Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia 30 Oct 09;
SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, launching the Clean and Green 2010 campaign at the HortPark on Friday, urged Singaporeans to prepare for the global challenge of climate change.
He added that as a responsible member of the international community, Singapore will bear its fair share of the collective effort to reduce carbon emissions.
Mr Lee pointed out that as a small country, Singapore's carbon emissions are a "negligible" part of global emissions, and it is not under any international obligations to make absolute cuts.
He said: "Furthermore, we are not an Annex 1 Country under the Kyoto Protocol, which has an international obligation to make absolute cuts.
"Unlike many bigger countries, we face serious limitations in switching to alternative energy sources or reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.
"Nevertheless, we are a responsible member of the international community, and we have to bear our fair share of the collective global effort to reduce carbon emissions.
"Therefore, provided other countries also commit to do their part in a global deal, we will reduce emissions from 'business-as-usual' levels and do what we need to do with other countries to reduce humankind's CO2 emissions."
Responding to media queries, Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim said Singapore has been committed to protecting the environment since the 1960s.
He said the government had kept the environment at the forefront of its development considerations "long before sustainable development became an international concern".
Earlier this year, the government launched a blueprint which represents a major national effort to reduce emissions. Mr Lee added that Singapore is carefully studying whether it can do more.
The Sustainable Development Blueprint includes calls for at least 80 per cent of all buildings in Singapore to be energy-efficient. And steps have already been taken, such as installing solar panels to convert the sun's rays into electricity for housing blocks.
Singapore is no stranger to green initiatives, having started its green journey more than 40 years ago. In addition to creating more nature parks, it is also getting residents to buy eco-friendly appliances.
Mr Lee said the government will continue to find new ways to protect the environment amid rapid development. But the success of these initiatives depends on the support of the community.
Prime Minister Lee also launched a national programme to help companies cut down on wastage and improve energy efficiency.
The idea here is that such measures will help businesses lower costs in the long run while reducing their carbon footprint.
The impact of such a scheme can be quite substantial because the industry sector accounts for nearly 60 per cent of Singapore's total energy consumption.
- CNA/ir
Singapore will do its fair share to tackle climate change
Straits Times 31 Oct 09;
SINGAPORE is committed to ongoing international efforts to tackle the climate change issue and is prepared to play its part if a global agreement is reached, Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim said yesterday.
If climate change is to be addressed effectively, there must be a concerted effort by all countries, he said, in a statement responding to queries from the media on the issue.
'And to move the process forward, we need a fair global solution that takes into account differences in national circumstances,' he said.
Dr Yaacob issued his comments from Barcelona, where he is attending the Informal Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change.
This is being held ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December, where a new global warming treaty is set to be signed.
He noted yesterday that Singapore is not an AnnexI country and is not obligated to take on economy-wide targets on reducing emissions.
Annex I is a list of industrialised countries that have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by specific amounts.
Dr Yaacob said that notwithstanding this, 'we are prepared to do what is possible within our means, and energy efficiency has been recognised as a key strategy for us'.
'If a global agreement is reached, we are prepared to do our fair share. Every measure entails costs. To afford to continue to take mitigation measures, we need to grow,' he said.
'We must therefore balance concern over the environment with economic growth, and how we find a balance will be a continuous process.'
He cited the Clean and Green Singapore 2010 campaign launched yesterday as a sign of Singapore's continuing commitment since the 1960s to 'protect, cherish and keep our environment clean'.
The Sustainable Singapore Blueprint, he added, had outlined the goals of achieving economic growth and environment protection together. Released in April, it also represents Singapore's response to the challenges of population growth, resource scarcity and climate change.
Emissions cut if others do their part as well
PM Lee says climate change is a big challenge for Singapore
Nur Dianah Suhaimi, Straits Times 31 Oct 09;
CLIMATE change is one of the biggest challenges ahead for Singapore, and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the country will bear its fair share of the global effort to reduce emissions.
This is despite the fact that Singapore's carbon emissions are a 'negligible' part of global output, and it is not among nations which committed themselves and were obliged to make specific cuts in greenhouse gas emission levels.
'We don't have this obligation,' he noted yesterday in a reference to what is known as Annex I countries.
'But as a responsible member of the international community, we have to bear our fair share of the collective global effort to reduce carbon emissions.
'Therefore, provided other countries also commit to do their part in a global deal, we will reduce emissions from 'business-as-usual' levels and do what we need to do with other countries to reduce humankind's carbon dioxide emissions.'
Speaking at the launch of the Clean and Green 2010 campaign at the HortPark yesterday, Mr Lee said that Singapore faced serious limitations in switching to alternative energy sources or reducing its dependence on fossil fuels.
'We are what you call alternative energy disadvantaged,' he said. 'We do not have geothermal energy, we do not have space for a nuclear plant. All we have are power stations that import energy,' he said.
Singapore has made significant efforts over the years to protect the environment and ensure that growth could be sustained without significant damage to the environment.
The most recent move was the the launch in April of the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint to ensure, among other things, that resources - especially energy - are used efficiently.
The blueprint, drawn up by the private and people sectors together with the Government, calls for long-term carbon emission cuts in households, businesses and industries.
Mr Lee described it as a 'major national effort' to reduce emissions.
And yesterday, he also launched a new Energy Efficiency National Partnership programme to help companies be more energy efficient.
The main draw for companies to join the new initiative is the electricity cost savings they will get to enjoy.
'It makes sense for you and it makes sense for the country,' he told industry players.
It will be a huge coup if the industry sector joins in this latest 'green' effort.
According to the National Environment Agency, the petroleum refining, petrochemical, electronics and pharmaceutical industries use almost 60 per cent of the country's total energy consumption.
These latest initiatives to make Singapore 'greener' follow the launch this week of the first 'zero energy' building that produces as much power as it uses.
In his speech, he also praised Singaporeans for being actively involved in the community and for their efforts in keeping Singapore 'green'.
Many volunteers, he said, were helping out at the parks and nature reserves. Response to programmes such as the Community-in-Bloom gardening programme and the Plant-a-Tree programme have been very enthusiastic.
However, more need to be done. For one thing, the industry sector, a major energy consumer, needs to play its part too.
Mr Lee said he hoped the industry sector will support the new Energy Efficiency National Partnership programme strongly.
The Singapore plant of pharmaceutical company Pfizer is already showing interest in the initiative.
Its engineering services director for Asia Pacific, Mr Lee Chin Hoo, said the company has been consistently reducing its energy consumption by about 10 per cent every year.
They first started with the basic practice of getting employees to switch off lights when they were no longer in the room and controlling the aircon temperature. Today, Pfizer's Singapore plant is saving more than $1.4 million a year by chilling water using absorption chillers, which use steam, instead of energy-guzzling electric chillers.
