The Singapore way of going green by Euston Quah

Euston Quah, For The Straits Times 22 Apr 10;

ON THIS day 40 years ago, 20 million Americans took part in protests against environmental degradation, effectively starting the modern green movement.

Though Earth Day is celebrated at different times of the year in different countries, it falls on April 22 in the United States and some other places. In Singapore as elsewhere, Earth Day reminds people to treasure the environment.

Can Singapore play a significant role in today's worldwide green effort? It is often said that Singapore is too small to matter globally. The Republic contributes less than 0.2 per cent of total global carbon dioxide emissions and even if it were to achieve zero emissions, the effect on climate change would be minuscule.

But Singapore's size has not prevented it from wanting to be, and being, environmentally friendly. Singapore increased its green spaces by 10 per cent between 1986 and 2007. It also reduced carbon intensity by about 30 per cent since 1990 by limiting transport growth; switching from fuel oil to natural gas, the cleanest fossil fuel available, to produce electricity; and by recycling more than half of Singapore's waste and incinerating much of the remainder to provide electricity and reduce methane emissions from its landfill.

Regionally, Singapore promoted the formation of the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution to tackle seasonal haze resulting from the burning of Indonesian forests. Singapore's Ambassador-at-Large Tommy Koh chaired the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, more commonly known as the Earth Summit, in 1992.

At the recently concluded Copenhagen Summit, Singapore committed itself to a 16 per cent cut in increased emissions contingent on a legally binding global agreement being reached. Singapore also signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol.

Singapore can further advance the environmental agenda in two ways:

First, by exporting the Singapore model. The Republic can showcase how economic development can be pursued while maintaining a certain degree of concern for the environment.

Most of the future world population is likely to live in mega-cities. The key to sustainable development would lie in how well these mega-cities balance economic and environmental needs. As a city-state that has maintained environmental standards despite increasing affluence, Singapore offers ideas on how to achieve success in both pursuits.

A major attribute of Singapore's model is its use of market-oriented mechanisms to manage environmental degradation. Singapore is one of the first countries in the world to experiment with managing traffic growth and road use via a quota and tax system. While the various transport schemes primarily target congestion problems, they have also reduced air pollution.

Maintaining a liveable environment and investing in environmental protection, such as setting up a sewage network with proper treatment facilities, were always high priorities. In addition, the allocation of land use and the protection of green areas are evaluated periodically in the Singapore Master Plan.

As for pollution, the Singapore model takes a pragmatic approach. Pollution comes with certain costs but eliminating it does not come free either. Achieving very low levels of pollution may cost society a great deal in terms of foregone income and growth.

Hence, there is an optimal level of pollution where the cost of its damage neither outweighs nor is outweighed by the cost of pollution reduction. Instead of aiming for zero pollution, Singapore has always operated on the concept of optimal pollution.

The second way in which Singapore can contribute to the green movement is to build up its capacities in evaluating project proposals, and in monitoring and collecting environmental data, especially where related to Singaporeans' attitudes.

Successful environmental protection entails lifestyle changes, which in turn requires people's cooperation. Singapore's high recycling rate is due largely to industrial recycling; more needs to be done by the household sector.

Nonetheless, there is some cause for optimism. Singaporeans are participating more actively in environmental conservation and demanding a higher quality of life, including a greener environment with more open spaces. Together with projected rising income levels, the demand for a greener environment should continue to increase.

The challenge is partly a technical one. Cost-benefit analyses that place monetary values on the environment should be used more to evaluate proposed public projects. But such values depend on people's priorities and Singapore still lacks a mechanism to gather such views from the public. If accurate valuations are not ascribed to things such as heritage, beauty, quiet and biodiversity, cost-benefit studies will be incomplete - or worse, completely off the mark.

Success in this area will require a concerted effort by all sections of society. If we are willing to put in the effort, the annual celebrations of Earth Day will be more meaningful.

The writer is a professor of environmental economics at Nanyang Technological University.