Opinion | In Singapore’s climate fight, transition to clean energy is a matter of will

As China moves into renewables and Asian neighbours including South Korea ban single-use plastics, carbon-reliant Singapore’s efforts are slow off the mark

But the wealthy island is well-placed to invest in innovations that will create jobs and boost the region’s capacity for going carbon negative

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Solar panels used to power walkway lights are positioned along the Marina bay overlooking the skyscrapers of Singapore on April 26, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / ROSLAN RAHMAN

Published: 7:53am, 16 Feb 2020Updated: 8:32am, 16 Feb 2020

This year marks the start of a new decade, likely the last decade that humanity has to address climate change before its worst impacts become irreversible. We desperately need all countries to increase the ambition of their climate pledges and provide specific plans for transitioning to a decarbonised economy. Every nation’s plan will be different, with some countries taking stronger actions than others, yet all countries can and should act without delay.

Consider Singapore, where I live – a small island nation that contributes only 0.01 per cent of global emissions, yet is East Asia’s wealthiest country by per capita GDP and ranks 27th globally in per capita emissions.

A few weeks ago, I outlined some near-term solutions for Singapore to step up its low-carbon leadership in the region, while nurturing long-term economic growth, job creation, and innovation. These recommendations include ambitious solar energy targets, investments in net-zero buildings, a higher carbon tax, and, most importantly, a plan to transition away from fossil fuels.

Opponents of my call for changes were quick to rehash the government position of caution when addressing climate change. They claim that a clean energy transition would be costly, and Singapore’s industries and economy would suffer. Opponents of climate action say that Singapore, one of the world’s five biggest oil refining hubs, is not prepared to transition away from fossil fuels, and that to decarbonise would not make economic sense.

Yet time is running out for Singapore and other countries to recognise that fossil fuel economies make less and less sense with each passing year, and to get ahead of the curve and start outlining plans for a clean energy transition.

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