The Singaporean government recently announced that it would raise its national climate target to become emission-free by 2050 as part of its Long-Term Low-Emissions Development Strategy (LEDS). The government also aims to reduce emissions to around 60 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) in 2030 after peaking emissions earlier, as part of its revised 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). It was also announced that Jurong Lake District is expected to lead the way with Net Zero Targets. Singapore will submit these updates to the LEDS and 2030 NDC to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by the end of 2022.
This revision to Singapore’s national climate target builds upon its current LEDS and NDCs, as well as Singapore’s early actions towards sustainable development since independence. In 2009, the country pledged to reduce its emission by 16% below business-as-usual (BAU) levels by 2020 ahead of the Copenhagen Summit under the Copenhagen Accord. Singapore has achieved this pledge—its 2020 emissions of 52.8 MtCO2e are equivalent to 32% below BAU levels and gave it the confidence to raise climate ambitions.
Given that Singapore is an alternative energy-disadvantaged island city-state, these targets are contingent on technological advances, the economic viability of low-carbon technologies such as hydrogen and carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), and effective international collaborations in areas such as carbon credits and renewable energy imports. Singapore’s ability to fulfill its pledges will depend on the continued global commitment by parties to the Paris Agreement and their climate pledges.
The transition to net zero demands ambitious and collective action. Singapore announced its national hydrogen strategy, which will guide its approach in developing low-carbon hydrogen as a new frontier in its efforts to green its power and industry sectors and to contribute to the decarbonization of international maritime and aviation. To lead the way for Singapore’s decarbonization journey, the public sector will commit to achieving net zero emissions around 2045 under the GreenGov.SG initiative. This will be contingent on the progress of technologies and international cooperation to enable mitigation measures. Jurong Lake District will also aim to achieve net zero emissions for new developments around 2045. Singapore announced these revised climate targets and plans at the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2022.
These plans and revised targets build upon the announcement during Budget 2022 of Singapore’s intention to raise its climate ambitions. Since then, under the Singapore Green Plan 2030, the government has engaged more than 1,700 members of the public and critical stakeholders on Singapore’s climate ambition, including a public consultation exercise via Reach in September 2022. Across these various engagements, respondents agreed with the need for Singapore to increase its climate ambition given the urgent global need to take climate action.
Executing the net zero transition will not be easy for Singapore given its small geographical size and lack of renewable energy resources. However, the country has chosen to commit itself to these targets because it has a responsibility to steward a sustainable environment for future generations carefully. The public and private sectors, as well as community and individuals, will all have key roles to play in coming together to transform the way they live, work and play in a low-carbon future, and to seize new opportunities in this green transition. (Story and photo courtesy of Gov.sg)