Jamie Lee, Business Times 9 Aug 08;
KIDS in the 1990s grew up to Captain Planet, a TV superhero who was bent on protecting the earth against eco-villains such as Hoggish Greedly, an evil-doer of 'pig-like proportions' that devoured natural resources with a 'love for overconsumption'.
While the show was a satire that poked mainly at companies that were harming the planet with severe deforestation and dumping of toxic waste, the cartoon series hit home the message that more had to be done to protect the planet from indulgent use.
Captain Planet certainly took the right long-term view. Today, his message bears greater resonance in Singapore and elsewhere in the world, thanks in part to the spiralling oil prices that have hit the pockets of companies and consumers.
Singapore's strategy is two-pronged - the country has been promoting energy efficiency, seeing it as a low-hanging fruit ripe for picking. It has introduced subsidies such as the Green Mark for property developers, which carries a cash grant of up to $3 million that is used to encourage developers to incorporate green features into their building designs.
Its second strategy is its $350 million investment in the solar energy market. Out of this, $17 million has been devoted to research and development (R&D) efforts - a testimony to Singapore's emphasis on developing technology that would push down the prices of green features such as photovoltaic panels, which are used to extract energy from the sun.
While industry players laud Singapore's push into R&D, they worry if this would create a sustainable market for the country because R&D must be complemented by a robust manufacturing sector. The government's reluctance to implement a feed-in tariff system has also put a dent in encouraging production of solar energy.
Observing the need to hear the people, the Singapore government has also opened the discussion space on sustainability to the general public, following its consultation with the private sector in earlier focus groups. But anecdotal evidence suggests that the general public has placed the environment movement on the lower rung of priority.
Suffice to say, teething problems remain for Singapore, as it works to engage the private and people sectors in building a sustainable environment. Thus, bringing all players to a level of comfortable compromise over the next few years will be key.
After all, as the cartoon superhero puts it: 'By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet.'
What green energy players say
Business Times 9 Aug 08;
'We have a small market for all clean energy systems but Singapore is an excellent central and convenient location where all these technologies can be viewed as demonstration or model plants, test bedding plants and in certain cases pilot plants to validate the many technologies available in this sector. Singapore can also be a showcase for energy efficient industries and buildings and with the current push and initiatives of the inter-ministerial committee on sustainable development be a model eco-city very soon.'
- Edwin Khew, chairman, Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore, CEO of IUT Global, and Nominated Member of Parliament
'Boosting R&D and manufacturing is just one facet of the clean energy industry. A solid and sustainable strategy for growth is dependent on push-factors, such as investor incentives and expertise development. At present, clean energy certifications and programmes are emerging in Singapore - but the threat of a 'brain drain' syndrome is imminent. In any successful economy, human capital will inadvertently gravitate towards market activity and right now, there is minimal market activity in Singapore.'
- Stefan Mueller, managing director, Asia-Pacific, Conergy Renewable Energy Singapore
'R&D by itself has very little direct impact on the market but its value increases when we can combine it with manufacturing, and with a market from which to get user feedback. Well-aimed and executed R&D can give Singapore-based manufacturers and PV contractors a vital edge over foreign rivals. Singapore has well-established strengths in high-tech manufacturing and R&D, as well as pro-business government policies. We are still looking forward to a well-articulated vision for the integration of PV technology in our electricity infrastructure.'
- Christophe Inglin, managing director, Phoenix Solar
'Sadly one of our greatest collective failings so far is the absence of an eco-conscious population. Singapore may be clean and green but Singaporeans are far from being clean and green. We are not even at the level where we are civic-minded enough to clean up our own tables at hawker centres and food courts despite generations of campaigns and fines. How are we going to tackle more large-scale and long-term environmental challenges such as global warming as a nation? We can never achieve sustainability as a nation without an eco-conscious population, though I meet a lot of young Singaporeans who are doing something positive about improving our environment.'
- Geh Min, ex-president, Nature Society of Singapore.
'Government incentives can only provide the 'carrot' for developers to begin their eco-journey and the Green Mark scheme provides a useful benchmark to determine how green or efficient a building is designed and built. It is a platform for good practices. However, from our experience, we have found that in order to be successful in sustaining the development of eco-friendly properties, it requires eco-consciousness to be embraced as a corporate culture and at all levels of its operations and supply chain.'
- Kwek Leng Joo, managing director, City Developments
