Raising the green stakes

Business Times 4 Dec 09;

IMAGINE a poker game to end all poker games, with the richest players seeking to stare each other down through a thick haze of carbon emissions, meeting bid with counter-bid, bluff with counter-bluff; and a small voice suddenly pipes up: 'I'm in; and raise you 16 per cent.'

That voice is Singapore's. Just days before the United Nations summit on climate change in Copenhagen, the Republic has thrown down a gauntlet of sorts by offering to reduce its carbon emissions growth to 16 per cent below 'business as usual' levels by 2020.

That's hardly going to make the big boys blink, given that the island-state is hardly in the same league; it accounts for less than 0.2 per cent of global greenhouse emissions. But that's not the point; making the commitment, and joining hands with the dozens of other countries, large and small, who are making similar commitments, is.

Sceptics will point out that the Singapore offer is conditional on the Copenhagen summit reaching a legally binding deal obliging all countries to cut emissions, when some major players have already indicated they will sign no such deal. Again, that misses the point. Who is to say what will or will not transpire at these talks, especially when the US - once seen as the most intransigent of the great powers - has pledged to lead by example? More to the point, not doing anything is the poorest option of all. The resolution that emerges out of Copenhagen this month might not be as comprehensive and definitive as green advocates would like to see; but surely the more member-nations step up and say 'count me in!', the stronger that Copenhagen accord is likely to be. Every little bit of moral suasion counts.

And does anyone really think that countries committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (Singapore least of all) are going to wash their hands in disgust and despair if the final document does not bear the magic words 'legal and binding'? Copenhagen is not the end of the road, and one declaration will neither make nor break this league of nations committed to saving us from ourselves. National and regional efforts to heal and save the environment will continue unabated; as will cooperative efforts to convince all countries and corporations to play their part.

One consequence of announcing this emissions reduction target is that it will raise new interest in Singapore's green track record - which isn't a bad one, by any means. The Garden City didn't just happen; it was the result of careful planning and execution. The pollution levels compare favourably against most other cities.

Certainly, there is a lot more that can be done. The recently announced Sustainable Singapore blueprint includes ambitious goals like cutting energy consumption per dollar GDP by 35 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030. Most importantly, efforts to promote environmental consciousness in businesses and among consumers need to be redoubled. Raise the awareness level, and the numerical targets will come of themselves.