Inter-Ministerial Committee for Sustainable Development Unveils Sustainable Singapore Blueprint

The Inter-Ministerial Committee for Sustainable Development (IMCSD) has just unveiled the blueprint for Sustainable Singapore, which outlines Singapore’s key goals and initiatives for sustainable development in the next 10 to 20 years to 2030. It involves a four-pronged strategy:

1. Boosting Our Resource Efficiency

• We will improve the way we use key resources such as energy and water, even as we seek to expand our use of renewable resources, so that we can achieve growth with fewer resources and make Singapore more competitive in the long run.
• We aim to achieve a 35% improvement in energy efficiency from 2005 levels by 2030.
• We will make optimum use of land.
• We aim to attain a recycling rate of 70% by 2030.
• We will ensure adequate supplies of water for future generations, and we aim to reduce domestic water consumption to 140L per person per day by 2030.

2. Enhancing Our Urban Environment

• Our aim is to become a top city in Asia in terms of quality of life. Singapore will develop as a sustainable, high-density city that is clean and green, with excellent connectivity and a sense of space.
• We aim to reduce the level of fine particles in the air (PM 2.5) to 12µg/m3 and cap Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) levels at 15µg/m3 by 2020, and maintain the same levels up to 2030.
• We aim to have 0.8ha of green space for every 1000 persons and increase greenery in high-rise buildings to 50ha by 2030.
• We aim to open up 900 ha of reservoirs and 100km of waterways for recreational activities by 2030.
• We aim to improve accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists and have 70% of all journeys made via public transport.

3. Building Our Capabilities

• We will invest in building new capabilities and testing new technologies to help us overcome our resource limitations, improve environmental performance and spur economic growth.
• As we build up our knowledge in how to grow in a more environmentally-friendly way, Singapore can work with others to promote and build sustainable cities around the world.

4. Fostering Community Action

• We will encourage community ownership and participation in building a clean, green and resource-efficient Singapore.
• Our goal is to make environmental responsibility part of our people and business culture, in the way we live, work, play and commute.

Visit the Sustainable Singapore website for more details or download the full report. We will share our thoughts on the report in a later post.

Source: Sustainable Singapore.

Gallup Polls on Public Awareness of Global Warming

Gallup conducted polls in 127 countries in 2007 and 2008 to understand the level of public awareness on global warming. The results show that about 38% of the world’s population have never heard about global warming or did not have an opinion. There are 2 key findings:

Public awareness of global warming tends to be higher in highly developed countries and lower in less developed countries.

Their responses reveal that public knowledge of the concept of global warming is not the same thing as the public belief that global warming is a result of human activities.

Here’s a selection of the countries in Asia and their responses: Read more

Towards a Cleaner Electricity Supply

Venue: SEI Training Room, 40 Scotts Road, Environment Building, #06-00, Singapore 228231

Speaker: Prof. dr. ir. Ad H.M. Verkooije, Professor (Chair of Nuclear Power Engineering), Process & Energy Laboratory, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands

In the past few decades, the Dutch electricity industry has made significant progress in the reduction of emissions from the electric industry. At the same time, the economics have remained competitive. The new challenge of our world concerns escalating CO2 emissions. In this seminar, Prof. dr. ir. Ad H.M. Verkooije will discuss this trend and show how significant progress has been made in energy savings. Other means of CO2 reduction will be presented as well. He will share the Dutch government’s plans for transition towards a low CO2 emission economy. Last but not least, he will present his university’s research contributions on the subject.

To register and for more information, please visit: http://www.nea.gov.sg/cms/sei/PSS41_CleanElectricity.html.

Rice in Southeast Asia: What Future with Climate Change?

Speaker: Duncan I. Macintosh, Development Director, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)

Venue: ISEAS Seminar Room 2

Free Seminar, First Come First Served. Organised by the Environment and Climate Change Programme, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

Seminar Flyer: http://www.iseas.edu.sg/iframes/27apr09a.pdf

Response Form: http://www.iseas.edu.sg/iframes/form27apr09a.htm

Contact Person: Ms May Wong <may@iseas.edu.sg>

The Marina Barrage: Seminar and Tour

Venue: Marina Barrage

Speakers:

1) Mr Yap Kheng Guan, Director, 3P Network, PUB

Singapore’s Water Management Strategy and the Marina Barrage

2) Professor Vladan Babovic, Director, Singapore-Delft Water Alliance, National University of Singapore

Appreciating Science Behind Water Quality of Marina Lake

Organised by PUB; the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies; the Singapore-Delft Water Alliance, National University of Singapore. Free Seminar; First Come, First Served.

Seminar Flyer – http://www.iseas.edu.sg/iframes/29apr09a.pdf

Response Form – http://www.iseas.edu.sg/iframes/form29apr09a.htm

Contact Person: Ms May Wong <may@iseas.edu.sg>

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