Part of this sum will go towards helping businesses reduce the upfront costs of investing in resource-efficient buildings, systems and processes. The $1 billion sum includes $100 million set aside for the new Green Mark Incentive scheme to retrofit existing private-sector buildings to boost energy efficiency.

'The temptation is to slow down our efforts in the area of sustainable development while we tackle the immediate economic challenges. However, the two are not mutually exclusive. Even as we tackle the short-term challenges, we must build capability for our long-term development,' Mr Mah said.

The blueprint keeps open the option of mandating changes in the longer term. For instance, the government will study the experiences of countries that have legislated minimum energy-efficiency standards for major energy-consuming equipment and systems and see if it needs to use the law for this.

The 128-page document, available at www.sustainablesingapore.gov.sg, also elaborates on plans to build new R&D capabilities.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim, co-chair of IMCSD, highlighted that the 'concrete targets' set in the blueprint for 2020 and 2030 'reflect how serious we are about sustainable development'.

The targets will be reviewed every five years. 'These targets will be reviewed regularly, as technology improves and the cost-effectiveness of measures changes,' he added.

Energy-related benchmarks will be set for key industrial sectors.

Other specific targets include reducing daily domestic water consumption per capita from 156 litres currently to 140 litres by 2030. To improve air quality, ambient sulphur dioxide levels will be capped despite economic growth. Air emission standards for industry and transport will be regularly reviewed and Singapore will be benchmarked against top Asian cities - without imposing prohibitive costs on the players.

There will also be 50 additional hectares of skyrise greenery, and 900 hectares of water bodies and 100 km of waterways open for recreational activity by 2030.

Another important target set is for at least 80 per cent of Singapore's stock of buildings to achieve Building and Construction Authority's (BCA) Green Mark Certified Rating by 2030.

The government will promote more efficient pollution-control equipment for industries and the use of more efficient sulphur recovery systems for oil refineries.

Singapore will be positioned as an international knowledge hub in sustainable development solutions. Solar technology will be piloted at 30 public housing precincts across the island. Singapore will invest early in solar technology to prepare for using it on a larger scale when its cost falls closer to that of conventional energy.

BCA will develop prototype energy-efficient building designs that can more than halve energy consumption.

Clean energy and water technologies are projected to provide about $3.4 billion economic value-add per year by 2015 and to create a total of 18,000 jobs by 2015.

Most buildings to go green by 2030
Property owners can look forward to annual energy savings of $1.6b
Emilyn Yap, Business Times 28 Apr 09;

IT'S a red-hot target in going green - the government hopes to put the Green Mark stamp on at least 80 per cent of buildings here by 2030, and has come up with a slew of new measures for building owners to help meet this goal.

Not only does the environment stand to gain, property owners can look forward to annual energy savings to the tune of $1.6 billion in the long run. More jobs dedicated to the development and care of green buildings may also emerge. The new target was revealed by the Inter-ministerial Committee on Sustainable Development yesterday, as part of its 10-to-20-year blueprint for Singapore's growth. In conjunction with the plan's launch, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) rolled out its second green building master plan to improve the environmental friendliness of buildings.

Existing buildings, in particular, came under the spotlight because they consume a third of national end-use electricity. To entice owners of some private non-residential developments to carry out retrofitting works, BCA will offer cash incentives through a $100 million Green Mark incentive scheme for existing buildings. The National Parks Board will also have a new 'sky-rise' greenery incentive scheme to encourage existing developments in the city centre to green up their roofs.

The government will play its part by requiring all large existing buildings owned by its agencies to attain the Green Mark gold plus standard by 2020, at an estimated retrofitting cost of about $500 million over the next 10 years. Gold plus is second to the top platinum rating, and ranks above the gold and certified ratings.

New buildings are also on BCA's radar, and the agency is working with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to offer bonus gross floor area (GFA) for private developments. Those that attain the Green Mark platinum or gold plus rating can receive up to 2 per cent or one per cent more GFA beyond the URA master plan gross plot ratio control respectively.

The bonus GFA, however, is subject to caps and the payment of a development charge (DC) or differential premium. While City Developments managing director Kwek Leng Joo believes the additional GFA will help developers defray some investment costs in green technology and features, he suggests 'the DC rate be pegged at the previous rate of 50 per cent instead of the current 70 per cent' to 'make the incentive more attractive and effective'.

New buildings in strategic growth areas will come under greater scrutiny. Those in the Marina Bay and Downtown Core area will have to meet Green Mark platinum or gold plus standards as part of land sale conditions, while those in the Jurong Lake District, Kallang Riverside and Paya Lebar Central will have to attain the Green Mark gold plus rating.

For Marina Bay and Jurong Lake District in particular, URA will introduce a landscape replacement policy to make up for greenery lost from ground development. New projects have to put in place sky-rise greenery or ground-level landscaping equivalent to the site area in size.

The government has also set a high benchmark for new public sector buildings - all medium or large air-conditioned ones have to achieve the Green Mark platinum rating.

'BCA's second green building masterplan will not only result in more of our buildings being able to achieve substantial savings in energy costs, but also provides a boost to the green-collar job market,' said BCA CEO John Keung.

According to BCA, the masterplan will reduce energy costs by $1.6 billion a year when it is fully implemented. Some 18,000 professionals, managers, executives and technicians may also be trained over the next 10 years in the development, design, construction, operation and maintenance of green buildings.

More can be done to boost energy efficiency
Business Times 28 Apr 09;

THE first-ever sustainable development blueprint launched by the Inter-ministerial Committee on Sustainable Development (IMCSD) won support from various quarters yesterday, but a few observers also felt that more could be done to push the green agenda.

The plan has outlined various programmes for Singapore's sustainable development and is 'a very good start to the whole process', said the Singapore Environment Council's executive director Howard Shaw. But he felt that it could have gone further to include caps on carbon emissions.

The blueprint set several goals in improving resource efficiency, such as a 35 per cent cut in energy consumption per dollar GDP from 2005 levels by 2030, but carbon emission caps were not part of them.

Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim, who is also co- chair of the IMCSD, shed some light on this at a media briefing yesterday. According to him, Singapore is constrained by the lack of alternative energy sources and the best strategy so far is to be resource-efficient.

'If you ask us whether we can really change our economic structure and replace all the fossil fuels that we import with alternative energy - not possible,' he said.

There were also questions at the briefing on whether Singapore is spending enough on sustainable development. The government committed in this year's Budget $1 billion over the next five years to this area.

To this, National Development Minister and also IMCSD co-chair Mah Bow Tan highlighted that it was more important to invest in measures that will yield the best results. 'We are not throwing money at the problem . . . If the $1 billion gives us results and it starts to show, we will be going back to the Finance Ministry to ask for more.'

The blueprint also rolled out a mix of rules and incentives for buildings to become more energy-efficient. BT understands that the idea for one scheme - which offers bonus gross floor area for new private developments which attain the Green Mark platinum or gold plus rating - came from CapitaLand boss Liew Mun Leong at a BCA event last year.

City Developments managing director Kwek Leng Joo said: 'With the public sector taking the lead in raising the standard of greening our buildings by some mandatory requirements coupled with strategic incentives, developers and building owners are likely to respond positively.'

Mr Kwek also suggested that the government look into 'greening' the existing stock of around 1.2 million public and private housing units in Singapore.

Air quality also came to the IMCSD's attention and it has set caps on levels of sulphur dioxide and fine particles in the air. ExxonMobil's Singapore refinery manager Darrin Talley said that the company shares the government's desire for good air quality.

Solar test bed scheme on wider scale by 2015
Teh Shi Ning, Business Times 28 Apr 09;

SOLAR panels will be fitted on the roofs of residential blocks and multi-storey carparks in 30 HDB precincts by 2015 in the largest solar trial rolled out here.

The $31 million trial will provide 3.1 megawatts peak of solar capacity in 28 existing HDB precincts and two new ones.

HDB is testing solar technology in preparation for greater use when the cost of it is closer to that of energy from traditional sources.

Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry S Iswaran said industry players expect to see returns from investments in solar technology in five to eight years.

But there are systemic issues involved in harnessing solar energy, he pointed out. 'It's not just about the cells being able to convert solar energy into electrical energy. Even if you're able to do that, after that, how does that integrate with your energy system, your electricity grid - those are important issues too.'

Last August, HDB installed rooftop solar panels on blocks in Serangoon North Avenue 3 and Wellington Circle, as part of the Energy Save Programme it is working on with the National Environment Agency and Energy Market Authority. Results so far show the panels installed on seven residential blocks and one multi-storey carpark in each precinct can generate about 220 kilowatt hours a day - enough to meet the common services power requirements in a single block.

HDB's first eco-friendly public housing development, Treelodge@Punggol, is designed to incorporate rooftop solar panels that are expected to generate enough energy to meet 40 per cent of the precinct's common services requirements. HDB said testing on a wide scale of 30 precincts will enable it to better assess the feasibility of different solar technologies in Singapore's environment, and gather technical knowledge on their installation and maintenance.

HDB also expects the programme to encourage global manufacturers to set up base in Singapore for R&D on solar panel technologies, which will help to drive down the cost of the panels.

Last year the government set aside $20 million for its Solar Capability Scheme to encourage the installation of solar technology in new building projects.

For a greener and cleaner home
Blueprint details goals to make S'pore more efficient in resource use
Teh Jen Lee, The New Paper 29 Apr 09;

WANT to know how Singapore will look like in 2030, that is, 21 years from now?

The Inter-Ministerial Committee for Sustainable Development (IMCSD) plans to make Singapore cleaner, greener and more efficient in its resource use than it is now.

But the key will still be you, and how you can make a difference.

At a media conference yesterday, the IMCSD unveiled a blueprint that detailed key goals and initiatives for the next 10 to 20 years.

Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and co-chair of IMCSD, said the targets would be reviewed regularly as technology improves and cost-effectiveness of measures changes.

'The Government will play a catalytic role through setting aside $1 billion to implement IMCSD's recommendations. However, achieving our goals will require a whole-of-nation effort,' he said.

'Through our joint efforts, Singapore can also do its part to contribute to global environmental sustainability.'

The $1 billion budget will pay for projects like the $100-million Green Mark Incentive Scheme, to encourage the retrofitting of large buildings to include more green features, and the expansion of cycling networks, which costs $43 million.

One example of government initiatives that is already under way is the test bedding of solar panels in two HDB precincts in Serangoon North and Wellington Circle.

Promising results

Started last August, the project provides technical knowledge on how to incorporate solar energy in public housing estates.

So far, the results have been promising.

The solar panels installed in seven residential blocks and a multi-storey carpark generate enough electricity to power the common lighting, lifts and pumps of a single block.

Besides the public sector, ordinary people and companies also played a part in coming up with the blueprint, a process that took about a year.

More than 200 people contributed their views through focus group discussions, and the public submitted more than 1,300 suggestions.

For the layman, the blueprint document is explained in a much shorter brochure that will be distributed through community centres and schools.

Temasek Polytechnic lecturer Harith Fadhirlah Mohamad Ali, 34, and three students from the school's diploma course in visual communication, wrote and designed the full-colour brochure.

They were given about three weeks to come up with a brochure. They presented it yesterday.

Mr Harith said: 'We were impressed that the five ministries had cooperated to plan measures to achieve a sustainable future. Some of the items involved everyday actions like saving water and electricity.

'The layman's version of the blueprint is important to help ordinary people understand what sustainable development is, so they can play a part in reaching the goals.'