Grace Fu Hai Yien
Singapore
“The Government takes a multi-pronged approach to address the disamenities from second-hand tobacco smoke. The National Environment Agency (NEA) works with Government agencies, Town Councils and community leaders to promote considerate behaviour and strengthen social norms.”
“The Government recently announced land-use changes in Lim Chu Kang to optimise our scarce land to meet our growing and evolving needs. We are at the initial planning stage and agencies are still working out the detailed development proposals.”
“Public Waste Collectors and Town Councils have trialled the collection and treatment of segregated food waste from households. However, participation rates are poor despite regular engagement and reminders.”
“The quality of incense offerings and the practice of burning incense are not regulated by law. Instead, the National Environment Agency (NEA) works with stakeholders, such as Town Councils, agencies and religious organisations, to encourage responsible burning of joss paper and incense.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) monitors public cleaning contractors through regular physical audits and remote monitoring, complemented by video analytics. NEA also regularly assesses the cleaning quality and outcomes of public cleaning contractors.”
“This question has been addressed in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment’s combined answer to Question Nos 15 to 18 on the Order Paper for 7 July 2026. [Please refer to "National Recycling Rates, Plans and Targets", Official Report, 7 July 2026, Vol 96, Issue 32, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
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“The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) monitors the safety of food sold in Singapore. Food products found to be non-compliant with SFA’s food safety regulations are recalled. Consumers should stop consuming recalled food products. Those who have already consumed the recalled food products should monitor their health and seek medical advice if they fall ill or have any health concerns. Consumers should check with their respective points of purchase on their policies on refunds and reimbursement of medical expenses for illnesses associated with consuming recalled products.”
“Factors, such as climate change, adverse weather conditions and increases in the costs of feed and energy, have resulted in supply shortages and price fluctuations for various food items, including fish. On a seasonally-adjusted basis, fish and seafood prices rose by 4.7% over the six-month period from February 2022 to August 2022. As Singapore imports more than 90% of our food, we are not able to isolate ourselves from food supply disruptions or price fluctuations. Nonetheless, we work to reduce the impact by diversifying our food sources and ramping up local production. Today, our supply of seafood is relatively well-diversified, with import sources from about 80 countries. We are also building capabilities and capacity to transform our local aquaculture sector into a highly productive, climate-resilient and resource-efficient one. Businesses can also take steps to contribute to our resilience by implementing business continuity plans, while consumers can contribute by being flexible with our food choices.”
“The Mandai Crematorium managed by NEA has sufficient capacity to meet current cremation demand. This includes buffer capacity to allow for regular maintenance of cremators and to accommodate fluctuations in daily cremation demand. Intermittent higher demand can also be met by extending operation hours to increase the number of cremation slots at Mandai Crematorium. A second crematorium being constructed at Mandai is scheduled to be completed by 2024. This will further enhance our long-term capacity to meet projected demand.”
“The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) have regular bilateral engagements with our Malaysian counterparts to exchange information on environmental issues of mutual interest, including the control of vehicular emissions and enforcement efforts in both countries. Notably, the Malaysia-Singapore Expert Group on Vehicular Emissions meet regularly to update each other on vehicular policies which will impact the other, well ahead of implementation. NEA also publicises vehicular policies impacting foreign motorists well ahead of implementation through media channels and posters placed at land entry checkpoints. Foreign vehicles entering Singapore are routinely screened at the land entry checkpoints to ensure that their emissions comply with the requirements under the Environmental Protection and Management (Vehicular Emissions) Regulations. LTA, NEA and the Traffic Police also conduct joint enforcement operations along our roads for violation of the emission standards and other vehicle-related offences. Drivers will be offered a composition sum on the spot if their vehicle fails the emissions test. Beyond the composition sum, foreign vehicles emitting excessive smoke can be turned back at the land entry checkpoints.”
“Excessive vehicle noise can be caused by a variety of factors, including vehicle design, illegal modifications, poor maintenance and inconsiderate driver behaviour. The National Environment Agency (NEA) sets noise emission standards that new vehicles must adhere to upon registration, as well as in-use noise emission standards to ensure that vehicles plying the roads are regularly serviced, well-maintained and do not emit excessive noise. NEA carries out enforcement actions against vehicles that violate the noise emission standards based on feedback. In the past five years, enforcement actions were taken against 167 vehicles in 2017, 177 in 2018, eight in 2019, nine in 2020 and 76 in 2021. The use of acoustic cameras for monitoring and enforcement requires rigorous testing under local traffic conditions, as the cameras have limited ability in detecting noise violations from individual vehicles accurately and reliably. Nonetheless, NEA continues to explore acoustic cameras and other technologies with a view to trialling them to strengthen enforcement against noisy vehicles.”
“The performance bonuses of senior management in the public sector are not tied to climate targets. Key Government outcomes, including our national greenhouse gas emissions, are reported annually in the Revenue and Expenditure Estimates, also known as the Budget Book, and progress is reported biennially in the Singapore Public Sector Outcomes Review (SPOR). The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change (IMCCC), chaired by Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, also tracks the progress towards Singapore's national climate targets.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) stopped accepting applications for new smoking corners in retail food establishments, including coffee shops, since June 2017. At that time, there were about 1,000 smoking corners, including at coffee shops. As of September 2022, the number of smoking corners has decreased to about 600. Currently, about 60% of coffee shops do not have smoking corners. Existing smoking corners in retail food establishments, such as coffee shops, will be phased out when the licences of the establishments are terminated or cancelled. This will result in a further decrease in the number of smoking corners in coffee shops and other retail food establishments over time.”
“The agri-inputs required for the "30 by 30" goal, such as feed, fish fry, seeds and fertiliser, will need to be sourced both locally and overseas. Given Singapore's limited land and other resources, it will not be feasible or commercially viable to locally produce all agri-inputs required by our farms. For business continuity, our farms will need to ensure their agri-inputs come from diversified sources. Our farms also hold some buffer stock of their key agri-inputs for supply chain resilience.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) carries out regular surveillance to identify areas with rat activity. The data is shared with other agencies and Town Councils for them to undertake targeted and sustained rodent control efforts. Based on NEA's surveillance, the average number of rat burrows detected in public areas in each two-month surveillance cycle for 2020 and 2021 were 4,300 and 3,900 respectively. With the resumption of social and economic activities, the number in 2022 is around 4,100 as of August 2022. This is lower than the pre-COVID-19 number of 4,740 in 2019. Rats thrive when food, water and shelter are readily available. Factors contributing to rat infestation include poorly-managed bin centres and refuse chutes, left over feed for stray animals, improper disposal of food waste and poor housekeeping, all of which provide conducive conditions for rats to feed and nest. All stakeholders including landowners, building management, food shop operators, supermarket operators and individuals must establish good housekeeping and refuse management practices. They should also conduct routine pest control checks and treatment to prevent rat infestation. Failure to do so can result in the creation of conditions favourable to the propagation or harbouring of vectors which will be subject to enforcement actions by NEA under the Control of Vectors and Pesticides Act and the Environmental Public Health Act.”
“Singapore’s overall supply volume of chicken is stable. To date, there are 25 countries accredited to export chicken to Singapore. Food businesses and consumers can purchase chilled chicken from countries like Thailand and Australia, and frozen chicken from the United States and Brazil. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) continues to work with the industry to open up new sources of chicken. One of these new sources is Indonesia, which has been exporting frozen chicken to Singapore since July 2022. Businesses from Indonesia have also expressed interest to export live and chilled chicken to Singapore. While the Government works to minimise the impact of supply disruptions, Singapore will continue to face disruptions in our food supply from time to time, due to external factors. We encourage businesses to review their business continuity plans and to diversify further. This helps the industry to spread out and reduce their risks of supply disruptions. Households and individuals too can contribute to our food resilience by being flexible with our food and ingredient choices, and switching to alternative products or sources when necessary.”
“In designing the scheme, we will make it easy for consumers to understand, to enable each of us to play our part in building a circular economy. The National Environment Agency (NEA) will work with the future scheme operator to set up a network of conveniently located return points, such as reverse vending machines and over-the-counter return points, to enable consumers to easily claim their deposit refunds. At food and beverage (F&B) premises, including coffeeshops and hawker centres, operators and stallholders have the flexibility to decide whether to collect the deposit and pass the beverage containers to their patrons. We recognise that in more casual settings, such as coffeeshops and hawker centres, shop owners would typically have their customers pay the deposit and take the beverage container. Operators of F&B premises could consider setting up return points at their premises, which could be manual over-the-counter return points or automated reverse vending machines. Operators of return points would be paid handling fees to reimburse costs incurred. We will continue to engage our stakeholders as we develop the scheme and work with the future scheme operator to prepare operators of F&B premises for the implementation of the scheme.”
“To uplift wages and jobs in the cleaning industry, the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) for the cleaning sector has been implemented under the cleaning business licensing regime since September 2015. All licensed cleaning businesses are required to implement PWM. The PWM works in conjunction with the other strategic initiatives under the Environmental Services Industry Transformation Map (ES ITM) to engage stakeholders and uplift the industry. Service buyers are encouraged to adopt outcome-based contracting when procuring cleaning services. This is done by adjusting procurement practices to focus on outcomes instead of deployed headcounts. This facilitates the adoption of technology, as well as optimisation of work processes and manpower deployment, thereby improving productivity. The National Environment Agency (NEA) has been working with industry partners such as the Tripartite Cluster for Cleaners to promote the adoption of outcome-based contracting. As of 23 September 2022, the adoption rate of outcome-based contracting amongst large service buyers is about 40%.”
“Home-based private dining businesses are permitted to operate under the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)'s home-based business schemes, for residents living in HDB and private residential premises respectively. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) takes a risk-based approach in regulating food businesses. As home-based food businesses, including those offering private dining services, are small-scale and the associated food safety risks are low, SFA does not require them to be licensed. SFA also does not track the number of home-based private dining businesses in Singapore. While there is no requirement to be licensed, all home-based food businesses, including home-based private dining businesses, are still subject to the regulations under the Environmental Public Health Act and the Sale of Food Act. They are required to ensure that the food they sell is prepared in a manner that is safe for human consumption. While we do not expect the number of home-based private dining businesses to increase substantially, SFA will continue to monitor the industry and periodically review the regulatory requirements for home-based private dining businesses.”
“From the recycling data collected, there has been a decrease in the contamination rates since the campaign launched in January 2022. Since April 2020, the frequency of recyclables collection for the 660-litre recycling bins at HDB estates has been raised to at least three times weekly, to keep pace with the recycling rate. Side-loading recycling bins with three times the usual capacity have also been introduced in estates where space allows, with a collection frequency of once a week due to its larger capacity. We are working with the PWCs to deploy more resources to collect recyclables from locations with a higher recycling rate. Recycling, which is an integral part of our efforts to develop a truly circular economy, is a whole-of-nation effort. To support the community to increase the domestic recycling rate, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) and NEA have collaborated with the Singapore Institute of Technology to design a compact recycling container for households to better collect and sort recyclables at home. More details on the distribution of the recycling containers will be announced when ready. I encourage everyone to tap on this initiative and to recycle right.”
“The Ministry's approach to improving household recycling is to make recycling more convenient for everyone and to encourage households to recycle right. All Housing and Development Board (HDB) blocks, all private landed properties, as well as condominiums/ private apartments that opt in to the National Recycling Programme (NRP), have been provided with blue recycling bins by the Public Waste Collectors (PWCs). Since 2014, all new HDB blocks have also been fitted with recycling chutes. To complement the NRP, recycling bins have been deployed beside litter bins in non-residential public areas such as traffic junctions, near MRT station exits and selected areas in the Central Business District. New initiatives, such as the e-waste Extended Producer Responsibility scheme and the proposed beverage container return scheme, complement the NRP by providing avenues for households to recycle e-waste and beverage containers as dedicated waste streams. We will continue to track the progress of the NRP and review it from time to time. We continue to face challenges such as contamination of the recyclables collected, when items containing food or liquid waste are disposed of in recycling bins. Non-recyclable items such as soft toys and clothing are also mistakenly placed in recycling bins. To improve household recycling behaviour, the National Environment Agency (NEA) launched the inaugural Recycle Right Campaign in 2019. In January 2022, NEA introduced a new recycling mascot, Bloobin, as well as educational and user-friendly content to encourage the community to cultivate right recycling habits. A search engine has also been developed to help residents search for and identify items that can be recycled (www.go.gov.sg/recycleright).”
“The Water Conservation Tax, or WCT, serves to encourage every individual and business to play a role in conserving our precious water resources. The WCT has a two-tier rate structure with the first 40 cubic metres of water drawn per month attracting the basic rate and the volume above 40 cubic metres at a higher rate to discourage consumption. This structure has been implemented since 2000, with the lower-tier WCT covering the majority of households. WCT has an effect of conserving water over time. We have seen an increasing proportion of households that consume less than 40 cubic metres of water per month since then. Today, 96% of households pay only the lower-tier WCT rate. We price water to reflect its scarcity value. We do not see the need to introduce more tiers. For lower income households, the Government provides targeted assistance for their utility bills through GST U-Save rebates and vouchers.”
“Since November 2016, the National Environment Agency (NEA) has disallowed the use of disposable crockery and cutlery for dine-in meals at all new hawker centres. Since September 2018, this policy has also been applied to all new stallholders at existing hawker centres. All stallholders in the eight hawker centres that have adopted centralised dishwashing services under the Productive Hawker Centres programme have also switched to using reusable common crockery for dine-in meals. While NEA does not collect statistics on the number of stallholders at hawker centres that provide disposables for dine-in meals, the majority of our stallholders use reusable crockery and cutlery to serve meals.”
“NEA took about 7,400, 4,100 and 4,400 enforcement actions against smoky vehicles in 2019, 2020 and 2021 respectively. The significant reduction in enforcement actions in 2020 and 2021 was due to reduced road traffic as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Enforcement officers are deployed at various locations across Singapore to detect and take video evidence of smoky vehicles on public roads. While NEA had embarked on a small-scale trial of automatic smoke detection cameras in 2017, it was assessed that the technology was unable to detect and pinpoint the smoke emissions from individual vehicles accurately and reliably. As part of its continuing efforts to reduce air pollution and promote public health, NEA will continue to identify and conduct trials on other potentially suitable and cost-effective technologies to detect smoky vehicles on the road.”
“NEA has been conducting research and trialling the use of Wolbachia-carrying Aedes aegypti (Wolbachia-Aedes) mosquitoes to suppress urban Aedes aegypti populations in Singapore since 2016. Wolbachia-Aedes mosquitoes carry the Wolbachia bacterium, which is safe and occurs naturally in more than 60% of insect species. The Wolbachia field trials are carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and in consultation with NEA’s Dengue Expert Advisory Panel (DEAP), which comprises local and international experts. Wolbachia-Aedes mosquitoes are not genetically-modified, as there is no tampering or modification of the genes of the mosquito. This is confirmed by the Genetic Modification Advisory Committee (GMAC) in Singapore. Prior to carrying out field releases of Wolbachia-Aedes mosquitoes, NEA had carried out comprehensive risk assessments of the Wolbachia-Aedes suppression technology and determined it to be safe, with no risk to human health and insignificant risk to ecology and other mosquito species in our ecosystem. This conclusion is consistent with findings from studies in other parts of the world.”
“To limit the exposure of second-hand tobacco smoke on non-smokers, smoking has been prohibited at all coffee shops since July 2006, except at designated smoking corners. Smoking corners are, typically, located at the peripheral sections of outdoor refreshment areas and are also limited to 20% of the outdoor refreshment areas. Since June 2017, to further reduce the public’s exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke at retail food establishments, including coffee shops, NEA has stopped accepting applications for new smoking corners in retail food establishments. Existing smoking corners in retail food establishments will be phased out when the licences of the establishments are terminated or cancelled. As such, the number of smoking corners in retail food establishments will decrease over time. There are no plans to mandate the installation of physical barriers to separate the smoking and non-smoking areas in coffee shops, as such barriers are not practical and ineffective in limiting the spread of second-hand tobacco smoke. I urge smokers to be considerate and exercise social responsibility by refraining from lighting up at places where the second-hand tobacco smoke can affect others around them.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the hon Member for making this request on behalf the green groups. Please be assured that the Government will be reaching out and we are in constant dialogue, whether it is on NDC or our ongoing Green Plan initiatives.”
“Mr Speaker, as announced at Budget 2022, Singapore will raise our climate ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by or around mid-century. We are also reviewing our 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). Under the Singapore Green Plan 2030, we have been consulting closely with industry and citizen stakeholder groups, including more than 1,200 youths and civil society representatives from green groups and NGOs, through various engagement sessions. Building on these efforts, the National Climate Change Secretariat has launched an online public consultation on Singapore's climate ambition via REACH. Members of the public are invited to contribute views on their vision for a low-carbon Singapore and how the Government, businesses, communities and citizens can work towards it. We are taking into consideration the views received from these ongoing consultations as we finalise our climate targets later this year.”
“The National Action Strategy on Marine Litter (NASML) was published in June 2022 and represents a major milestone in Singapore’s efforts to tackle marine litter. Abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) has been the subject of growing attention due to the impact it has on the environment and marine life. Studies have shown that the impact of ALDFG has increased in the past decades, in part due to the expansion of commercial fishing activities and fishing grounds. In Singapore, ALDFG is a relatively minor concern, given Singapore’s small commercial fishing industry. This is why the issue of ALDFG was not included in the NASML. This does not mean Singapore has not taken steps to address ALDFG. There are ground-up initiatives that seek to monitor our shorelines and reef environments to document and remove marine debris, including ALDFG, on a regular basis. There are also efforts to protect our native marine biodiversity from ALDFG. NParks encourages members of the public to carry out responsible recreational fishing at designated fishing spots, using more sustainable fishing methods. Net fishing and the use of wire mesh traps are not allowed in areas managed by NParks, and signages have been put up at popular recreational fishing areas to educate fishers and encourage best practices. NParks is also working closely with fishing communities to promote responsible fishing.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA) started enforcing against table littering in hawker centres from 1 September 2021, and in coffeeshops and food courts from 1 January 2022 respectively. After a year, the returning of trays and used crockery has now become the prevalent practice. The average Tray and Crockery Return Rate (TCRR) has improved from 65% in August 2021 to close to 90% in our hawker centres. Similarly, for coffeeshops and food courts, the TCRR is also at around 90% today. Diners have been cooperative, with many taking the initiative to return their trays and used crockery after their meals. We would like to thank our stakeholders, including diners, stallholders, cleaners and premises operators, for their strong support in maintaining the cleanliness and hygiene of public dining spaces. For the small number of diners who do not clear their trays, used crockery, and litter, enforcement officers will advise them to do so in the first instance. Only diners who refuse to heed the enforcement officers' advice will be issued written warnings if it was their first offence, or issued fines or charged in Court for subsequent offences. As of 28 August 2022, two written warnings have been issued to diners for refusing to heed enforcement officers' advice to return their used crockery. The two diners were between 60 to 75 years old, and were observed to be physically fit. So far, no diners have been issued with fines or charged in Court for table littering. We hope that diners will continue to exercise social responsibility and return their trays and used crockery, so that we can together nurture this into a social norm and make Singapore a cleaner and more gracious society.”
“Under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Biden administration has committed US$369 billion (S$516 billion) in energy and climate spending over 10 years. This is a large investment by the US to tackle climate change. Our agencies will identify opportunities for collaboration with the US. Given the US’s technological leadership, these could include investment in shared priorities such as clean energy and low-carbon solutions, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), and green technologies. Singapore has also stepped up climate change cooperation with the US under the US-Singapore Climate Partnership announced by PM Lee Hsien Loong and US Vice President Kamala Harris in August last year. The Climate Partnership is a useful platform for bilateral cooperation on areas including quality carbon credit markets, sustainable finance, energy transitions, clean energy infrastructure development, and sustainable transport. It also has synergies with other initiatives that Singapore and the US are working closely together on. These include the bilateral US-Singapore Partnership for Growth and Innovation (PGI) launched in October 2021, and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) launched in May 2022. Singapore will continue to work with the US to identify opportunities to strengthen our collaboration through the Climate Partnership and other bilateral and regional initiatives. As a living plan, the Singapore Green Plan will be regularly reviewed as new technologies and solutions present us with new options.”
“The scheme will encourage the recycling of beverage containers such as plastic drink bottles and metal cans, and is expected to lead to an increase in the collection and recycling of clean, separate single-streams of plastic and metal recyclables. We will progressively refine and expand the EPR schemes to increase recycling in Singapore. MSE and NEA are continuously looking into ways to improve our recycling efforts. Following suggestions from the #RecycleRight Citizens’ Workgroup convened in 2019, we have carried out pilots at Hong Kah North SMC and East Coast GRC to test out different designs of recycling bins. One of the pilots measured the effectiveness of source-segregated recyclables collection with separate compartments for glass, paper, metal, and plastic recyclables, as compared with single-stream recycling bins. Findings from the pilots will be released when ready.”
“The recycling approach and green bin / blue bin system have been standardised in Singapore since 2011, following a review of the National Recycling Programme (NRP). All Public Waste Collectors (PWCs) were required to provide single-stream recycling bins at residential estates. This made it more convenient for residents to recycle as there was no need for households to sort their recyclables by material type. It also allowed the PWCs to optimise their operations by reducing the number of trips needed to collect recyclables which adds to the carbon footprint. PWCs which switched from source-segregated bins to the single-stream commingled bins saw an increased amount of recyclables collected. We are also developing complementary consumer-sorting recycling channels. We introduced in July 2021 the nationwide e-waste management system based on the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) approach. Under the EPR scheme for e-waste, consumers are able to segregate and recycle their e-waste at more than 560 e-waste recycling points nationwide, including community centres, supermarkets, electronics stores, and government buildings. ALBA E-waste Smart Recycling (ALBA), the scheme operator, also works with Town Councils to organise quarterly collection drives at housing estates and collection of bulky e-waste. For bulky appliances, residents can use the free 1-for-1 takeback service provided by electronics retailers during delivery of new appliances, to recycle their old appliance of the same type regardless of brand. NEA will be introducing a beverage container return scheme next, as the first phase of an EPR framework for packaging waste management.”
“The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) defines a drought as a period of at least three consecutive months where monthly rainfall is more than 50% below the long-term 30-year average. Over the last forty years, Singapore has experienced one episode of drought, which had occurred in 1983. Another measurement of dry condition is dry spell which is defined as a period of at least 15 consecutive days with daily total rainfall of less than one millimetre. And we have experienced three dry spells in the past decade, two in 2014 and one in 2019. With climate change, Singapore will continue to experience more extreme weather patterns, which can include more frequent and prolonged droughts. It is thus important for Singapore to ensure a resilient and sustainable water supply. PUB, our national water agency, adopts a long-term water supply strategy. Over the last few decades, we have built a robust and diversified water supply with Four National Taps, namely catchment water, imported water and the two weather-resilient sources of NEWater and desalinated water. We recently opened our fifth desalination plant on Jurong Island in April 2022 and will be expanding our NEWater production capacities by constructing Changi NEWater Factory 3, which will be ready by 2025. Together, our Four National Taps have ensured that Singapore’s water supply remained resilient to various disruptions. Even as the Government continues to invest in our water infrastructure, everyone must continue to do our part to conserve water. This will go a long way in ensuring resilience in our water supply under all circumstances.”
“Under the Energy Efficiency Grant, there are pre-approved models in each equipment category, namely, air-conditioners, refrigerators, clothes dryers and LED lighting, that have high energy efficiency ratings under NEA’s Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme. In the case of commercial equipment, where international standards for measuring energy efficiency are not readily available, there are pre-approved models that use technologies considered more energy efficient, for example, inverter technology for commercial refrigerators. By identifying pre-approved models in each equipment category, this will facilitate the application process for companies applying for the Energy Efficiency Grant. We will regularly review the list of pre-approved models of equipment in all the categories and welcome SMEs to suggest other models or technologies, that are of similar or higher levels of energy efficiency to be assessed for inclusion under the Energy Efficiency Grant.”
“In Singapore, common per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, are controlled as hazardous substances under the Environmental Protection and Management Act and Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) Regulations. Their import, manufacture and use are largely prohibited, except for specific purposes such as R&D. This minimises the chances of PFAS entering and contaminating our environment and waterways. As part of PUB’s comprehensive and stringent water sampling and monitoring programme, daily tests are conducted on water samples from reservoirs, waterworks, and distribution systems to its customers’ taps. The quality of our drinking water complies with the standards stipulated in the Environmental Public Health (Water Suitable for Drinking) Regulations and remains well within the World Health Organisation (WHO) Guidelines for drinking water quality. As PFAS is an emerging contaminant, the WHO has not set any guideline values for PFAS in drinking water. Thus, PFAS standards are currently not specified in Singapore’s regulations. Nevertheless, PUB has included PFAS in its routine testing and monitoring regime since 2016 as part of its proactive monitoring for contaminants of emerging concern. Based on existing laboratory testing capabilities available globally, these compounds have not been detected in our drinking water. PUB will continue to monitor developments relating to PFAS and its health effects to ensure the continued supply of good and safe drinking water for all in Singapore.”
“The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and the National Environment Agency (NEA) closely monitor the risk of transboundary haze and take active steps to avoid and mitigate the occurrence of haze. The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), which is hosted by NEA’s Meteorological Service Singapore, regularly disseminates its weather and haze outlook, as well as satellite imagery and fire hotspots information, to ASEAN Member States. ASMC also provides early warning of transboundary haze, which serves to alert our neighbouring countries to take active steps to address the problem of transboundary haze at source. We have also formally extended an offer of fire-fighting assistance to Indonesia in June 2022 to augment Indonesia’s efforts to address hotspots and fires during the traditional southern ASEAN dry season. We have continually made this offer since 2005. This year, Singapore will host the 17th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution. We will be using our chairmanship to strengthen regional commitment and take active steps towards the vision of a haze-free ASEAN.”
“NEA is progressively expanding Project Wolbachia – Singapore to eight additional sites over the next few months to study the impact of Wolbachia technology on dengue cases. This will cover an additional 1,400 HDB blocks, bringing the total coverage of the project to 31% of all HDB blocks in Singapore and more than 300,000 households. To support the expansion of Project Wolbachia – Singapore while sustaining releases of male Wolbachia-Aedes mosquitoes in existing release sites, NEA is working with companies and the multi-agency National Robotics Programme to develop novel automated systems for the large-scale rearing and field release of quality male Wolbachia-Aedes mosquitoes. This will increase the production of male mosquitoes, from the current two million to five million per week by end 2022. While the results of Project Wolbachia – Singapore have been promising, Wolbachia technology is not a silver bullet. Source reduction remains a key strategy in our fight against dengue. Everyone needs to do their part to keep their homes and community free from mosquitoes and dengue.”
“As part of our "30 by 30" vision to strengthen Singapore's food security, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) embarked on a holistic exercise to master plan the Lim Chu Kang (LCK) region. The vision is for the LCK region to become a high-tech agri-food cluster that can raise production in a sustainable and resource-efficient manner. Both existing farms and new interested parties can bid for new plots when they are released. This will take place after the master planning and land development stages. SFA is agnostic to the farming method used. To achieve our "30 by 30" vision with the scarce land available, we would select farm proposals for the new LCK agri-food cluster, taking into account their productivity and resource efficiency.”
“Since 2014, all new developments or re-developments of 0.2 hectares or more are required to implement measures such as detention tanks to slow down stormwater runoff from entering the public drainage system, providing more resilience against heavier rainfall events. It is, however, not practical to expand our drains to cater to every extreme rainfall event as it would require massive land take and much higher costs. Hence, it is important to strengthen community resilience, as well as our forecasting and flood resilience capabilities to minimise flood risks and keep the public out of harm's way. PUB is using technology, such as X-band radars and an extensive network of water level sensors and CCTVs installed islandwide, to better predict and respond to floods. Public alerts can be issued earlier, enabling residents in areas at risk of flash floods to take preventive measures such as deploying portable flood barriers early. PUB's Quick Response Team vehicles can also be deployed on-site faster to provide timely assistance. PUB also works with LTA, Traffic Police and SCDF to broadcast information to the public using electronic signboards and to divert vehicles and close roads if necessary. Information on floods and road closures are communicated promptly through PUB's social media and Telegram channels, as well as the myENV Mobile App. The Government will plan ahead and ensure our coastal and flood protection measures adapt to the latest developments in climate science. We will also engage communities across Singapore to co-create our strategy to protect our coastlines and ensure that Singapore will remain resilient in the face of climate change, for our present and future generations.”
“For the first part of Parliamentary Question No 23, on how Singapore is bracing itself for higher and more volatile temperatures, Members should refer to the combined oral replies to Parliamentary Questions No 1 to 7 taken on 2 August 2022. Mr Christopher de Souza also asked if Singapore has seen an increase in sea levels and what Singapore is doing to cope with rising sea levels and more unpredictable thundershower patterns. Mean sea levels around Singapore have risen 10 centimetres in the last four decades and are projected to rise by up to one metre by 2100, based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR 5) findings. Factoring in a confluence of transient events, such as extreme high tides and storm surges, sea levels could go up to as high as four to five metres. To develop the strategies required to protect Singapore from coastal flooding, the Government is conducting site-specific studies progressively. These studies will examine various coastal adaptation options, such as sea walls, earth mounds and tidal gates. Where feasible, they will be co-located with amenities or recreational space for the community to enhance our living environment and explore the use of hybrid solutions that have nature-based elements. We have already begun site-specific studies for the more vulnerable parts of our coast, such as the City-East Coast area and a stretch of the North-West coast comprising four freshwater reservoirs. The Government has also set up the Coastal and Flood Protection Fund to fund the construction of drainage infrastructure and coastal protection measures, with an initial injection of $5 billion. Beyond coastal protection measures, PUB has also invested almost $2 billion on drainage works over the last decade.”
“MSE and the Singapore Food Agency take a long-term view to ensuring Singapore's food security. Recognising the long-term trends, including global population growth and climate change, we adopt a multi-pronged approach to food security that includes import source diversification and local production. We support import source diversification efforts by actively accrediting overseas food sources. This number has grown, from 172 countries and regions in 2019, to 180 in 2021. We also intend to grow more food locally to serve as a buffer in times of supply disruption. Under our "30 by 30" goal, we are building the capabilities and capacity to grow 30% of our nutritional needs by 2030. In the longer term, we intend for our food production capabilities to be more resilient to the impact of climate change. For example, Sustenir Agriculture is an indoor farm that is able to control their growing environment to ensure optimal conditions for plant growth. This helps to mitigate issues faced by farms directly exposed to external uncertainties, such as erratic weather and rainfall patterns. SFA and A*STAR are also making a concerted push to advance innovation in the areas of novel foods, like plant-based and cultured meat. Such technologies can make an important contribution to our food security strategy, as they provide another layer to buffer against supply disruptions. We will continue to work with both the industry and consumers to ensure Singapore's food security.”
“The World Ocean Summit and UN Ocean Conference held earlier this year called on the international community to scale up actions to collectively protect the ocean and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Our Green Plan already includes many initiatives that contribute to these efforts. At the UN Oceans Conference, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan outlined our efforts on the shipping front to spearhead the transition towards the supply of environmentally friendly ship fuel. This is part of the Energy Reset pillar of the Singapore Green Plan and it is also detailed in the Maritime Singapore Decarbonisation Blueprint. Dr Balakrishnan also announced the launch of three environmental research projects, including the Marine Climate Change Science (MCCS) programme. Led by NParks, this $25 million multi-stakeholder research programme will help us better understand the science behind the impact of climate change on our marine ecosystems, such as rising sea levels and increasing sea surface temperatures, so as to inform measures to enhance the resilience of our marine ecosystems. By protecting our natural environment, the MCCS programme contributes to our efforts to transform Singapore into a City in Nature – another key pillar under the Singapore Green Plan. As a living plan, the Singapore Green Plan will be regularly reviewed and updated to take into account the latest available information, international developments and the outcomes of our own research and studies in science and technology, and the progress of the initiatives that we have planned or are implementing.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I would like to thank the Member for the supplementary questions. Indeed, I think it is important for us to think about challenges very holistically. And that is really the genesis of the Singapore Green Plan, which is to bring multi-agencies' work together and to integrate our plans, so that we are clear about the trajectory and pathway that we are heading towards. Similarly, when we come to issues, such as how hotter temperatures are going to affect human health, there are also inter-agency work groups to study that, whether it is MOH with MSE on heat stress affecting human health, or MOH, MOM and the Workplace Safety and Health Council to study the impact of heat on our work practices. So, that will continue to be the way the Government handles climate change. Each of the Ministries will have its own policy portfolio and they will continue to refine and review their policies going forward, with information that is coming in from the various studies that we are doing – whether it is with V3 or other studies, such as the one the Member quoted. It is really part of our research effort to understand various impacts of climate change on Singapore better. And we also have the Inter-Ministerial Committee that is chaired by Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean that will bring the relevant Ministries together. As and when we are informed with new inputs, we will review the relevant policies and we will get the relevant Ministries together to study some of these cross-Ministry problems.”
“While our long-term planning does not have these specific impact events in mind at this point, we are constantly looking for inputs and they will always shape our planning parameters. I will leave the third question to Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I would like to thank Member Dr Tan Wu Meng for his questions, in fact, I am very gratified to see that Members are truly interested in climate change and its impact on Singapore and Singaporeans. It is the greatest challenge to mankind and we should really devote attention and resources to address this global challenge squarely. In our projection, we look at three broad scenarios. One is the business-as-usual scenario; the other is a scenario where we are taking good steps to mitigate emissions; and the third is to assume a situation where fossil fuels continue to be harnessed for energy. This is not a scenario that is determined by Singapore only. This is actually adopted by IPCC, which assesses a collection of thousands of scientific journals and scientific research. It is, in a way, an aggregation of the global thought leadership on climate change issues. So, within these three scenarios, the peak 40 degrees Celsius forms one of the data points. But, obviously, we are looking at the three scenarios squarely and looking at how they would impact Singapore specifically. Because we are quite different from the Northern or Southern hemispheres – we have tropical weather, we are an island, we are not part of large continental masses. So, we do have our own climatic patterns that require careful local study. And that, in fact, is what we will be doing over the next few decades. Indeed, I think Dr Tan Wu Meng is very wise to point out that there are low probability but high-impact events. We are constantly in discussions with the scientists. We just hosted the World Climate Research Programme Sea Level Conference in Singapore and had the chance to speak to many world-class climate scientists, which informs our planning.”
“Hence, we have been enhancing community resilience to climate change by encouraging businesses and individuals to adopt greater energy efficiency, such as the introduction of the Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme to help consumers choose more energy-efficient appliances. Although Singapore has so far not faced heat crises on the same scale as other countries, it would not be possible to avoid the rise in temperatures due to global warming. We must continue to engage and co-create solutions with the community to enhance our resilience to climate change. We will also roll out policies and measures to cool our neighbourhoods and community spaces, which Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How will now elaborate on.”
“This enables us to understand how heat affects different parts of Singapore and identify cost-effective heat mitigation strategies. Second, we leverage science to design better policies and guidelines to strengthen community resilience to climate change, especially to account for the fact that some segments of our population, such as the elderly or outdoor workers, may be more vulnerable to rising temperatures. MOH and MSE are studying how heat stress could affect our population. MOH, MOM and the Workplace Safety and Health Council also work closely together to ensure that guidelines on managing heat stress at workplaces are regularly updated based on the latest scientific evidence, including the V3 study which I had earlier mentioned. Third, designing effective heat mitigation strategies, of which there are two broad categories. First, measures to promote cooling in our urban environment, such as through urban planning and building guidelines, infusing more greenery and scaling up the use of cool materials on buildings. Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How will elaborate on these. Second, measures to reduce the heat generated from human activities, such as from our homes, our roads and our industries. These include, for example, efforts under the Singapore Green Plan to electrify our vehicle population and to increase the energy efficiency of industrial, commercial and residential buildings. Individuals also play an important part. When we use less electricity, we not only reduce the heat emitted from our own electrical appliances, we also reduce the energy that needs to be generated by our power stations, thereby reducing both heat generation and carbon emissions at the system level.”
“To prepare for rising temperatures, the Government has adopted a science-based and proactive heat mitigation and adaption strategy, which has three prongs. First, we are deepening our understanding of the science behind how rising temperatures affects Singapore and our residents. Second, we are reviewing efforts to strengthen the community's resilience to heat. Third, we are designing effective heat mitigation strategies and scaling them up. Let me elaborate on the three prongs. First, understanding the science of how heat affects Singapore and our residents. The CCRS translates global climate projections to understand the localised effects and implications for Singapore. For example, while we do not experience the extreme temperatures arising from high pressure systems that form across large continental masses in the mid-latitude region, we are affected by climate drivers such as El Niño, that are likely to be exacerbated by climate change. These projections are being reviewed and will be updated through the Third National Climate Change Study, or "V3", that will be released next year. This will enable our heat mitigation action plan and other climate adaptation planning to be informed by the latest IPCC findings and by local and regional warming trends. To understand how heat affects the Singapore population, we are driving research and development to study the factors contributing to urban heat, test different heat mitigation strategies and assess the effects of heat on public health. For example, under the Cooling Singapore 2.0 project, we are working with researchers to develop a digital model to simulate Singapore's urban climate and predict the effectiveness of various heat mitigation strategies.”
“I thank Members Prof Koh Lian Pin, Ms He Ting Ru, Dr Tan Wu Meng and Mr Christopher de Souza for their questions on how Singapore is preparing for rising temperatures. I will address them together with Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How in two parts. First, I will set out the broad context of how climate change and rising temperatures will affect Singapore and outline the Government's approach to strengthening Singapore's heat resilience. Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How will then elaborate on specific policies and measures to cool our neighbourhoods and community spaces. In recent weeks, many countries have been experiencing heatwaves, including China, India, Pakistan and many European countries. Record-breaking temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius have resulted in deaths, heat injuries and damaged infrastructure. These heat waves are increasing in frequency and intensity worldwide as a result of climate change and portends the severe consequences we would face if we do not take significant steps today to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Singapore will not be spared from the impacts of global warming – 2012 to 2021 was our warmest decade on record. The Centre for Climate Research Singapore, CCRS for short, has projected that climate change would lead to average temperatures rising by 1.4 to 4.6 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. Days with peak temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius may appear as early as 2045. This is compounded by the urban heat island effect, or "UHI" effect, where built-up areas are warmer due to heat trapped by buildings and heat generated by activities, such as transportation and industry.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, may I have your permission to address Question Nos 1 to 4, and written Question Nos 22 and 23 on today's Order Paper by a combined reply? And for any supplementary questions to Question Nos 1 to 4 to be taken after the reply to Question No 7 has been given, as the issues raised in Question Nos 1 to 7 are inter-related and will be addressed jointly by myself and the Senior Minister of State for National Development Tan Kiat How.”
“The disposal of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels is regulated under the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for e-waste, wherein companies that supply solar PV panels to the Singapore market are responsible for their end-of-life treatment. These companies are required to provide free take-back services for disused solar PV panels supplied by them and send this waste to licensed e-waste recyclers for recycling. There are currently four licensed e-waste recyclers of solar PV panels in Singapore. We are also actively supporting efforts under NEA's Closing the Waste Loop research and development programme to build capabilities and develop more sustainable solar PV recycling solutions. For example, one project undertaken by Singapore Polytechnic in collaboration with Sembcorp, seeks to develop an end-to-end pilot demonstration line to recover materials from disused or end-of-life solar panels. We will continue to strengthen our e-waste management capabilities in tandem with solar PV panel deployment to ensure that solar PV panel waste is properly managed.”
“Licensed plumbers (LPs) form an integral part of Singapore's water value chain, serving as the touchpoint to customers for their residential and commercial plumbing needs. Out of the more than 950 LPs in Singapore, close to 90% are Singaporeans, some 5% are permanent residents, while the remaining LPs are foreigners. Around 70% of the LPs are above the age of 50. We do not collect information on the nationalities of non-Singaporean LPs. In terms of work passes, the majority of foreigner LPs are S Pass holders.”
“The Public Utilities Board (PUB) works closely with agencies such as Sport Singapore and People's Association and organisations such as the National Sports Associations to offer recreational water activities at eight reservoirs and two waterways1. Fishing is also currently allowed at designated sites in 10 reservoirs and five waterways2. These agencies and organisations continually work with PUB to review the demand for such water recreational activities and the possibility of opening up more freshwater bodies for recreation uses. For reservoirs, the recreational activities must, first and foremost, not impact their primary function, which is to serve as a source of raw water for treatment into potable water. Other important considerations include potential impacts on ecosystems within the freshwater bodies that could affect biodiversity and water quality, and the available space for other important uses, such as the deployment of floating solar photovoltaic systems as part of our sustainability efforts, in land-scarce Singapore.”
“The National Environment Agency has reviewed anti-mosquito paint. The duration of the effectiveness of such paint varies, depending on the active ingredient, the material of the painted surface, and environmental conditions. Its effectiveness can also be hampered by insecticide resistance of the mosquito species. Overall, the effectiveness of anti-mosquito paint against dengue has not been proven and there is currently no scientific data to support its widespread use for dengue control.”
“Vacancy rates at hawker centres managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) or by NEA-appointed operators have remained low over the past three years, at about 2% to 4% each year, which are similar to the vacancy rates prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Vacant stalls will be put up by NEA or NEA-appointed operators for tender or application and most of them would be occupied within three to six months. Hawkers may give up their stalls for various reasons such as poor health or poor business. Hawkers who are in arrears may approach NEA for assistance. NEA will carefully review the stallholders' situation and provide relevant support, such as allowing more time to make payments, on a case-by-case basis.”