Singapore aims to build a sustainable living environment

Zaki Amrullah, Channel NewsAsia 20 May 09;

SINGAPORE : Singapore will step up its efforts to build a sustainable living environment. The Environment and Water Resources Ministry, which spelt out its plans in its addendum to the President's Address delivered on Monday, said its vision is to create a 'Sustainable Singapore' where people use limited resources efficiently and innovatively, and proactively develop capabilities to deal with emerging challenges.

On boosting resource efficiency, Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim said his ministry will encourage recycling and conservation efforts through public education and working with the community.

The government will also invest in new capabilities to reduce waste and control pollution, in addition to Singapore's expertise in clean water and energy.

Dr Yaacob said a high quality living environment is Singapore's pride and joy, and is also key to attracting investments and global talents.

It will expand the Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters Programme to transform more water bodies into new and aesthetically pleasing community spaces.

The ministry will also uphold high standards of public health by ensuring good hygiene at food outlets, and step up efforts to keep public spaces litter-free. - CNA/ms

Clean, green environment to ensure quality of life
Lee U-Wen, Business Times 21 May 09

SINGAPORE'S clean and green environment helps attract international friends, investors and talent, Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim said yesterday.

In his ministry's addendum to the President's address in Parliament, he said the quality of the environment will always be 'our pride and joy', having taken years of careful, coordinated and consistent policies to achieve.

The environment will remain essential to the country's growth, so Singaporeans must use resources more efficiently, recycle more and waste less, he said.

'Doing so will not only see us play our role in the global issue of climate change, but will also help us reduce costs, improve our energy security and enhance our economic competitiveness.'

Dr Yaacob also said Singapore's 'robust and sustainable' water supply is sufficient to meet long-term needs. And to manage demand, 'we will sustain our efforts in water conservation through public education and working with community and businesses'.

The Active, Beautiful and Clean (ABC) Waters programme will be expanded to include more water bodies to add more vibrancy to the living environment, he said.

The government will also take steps to guard Singapore's air quality and control pollution from industry and vehicles to make sure air quality here 'remains among the best in Asia, and comparable with major cities around the world'.

To meet new and emerging environmental challenges, the government will invest in new capabilities to reduce waste and control pollution, Dr Yaacob said. 'As environmental and water issues come to the fore on the global agenda, such capabilities can help us position Singapore as a global hub for environment and water solutions, providing economic opportunities and jobs for Singaporeans and helping humanity beyond Singapore.

'Our vision is to create a sustainable Singapore where we use our limited resources efficiently and innovatively; pro-actively develop capabilities to deal with emerging challenges; uphold our high quality of life; and foster shared ownership of the environment.'

More focus on conserving water
Water appliances to get efficiency labels; other plans include reducing pollution, cutting waste
Liaw Wy-Cin & Amresh Gunasingham, Straits Times 21 May 09;

THE decades-long 'save water' calls finally seem to be sinking in here.

Last year, each person in Singapore used 156 litres of water a day - 16 litres, or about two buckets, less a day than in 1995.

It has taken these 13 years for the figure to fall by nearly 10 per cent.

A few moves to kick in from July ought to cut it further.

From that month, taps and toilet flushing equipment sold here must bear labels stating how water efficient they are.

Also from July: Water appliances installed in new and renovated homes will have to have at least a 'one-tick' water- efficiency rating. Similar rules for energy efficiency already apply to electrical appliances sold here.

Where water consumption is concerned, the target is to have each person use no more than 147 litres a day by 2020, and 140 litres a day by 2030.

The Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources said yesterday it would keep its eye on the ball for water conservation through public education.

In its addendum to the President's parliamentary address on Monday, the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim also committed his ministry to ensuring that Singapore uses its energy, water and other resources efficiently.

The addendum released yesterday also said the ministry would continue working to create a high-quality living environment here by, among other things:

# Cleaning up and beautifying reservoirs and waterways;

# Curbing air pollution;

# Maintaining hygienic eating places;

# Keeping public places litter-free, and

# Reducing mosquito breeding.

The ministry said that next month, it will release more details of its plans to invest money in technologies to reduce pollution levels.

As it stands now, the air quality in Singapore as measured by the Pollutant Standards Index is in the 'good' range for 350 days of the year.

Details will also be released on the efforts to cut waste, which amounted to 5.97 million tonnes last year.

With Singapore gearing up to be home to 6.5 million people, it will have to face up to more pollution and even bigger mounds of waste.

Already, waste disposal rates have grown sixfold in 30 years.

Dr Yaacob said initiatives to cut pollution and waste will bring down costs, improve energy security and enhance Singapore's economic competitiveness.

The Republic can thus be positioned as 'a global hub for environment and water solutions, providing economic opportunities and jobs for Singaporeans and helping humanity beyond Singapore', he said.

The clean technology sector is expected to create 18,000 more jobs and add $3.4 billion to the country's gross domestic product over the next six years.