Temperatures in Singapore may soar by 4.6°C by end of the century: Balakrishnan

Phase 1 of the Second National Climate Change Study found that without mitigation, mean temperatures in Singapore could increase to 32°C, says Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.
Channel NewsAsia 15 Jul 15;

SINGAPORE: Mean temperatures across the Republic are projected to rise by between 1.4°C and 4.6°C by the end of the century, depending on the level of future greenhouse gas emissions, Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on Tuesday (Jul 14).

In a written answer to a Parliamentary question from MP Christopher de Souza, Dr Balakrishnan cited results from Phase 1 of the Second National Climate Change Study, which concluded in early 2015. The study found that without mitigation actions, mean temperatures in Singapore could increase to 32°C, he said.

“The actual extent to which these temperature increases are realised in Singapore will depend on how successful global mitigation actions to reduce greenhouse gas emission are,” Dr Balakrishnan said.

“A global challenge such as climate change is best addressed on a multilateral basis. We therefore strongly support the multilateral negotiations taking place under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), where a new global agreement on climate change is set to be adopted at the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP-21) in December 2015 in Paris,” he added.

Singapore is participating actively in the preparatory conferences and related events of the COP-21, Dr Balakrishnan said, adding that the Republic has also submitted its mitigation pledge, known as the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), on Jul 3.

“We hope that our submission will encourage more countries, especially those in our region, to come forward with their pledges too. This is important because these pledges, taken over successive cycles, will form the centre piece of global mitigation efforts under the agreement.

“No single country can solve climate change alone. All countries have a part to play,” Dr Balakrishnan said.

- CNA/cy