May Wong, Channel NewsAsia 10 Dec 09;
SINGAPORE: Experts say Singapore can take the lead in building a green economy and share its know-how with other countries.
Singapore has pledged to cut emissions growth by 16 per cent below the projected 2020 level, as it moves towards a low-carbon economy.
Singapore's success as a garden city did not come by naturally. The city state made a conscious effort to maintain a green environment.
A small country with no natural resources, Singapore has also turned to reclaiming water to meet its water needs.
And experts believe Singapore can do more to combat climate change.
Pavan Sukhdev, Special Adviser and Head of Green Econ Initiative at the United Nations Environment Programme, said: "Not only covered with good green cover, but being energy efficient and making use of energy that is renewable as against fossil fuel-based.
"And also reducing and being more efficient in its use of materials and its reuse of waste - so these are all the good things that I think Singapore can do. I believe they can succeed and they can set a model for the future."
Associate Professor Simon Tay, Chairman of Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said: "The new rules that come out of Copenhagen or afterwards will, I think, create a new industry that there'll be much more emphasis and impetus to push forward with green business. Now some countries, some companies will be well positioned to deal with this.
"Singapore is short of space, so we've become a model as a green city and of course, we have Eco-city Tianjin - we're working with the Chinese to build a model green city that's practical.
"So this is the challenge coming out of Copenhagen, new rules - can we adapt, and indeed, can we be early adapters to really, kind of, win the green race?"
Experts say the world is now moving towards achieving a green economy. And those who emerge as leaders will be those who create new technologies, new models and sell them to the rest of the world.
So the experts call on Singapore to build on its competitive advantage and pave the way for a green economy.
But efforts by Singapore alone will not be enough. In fact, one suggestion is for Singapore and its ASEAN neighbours to work together and address common climate change challenges.
Associate Professor Tay added: "If we can map our overall vulnerabilities, we can start to see how we can each learn lessons from each other... We can also start to see possibilities like an energy grid, that can link from Laos to Singapore and across, maybe, the sea.
"This may sound like a fairy tale, but there are such opportunities. We can really tap into renewable energies from outside Singapore, from outside each country and sell across borders." - CNA/de
We have what it takes: Experts
May Wong maywong@mediacorp.com.sg
Today Online 11 Dec 09;
SINGAPORE - The Republic can be a role model when it comes to building a green economy, according to some experts.
And they believe that Singapore, which has overcome its intrinsic limitations including reclaiming water to meets its water needs, can also do more to combat climate change by, for example, sharing its know-how with other countries.
Said Singapore Institute of International Affairs chairman Simon Tay: "Singapore is short of space, so we've become a model as a green city. And of course we have Eco-city Tianjin (where) we're working with the Chinese to build a model green city that's practical."
With the world moving towards achieving a green economy, the experts felt that countries which can create and sell new models and technologies to the rest of the world will emerge as leaders. And this is where Singapore can build on its competitive advantage, said Mr Tay.
He added: "The new rules that come out of Copenhagen ... will create a new industry. There'll be much more impetus to push forward with green business. Can we be early adapters to win the green race?"
Mr Pavan Sukhdev, special adviser and head of the Green Econ Initiative at the United Nations Environment Programme, thinks Singapore has what it takes. "Being energy efficient and making use of energy that is renewable ... being more efficient in its use of materials and its reuse of waste - these are all the good things that I think Singapore can do. I believe they can succeed," he said.
Singapore has pledged to cut emissions growth in 2020 by 16 per cent below the projected "business-as-usual" level. But efforts by the Republic alone will be insufficient. Mr Tay suggested Singapore work together with its Asean neighbours to address common climate change challenges.
Mr Tay said: "If we can map our overall vulnerabilities, we can see how we can learn lessons from each other ... We can also see possibilities like an energy grid, that can link from Laos to Singapore and across the sea."
He added: "This may sound like fairy tale. But there are such opportunities. We can really tap into renewable energies from outside each country and sell across borders."
