More Singaporeans willing to adopt clean and green practices: NEA survey

Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia 20 Oct 09;

SINGAPORE: More Singaporeans are willing to adopt a clean and green lifestyle, according to a recent survey by the National Environment Agency (NEA).

Environmental ownership and awareness amongst Singaporeans is growing, with some 87.2 per cent of the respondents saying that they would adopt more environmentally friendly practices, up from the 2007 survey of 85.5 per cent.

Some 1,546 respondents took part in the survey.

The upcoming Clean and Green Campaign to take place later this month will trace Singapore's environmental development from 1968.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will launch the campaign on October 30 at the HortPark.

NEA will also partner NParks, Youth Olympic Games 2010 and the five Community Development Councils to organise activities related to the campaign. The campaign aims to get more Singaporeans to care for their environment, which took some 40 years to develop.

Andrew Ran, CEO, National Environment Agency, said: "Clean and Green Singapore is not about what the government can do for the environment, but what the people, the community can do for themselves in terms of upkeeping this clean and green environment.

"I think through simple measures that people can do, making sure you don't litter, or binning their litter, then you don't need NEA to step in with all the enforcement. People don't like to be fined, but if they have to be fined, then there's no choice.

"If you litter less, then there's no need for a regulator to come in. And here's where the need for the greater environmental ownership come in. And I see this as a bigger challenge for Singapore itself. There is no point in having first world infrastructure but third world social habits." - CNA/vm