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SINGAPORE: The Government unveiled the Singapore Green Plan 2030 on Wednesday (February 10), a “nationwide movement” to advance the national agenda on sustainable development.
The plan, which is headed by the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Ministry of National Development (MND), the Ministry of Sustainability and Environment (MSE), the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MTI) and the Ministry of Transport ( MOT), outlines Singapore’s green goals for the next 10 years.
It also strengthens Singapore’s commitments under the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the Paris Agreement, the five ministries said in a joint press release on Wednesday.
The plan also positions Singapore to achieve its long-term net zero emissions target “as soon as practicable”.
In a Facebook post, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that while Singapore may be a small country lacking natural resources, it can still move forward with technological and political solutions for sustainable development.
“We need to secure a Singapore for our future generations. We all have to work together and make Singapore a bright green spark for the world,” he said.
In a separate Facebook post, Vice Premier Heng Swee Keat said that climate change is an existential challenge for Singapore. As such, the country “will make a determined effort to meet this challenge head-on,” he said.
“I hope that the Green Plan will catalyze a broader national movement to take action to secure a sustainable future for Singapore. With each of us playing our part, I have every confidence that we will be able to build a more vibrant and greener home for Singapore. future. generations, “said Mr. Heng.
The plan follows Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean’s announcement in February last year that Singapore wants to cut its maximum greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 by 2050, with the goal of achieving net zero emissions “as soon as possible. viable in the second half of the century. ”.
READ: Singapore aims to halve peak emissions by 2050, achieve net zero emissions ‘as soon as practicable’ in second half century
Some new initiatives in the plan include requiring all new car registrations to be cleaner energy models starting in 2030, and more than doubling the planned number of electric vehicle charging points by 2030.
The plan is also based on Singapore’s 2030 target to reduce waste sent to landfill by 30 percent, with a goal of a 20 percent reduction by 2026, the press release read.
Singapore will also aim for at least 20% of schools to be carbon neutral by 2030 “to start with,” and the rest of the schools will follow, working towards a two-thirds reduction in the sector’s net carbon emissions. school for 2030..
In schools, the Green Plan will be supported by the Eco Stewardship program, to “strengthen the inculcation of informed, responsible and aware of sustainability mentalities and habits” in young people.
The Green Plan will be a “life plan,” the ministries said in the statement, evolving as they develop and refine Singapore’s strategies. It will take into account technological advances and incorporate a process of “continuous national participation”.
The ministries will “actively engage” the public and other partners to develop more ideas and undertake relevant initiatives as part of this national engagement process, the press release said.
This will begin with a series of “Green Plan Conversations” this year to seek the views of Singaporeans and explore possible partnerships. These sessions will be organized by the ministers who oversee the Green Plan, and other commitments will also be planned throughout the year.
More details on the Green Plan will be released in the next budget announcement on February 16, as well as during the Supply Committee debate in Parliament.
