Bold action, flexibility needed to turn S'pore into environmental hub
Jessica Cheam, Straits Times 7 May 09;
AFTER more than a year in the making, Singapore's $1 billion blueprint on how to become a greener, more sustainable nation was finally unveiled by an inter-ministerial committee two Mondays ago.
Coincidentally, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) launched a landmark report the same day on the economics of climate change in South-east Asia, highlighting the damage the region will suffer if this goes unaddressed.
In that sense, the launch of Singapore's blueprint could not have been more timely.
Leaving aside the ongoing economic crisis, climate change is arguably the most important item now on the international agenda.
A landmark global deal on curbing greenhouse gas emissions is expected to be brokered at Copenhagen in December as a successor to the Kyoto Protocol.
The United Nations is also calling on governments across the globe to integrate climate change concerns into their sustainable development policies, and to put their economies on the 'low-carbon, high-growth' path with a focus on greening infrastructure.
So in the midst of all this buzz over going green, how does the Singapore blueprint stack up?
It is clear that some of the plan's more aggressive targets, such as reducing energy intensity (energy consumption per GDP dollar) by 35 per cent from 2005 levels, and certifying 80 per cent of all our buildings Green Mark by 2030, are commendable.
But from a wider perspective, some critics are saying the report lacks punch.
The most obvious gap in the plan is its failure to discuss or make any provisions for curbs on greenhouse gas emissions, the chief culprit behind climate change.
Many other countries, such as those in Europe, have gone much further than Singapore in this regard, putting in place measures like 'cap-and-trade' systems where polluting industries have to buy carbon credits for the right to pollute.
True, it would have been silly for Singapore to stick its neck out to take on cuts in carbon emissions even before the Copenhagen negotiations, but critics say strategies for such a possible outcome could have been more clearly articulated.
Another key argument for not going big on curbing carbon emissions is that it could send members of an already nervous business community fleeing to places with lower costs and less regulation.
This is a valid concern, but it is one that will recede over time. This is because many forward-looking companies are already anticipating such regulation and making adjustments to their business models, given the rising importance of climate change in recent years.
In fact, being a location with high environmental standards is increasingly becoming a competitive edge.
A second aspect of the blueprint that critics have jumped on is the size of the Government's commitment to going green. The entire plan will cost $1 billion to implement over the next five years. In comparison, the Jobs Credit Scheme introduced in the Budget costs $4.5 billion. Even the Marina Coastal Expressway, work on which began one day after the blueprint was launched, costs more than $4 billion.
Seen another way, the plan amounts to a very conservative 0.3 per cent of gross domestic product. In comparison, South Korea and Japan have pledged at least 2 per cent to 3 per cent of GDP, costing tens of billions of dollars, to invest in environmental projects to help stimulate their flagging economies.
Ministers at the launch of the blueprint asserted that $1 billion in absolute terms is a big amount and 'not to be sniffed at'. Singapore does not want to simply spend some 'headline-grabbing' amount, but to do a proper 'bottom-up' assessment of how much needs to be spent to achieve cost-effective results, they said.
But the signal that the number sends, in comparison to others, is that Singapore is going slow and staying cautious.
Finally, the blueprint favours a 'light touch' approach, which works largely through voluntary action and incentives instead of punitive disincentives such as taxes or legislation.
Some experts are not so convinced that this type of persuasion works to alter the behaviour of companies and people who generally love their plastic bags and resist the idea of paying for them.
In China, the government has put its foot down and banned the manufacture and distribution of thin plastic bags - 'white pollution' littering water bodies, beaches and streets all over the country.
This is why environmental leaders like Nominated MP Edwin Khew have called for more legislation to be introduced, not less, if the blueprint is to be successfully implemented.
To be sure, there has been positive feedback on Singapore's green blueprint. The blueprint is itself a study in efficiency, careful in identifying problem areas and proposing solutions.
But ultimately, what does such a finely honed approach do for Singapore in terms of impact and international image?
Singapore has ambitions to be an environmental hub in Asia, where cutting-edge clean energy technologies are developed and manufactured. It also desires to position itself as a carbon trading hub in Asia.
So it needs, in a sense, to walk the talk. While it is well-known for keeping the country 'clean and green', it is also gaining a reputation for being conservative about certain key green policies.
Its insistence on being classified as a 'Non-Annex I' country under the Kyoto Protocol has come under pressure in recent times. Non-Annex I nations are typically developing countries and do not have to cut emissions by 5 per cent from their 1990 levels by 2012. This is a target which 'Annex I' or developed countries need to adhere to.
Many argue that Singapore is a First World, developed nation and should be more of a leader, especially in emerging Asia, in addressing climate change.
If Singapore truly wants to be a global model for sustainable development, there are some hard decisions it needs to make.
It needs to be bolder, or at least more nimble, as the global conversation on climate change continues. It will need to change its position or even boost its plans in the years to come.
The flexibility of this blueprint, an 'evolving document' as its authors call it, will be vital to delivering on its green ambitions.
Related links
Sustainable Singapore and our shores on the wild shores of singapore blog.
