Fiona Chan, Straits Times 2 Oct 09;
SINGAPORE aims to become a 'living lab' to test new ideas and technologies in sustainable development, said National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan yesterday.
Mr Mah told the Global Social Innovators Forum that a key way to come up with such innovations is through more collaborative efforts - both between the public and private sectors here as well as between Singapore and other countries.
'Sustainable development for Singapore in the decades ahead cannot depend on legislation or efforts by the state alone,' he said at the opening of the three-day forum in Fusionopolis.
'More than ever, we require collaborative innovation across the private, public and people sectors to think of new solutions to help Singapore overcome our resource limitations and to reduce the environmental footprint of future growth.'
In the area of energy efficiency, for instance, there is 'tremendous potential for cross-sector collaboration', whether in more energy-efficient industrial processes, cleaner and greener vehicles, or green buildings, said Mr Mah.
To catalyse this process, the Building and Construction Authority has set aside $5 million to encourage local developers to link up with foreign partners and develop building designs that can improve energy efficiency by at least 50 per cent.
The Government has also created a $100 million fund to help existing owners upgrade and improve the energy efficiency performance of their buildings, said Mr Mah.
Singapore is also doing its part on a global scale by contributing to cross-border partnerships that aim to develop sustainable cities. The Tianjin eco-city in China, a joint effort between Singapore and China to create an 'environmentally friendly, socially harmonious and resource-efficient city', is one such example.
The minister also stressed that sustainable development is 'an ongoing effort with no end point'.
'No city has a monopoly of good ideas,' he said. 'We can all do our part by sharing good workable ideas to make our cities more sustainable.'
The Global Social Innovators Forum, started in 2006 by Singapore-based non-profit organisation Social Innovation Park, aims to help by bringing together social entrepreneurs and key leaders from the private, public and non-profit sectors to share their ideas and experiences.
The theme of this year's forum, featuring speakers including futurist Alvin Toffler and Wal-Mart chairman Robson Walton, is collaborative innovations in ensuring sustainable development.
