SIAU MING EN Today Online 11 Jun 16;
SINGAPORE — The authorities are aiming to have the manufacturing sector hit energy-efficiency improvement rates of 1 to 2 per cent yearly between 2020 and 2030, a rate that will be on a par with that of leading developed countries.
The current energy-efficiency rate for some 160 energy-intensive companies in this sector was about 0.7 per cent per annum in 2014 and last year. These companies account for more than 50 per cent of the total energy use in Singapore.
To achieve the new target, government agencies will conduct regular reviews of the Energy Conservation Act, pilot an energy-efficiency financing programme and provide incentives such as an investment allowance for energy efficiency, among other measures.
The target was announced as part of the Climate Action Plan launched yesterday.
Singapore has pledged to cut its emissions intensity by 36 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030 under last year’s Paris Agreement on climate change. It also aims to stabilise its emissions, with the aim of peaking around 2030.
To do so, Singapore plans to improve energy efficiency and expand the scope of its current initiatives across all sectors, such as in the power generation, industry, buildings, transport, household, waste and water sectors.
For the industry sector, which accounted for 59 per cent of Singapore’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2012, a study commissioned by the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) projected that 20 per cent in energy savings could be met, compared with business-as-usual levels.
“Significant opportunities” were also identified in the petroleum, petrochemical and semi-conductor sub-sectors, said NCCS. Likewise, a 2030 target has been set for 80 per cent of the buildings here to achieve Green Mark standards.
In the transport sector, the authorities aim to increase the use of public transport during morning peak hours from 66 per cent last year to 75 per cent in 2030, with a target of 85 per cent set for 2050.
There are also plans to invest in low-carbon technologies and to scale up such solutions for use in Singapore. Examples include new waste-to-energy plants that can generate electricity from the incineration process, as well as increased solar energy adoption.
Both publications are available on the NCCS website, and hard copies can be found at public libraries.
