Koh Lian Pin
Singapore
“By investing in mental health initiatives in academia, we can improve the productivity and performance of our academic workforce, which can have a positive impact on our economy as a whole.”
“I thank the Minister, the two Senior Ministers of State and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for their responses. I just have one clarification question. As Singapore pursues our ambition to be a climate services hub, we are seeding our ecosystem of sustainability solutions providers by welcoming and working with international partners.”
“Mdm Chair, electrifying Singapore’s vehicle population is a key goal of the Singapore Green Plan 2030. The Government has introduced a series of initiatives to encourage and support EV adoption. Can the Government provide an update on some of the key initiatives, including the EV Charging Act and the EV Common Charger Grant?”
“Sir, to ensure our climate resilience, Singapore has committed significant resources to the research and development (R&D) of climate mitigation and adaptation solutions through Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 (RIE2025) along with the commissioning of various climate resilience-related consultancy and infrastructural projects.”
“Increasing Recycling Efforts Domestic recycling is an important part of Singapore's sustainability journey. Can the Government share the outcomes of initiatives such as the pilot programme involving transparent recycling bins and dedicated recycling chutes in HDB blocks?”
“Sir, Singapore has several funding and incentive schemes to encourage communities and youths to get involved and help achieve our national climate targets as part of the Singapore Green Plan 2030.”
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“By investing in mental health initiatives in academia, we can improve the productivity and performance of our academic workforce, which can have a positive impact on our economy as a whole. In conclusion, addressing mental health in academia is critical for Singapore to succeed as a knowledge and innovation hub, attract and retain top talents, strengthen our economy and build a resilient workforce and society. Let us work together to create a culture of openness, support and understanding in the academic community, where individuals can seek help without fear of stigma or judgement and realise their full potential. Finally, I joined my fellow Members in thanking the nurses, doctors and all healthcare workers for their indefatigable spirit, dedication and sacrifices in their contributions to the physical and mental well-being of our nation. Mr Deputy Speaker, I support this Motion.”
“At the national level, the Health Promotion Board runs our national mental well-being campaign, "It's OKAY to Reach Out", which seeks to normalise the topic of mental health and well-being, generate greater understanding and awareness and encourage Singaporeans to reach out for support. Sir, Singapore is a global leader in research and innovation. The quality of our universities and research institutions plays a critical role in maintaining this status. More importantly, a physically and mentally healthy research workforce, which includes graduate students and researchers at all levels, is needed to ensure the consistent production of top-quality research in Singapore. Furthermore, the academic community in Singapore is diverse and international, with individuals from different cultures, backgrounds and experiences working together towards the common goal of creating impactful, new knowledge, science and technologies. Providing a supportive and inclusive environment that promotes the mental well-being of all members of our academic community will enable us to attract and retain top talents from around the world and maintain Singapore's role as a global knowledge and innovation hub. Addressing mental health in academia is not just a moral imperative but also an economic one. The World Health Organization recently reported that depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy over $1 trillion every year. Another recent study by the Duke-NUS Medical School and the Institute of Mental Health estimated the total economic burden of lost productivity due to anxiety and depression in Singapore to be almost $16 billion annually.”
“First, we could invest more in mental health research to contextualise and better understand the extent and nature of the mental health problem within Singapore's academic community. This may help us develop more effective and bespoke solutions. Second, we could provide more mental health support services, including workshops, support groups and mental health professionals to create an ecosystem of affordable and accessible mental health resources on campus for those in need. Third, we could make greater efforts to raise awareness and reduce the stigma associated with mental health in academia. Importantly, we could create a culture of openness and support by providing training for senior faculty and staff on how to identify and support individuals who may be struggling. By doing so, we can destigmatise and normalise our discussions on mental health. Finally, we could also do more to normalise a healthier work-life balance in academia. This may include providing more opportunities for remote work and flexible schedules and creating policies that limit after-work emails and meetings. As an encouraging example of what is already being done, the National University of Singapore has been running a #AreuOK mental healthcare campaign since 2021. Its main goals are to destigmatise mental health conditions in the NUS community and support those who seek help. It provides free and confidential mental well-being check-ins, emotional support sessions and a 24-hour hotline, among other services. I declare that I am an NUS professor. Of course, other universities in Singapore provide similar initiatives and support to their academic communities as well.”
“This lack of job security can also lead to persistent stress and anxiety as researchers constantly worry about their next contract and future career prospects. Among graduate students, and especially for students from overseas who have come to Singapore to pursue their graduate research, the rising cost of living in Singapore is probably one of the greatest stress factors today. Many PhD students in Singapore are on research scholarships, which provide a relatively modest stipend compared to the salaries that their peers in the workforce may be getting. The constant cost of living concerns can lead to a vicious cycle of poor mental health and decreased academic performance, with individuals struggling to cope with the rigorous demands of academic life as graduate students while also managing their challenging financial situation as young adults. Finally, the academic culture itself can also be a significant barrier to addressing mental health. Indeed, there may be a common but misguided perception in academia that admitting to struggling with one's mental health is somehow a sign of weakness, incompetence or inadequacy. This stigma can lead individuals to feel like they need to hide their struggles to fit in or to maintain their academic standing among their peers. Left unchallenged, this stigma can cause individuals to delay seeking help or treatment for mental health concerns, which can lead to a worsening of symptoms and other detrimental impacts on their personal and academic life. To address the growing mental health issues facing the academic community, we may wish to consider the following suggestions, some of which are already being implemented in our local universities and research institutions, but we can always do more.”
“Additionally, the nature of academic research for some disciplines can be arduous and unpredictable. The demands of laboratory experiments or field surveys typically require individuals to work after hours and over weekends. These long, irregular and gruelling hours of research inevitably compromise work-life balance and can have significant impacts on the mental health of early career researchers. Many of them are also at an age when they are trying to start a family, and so these mental health impacts may extend to their partners and other loved ones as well. Furthermore, many research-intensive universities now consider various publication related metrics when evaluating the performance of their faculty members and researchers. This can create a "publish or perish" mentality which in turn creates immense pressures, especially among early career researchers to publish quickly, frequently and in the most highly regarded scientific journals. A strong publication track record is critical for securing a good post-doctoral position and academic tenure. However, the overwhelming and constant pressure to publish can lead to persistent feelings of anxiety, resulting in burnouts and other mental health issues. Another major contributor to mental health issues among early career researchers is job insecurity. Many individuals who embark on an academic career may aspire to be a tenured professor someday. But there are just not enough professor positions for the growing number of PhD graduates to fill. Certainly, not in Singapore alone. As a result, many early career researchers are on short-term contracts supported by research grants. The duration and size of these grants can be variable and unpredictable, leading to uncertainties for long-term employment.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I stand in support of this Motion. I would like to join the debate today by highlighting a growing healthcare issue facing the academic community. Our universities and academic institutions are places of higher learning, research and innovation. They are also workplaces where faculty members, researchers and students spend a significant amount of their time. In recent years the academic work environment has become increasingly stressful, leading to the rising incidence and prevalence of mental health issues among university researchers and graduate students. A global study conducted in 2018 found that 41% of graduate students worldwide suffered from moderate to severe anxiety, while 39% showed signs of moderate to severe depression. This survey which was based on the responses of over 2,000 students from 230 institutions across 26 countries reported that in general, graduate students are more than six times as likely to experience anxiety and depression compared to the general population. There may be several reasons why mental health issues are becoming prevalent in academia. One of the biggest causes arguably is the constant pressure to perform. The academic path can be both long and narrow. It may also come with significant opportunity costs. Having committed typically around 10 to 15 of the most productive years in their 20s and 30s to acquiring an increasingly specialised skill set as an early career researcher, the scope for an alternative career tends to get increasingly narrower as they progress in their training as graduate student, postdoctoral researcher and then junior professor. The pressure to continue down this path and succeed as a tenured academic can be enormous.”
“Mdm Chair, electrifying Singapore’s vehicle population is a key goal of the Singapore Green Plan 2030. The Government has introduced a series of initiatives to encourage and support EV adoption. Can the Government provide an update on some of the key initiatives, including the EV Charging Act and the EV Common Charger Grant? Are we on track in terms of the rate of EV charger deployment and EV adoption? Road Tax for Electric Vehicles”
“Singapore’s marine areas will face more pressures due to developments in our aquaculture sector and coastal protection measures. Easier public access to EIA reports can be helpful, for example, in soliciting public perspectives, feedback and suggestions to ensure that our aquaculture and coastal protection activities are implemented, with adequate consideration of the need to conserve our marine biodiversity. Can the Government share whether it plans to make future marine EIAs available online, perhaps with redaction of confidential portions, if necessary? How would the Government better engage with the public on these findings? Repurposing our Built Environment As an island state with limited land, Singapore has to continuously adapt to the changing needs of our society through strategic masterplanning and the constant renewal of our built environment. Tearing down existing concrete buildings to construct new ones will, unavoidably, require cement production, which is the largest single industrial emitter of carbon dioxide, accounting for approximately 8% of global emissions based on a recent peer-reviewed scientific report. An alternative to such a clean-slate development approach is to repurpose existing infrastructure for new uses to minimise both environmental and societal impacts, such as carbon emissions and noise and air pollution. Are there inter-Ministerial strategies to optimise our masterplanning through the adaptive repurposing of our built environment? Long-term Plan Review”
“Sir, Singapore’s Masterplan is the statutory land use plan that translates the long-term strategies of our long-term plan into detailed plans to guide developments in our land space. Singapore’ sea space is almost as large as our land space. Given the increasing demands on Singapore’s sea space, for example, for aquaculture and coastal protection measures, it may be important to also better plan for our sea space to meet our future needs. How is the Government incorporating Singapore’s sea space in our Masterplan and long-term plan? Climate Resilient Housing Estates Singapore has been experiencing warming temperatures due to climate change and our densely built environment. Passive cooling strategies in newer estates may enable residents to keep cool without resorting to turning on their air-conditioners. But residents in older estates may feel the brunt of warming temperatures. Researchers from the Cooling Singapore project have also identified temperature hot spots in places, such as Geylang and Woodlands. What are the Government’s efforts to ensure that our built environment continues to be liveable for residents in all estates in the face of rising temperatures? How will the findings of the Cooling Singapore project be factored into Singapore’s land use and development plans? Marine Environmental Impact Assessments In 2022, the Government announced the important changes to Singapore’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) framework which includes enhancing the transparency of such environmental studies. However, a number of recent marine EIAs were not made available online. Instead, members of the public had to make appointments to view these reports, which can span hundreds of pages, in person during office hours.”
“I thank the Minister, the two Senior Ministers of State and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for their responses. I just have one clarification question. As Singapore pursues our ambition to be a climate services hub, we are seeding our ecosystem of sustainability solutions providers by welcoming and working with international partners. I think it makes a lot of sense to attract the best people and best organisations here quickly, to support us. At the same time, I would like to hear the Minister's thoughts on what more can we do. How can we ensure that there is sufficient investment and coordination across our public, private and people sectors to nurture world-class sustainability champions, leaders and institutions of our own, to service both Singapore and the global community?”
“Sir, Singapore has several funding and incentive schemes to encourage communities and youths to get involved and help achieve our national climate targets as part of the Singapore Green Plan 2030. These community and youth-focused grants include the 3P Partnership Fund, Call for Ideas Fund, SG Eco Fund, Young ChangeMakers Grant and even the Youth Action Challenge. Has the Government assessed the effectiveness of such grants across the whole-of-Government? Will the findings be shared with the public? Community-based Sustainability Efforts”
“Sir, to ensure our climate resilience, Singapore has committed significant resources to the research and development (R&D) of climate mitigation and adaptation solutions through Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 (RIE2025) along with the commissioning of various climate resilience-related consultancy and infrastructural projects. These investments include both the creation of new knowledge through research as well as the implementation of solutions. How is the Government ensuring that there is adequate coordination of these multiple and concurrent efforts, especially in terms of the need to avoid duplication, ensure complementarity and appropriately phase the implementation of solutions that should be informed by the new science we have also invested in creating?”
“Sir, the Singapore aquaculture plan of the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) focuses on sustainable sea-based fish farming. Can the Government elaborate on how our emerging aquaculture sector will contribute to Singapore's "30 by 30" goal? How is the Government ensuring that the environmental sustainability of our sea space is considered as Singapore embarks on the development of our aquaculture sector? Support Local Supply”
“Increasing Recycling Efforts Domestic recycling is an important part of Singapore's sustainability journey. Can the Government share the outcomes of initiatives such as the pilot programme involving transparent recycling bins and dedicated recycling chutes in HDB blocks? Ensuring greater buy-in and success of our domestic recycling efforts is key to achieving Singapore's zero-waste ambitions and plans to turn trash to treasure. Will the Government consider other recycling initiatives, such as getting households to sort their waste at home? Efforts Towards a Zero-waste Nation”
“Sir, at Budget 2022, it was announced that companies may use high-quality international carbon credits to offset up to 5% of their taxable emissions from 2024. Recently, Minister Grace Fu assured the House that the Government will take all scrutiny of carbon markets and projects seriously and is finalising a list of international carbon credits that companies in Singapore may use for offsetting their emissions. Will the Government share the quality considerations and criteria for identifying eligible carbon projects' host countries, carbon crediting programmes and carbon accounting methodologies for carbon tax offsets in Singapore? Forward Singapore's Steward Pillar Last year, the Government launched the Forward Singapore exercise to engage all segments of society to discuss the challenges, constraints and opportunities that Singapore faces as we move forward to realise our common vision for the future. Can the Government provide an update on the Steward Pillar of Forward Singapore and how Singaporeans are wanting to contribute towards a green, liveable and climate-resilient Singapore? "Say Yes to Waste Less" Campaign Since 2019, the National Environment Agency's (NEA) "Say YES to Waste Less" campaign has introduced initiatives to reduce food wastage and discourage the use of disposables such as bags, cups and takeout containers. Recently, NEA commissioned a campaign called The Waste Cafe, which generated some negative feedback from the public. How is the Government ensuring that future campaigns that seek to create public awareness, sometimes understandably through a shock factor, will not inadvertently lead to unnecessary waste? Will the Government share the outcomes of this campaign?”
“Sir, in 2020, the National Environment Agency (NEA) launched the Climate Friendly Households Programme to support 1- to 3-room HDB flat owners to replace appliances that are less energy- and water-efficient with newer and more efficient ones. But as at July 2022, its take-up rate remains relatively low. What is the Government doing to improve the take-up rate of this programme?”
“Sir, as Singapore transitions to a low-carbon and sustainable society, everyone has an important role to play. This includes ensuring that sustainability principles are considered in our business practices and processes across all sectors. How is the Government encouraging the practice of green procurement, which is the purchase of goods and services that caused minimal adverse environmental impact as part of building and supporting a green economy for Singapore? Mandatory Climate Disclosure”
“Sir, GreenGov.SG was launched in 2021 as a key enabler of the Green Plan 2030. Under GreenGov.SG, the public sector strives to attain ambitious sustainability targets in carbon abatement and resource efficiency. Can the Government provide an update on our progress of GreenGov.SG and what lies ahead?”
“Chairman, the Skills Demand for the Future Economy (SDFE) Report 2022 highlights the importance of upskilling workers to stay relevant and take on new opportunities. IHLs, private education institutions and other training providers play important roles in developing and curating training courses to respond to this need, especially in terms of sustainability skill sets for Government officers, industry leaders, practitioners and other stakeholders. As demand for subsidised for SkillsFuture-funded programmes continues to grow, it can put increasing strains on training providers. Is the Government considering streamlining SkillsFuture Singapore processes to ease the administrative burden on training providers? Skills Framework”
“How will the Government ensure sufficient green jobs and green growth opportunities for Singaporeans in the coming decades? How will the Government help businesses embark on sustainability initiatives while reducing costs? Skilling for Green Economy”
“Sustainability reporting has been gaining traction and more large corporations are publishing their sustainability reports to both meet regulatory needs and also to show commitment to climate goals. How is the Government planning to help SMEs in this shift towards greater accountability towards their carbon emissions to ensure they are able to meet the carbon accounting requirements of large corporations? Transitory Allowance for Emissions-intensive and Trade-exposed Sectors At Budget 2022, the Singapore Government announced a revised carbon tax framework effective from 2024. It also announced a transition framework to give existing emissions-intensive trade-exposed companies (EITE) more time to adjust to our new carbon tax policy, and to help maintain their business competitiveness. Can the Government elaborate on the efficiency standards and decarbonisation targets that EITE companies would have to meet to receive transitory allowances for part of their emissions? How long will these allowances be used for, and how will they affect the effectiveness of tourrevised carbon tax for incentivising decarbonisation? Green Economy Singapore is building a robust green talent pipeline in Government, industry and academia, as part of the Singapore Green Plan 2030. Green jobs ensure Singapore's long-term economic resilience and provide important social values. However, business costs have been increasing due to persistent inflationary pressures and other economic challenges. What are the Government's efforts to increase the awareness and accessibility of sustainability-related information, knowledge base and opportunities to support our businesses and workforce in the green transition.”
“Mdm Chair, SLA develops and manages OneMap, which is the authoritative national map of Singapore. SLA has also been developing other state‐of‐the‐art geospatial data management, analytic and delivery technologies. Having ready access to trustworthy and spatially explicit information is more important now than ever to help us address climate change, sustainability and other emerging challenges and opportunities. What are the Government's plans to mainstream and leverage Singapore's geospatial capabilities, to inform and support policies, decisions and actions across all segments of Singapore society? 6.15 pm”
“Chairman, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. [(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $1,245,254,500 for Head U ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $265,178,300 for Head U ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]”
“Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head U of the Estimates be reduced by $100". The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) held in Egypt last year was set against challenging global geopolitical and economic conditions. Despite this, countries were able to deliver a package of decisions that reaffirmed their commitment to limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change and increase support for finance, technology and capacity building for developing countries. Can the Minister share the significance of COP27 for Singapore, the Singapore delegation's contributions to the conference and expectations for COP28 to be held in the United Arab Emirates later this year? [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Climate Ambition”
“Our new economy would be supported by a robust green talent pipeline, creating a workforce with sustainability competencies as well as opportunities for a lifetime of upskilling and meaningful contributions. I hope to be still alive then, in 2050, as a 74-year-old grey-haired professor, perhaps sipping tea from the balcony of my Community Care Apartment with a pair of binoculars, peering out into the forest canopy below, taking comfort in having been a part of this journey. I believe for this to be more than my personal daydream, we will require a whole-of-society paradigm shift now. Everyone must recognise that climate change and sustainability are not fringe issues. They are not just green issues. They are bread-and-butter issues, top-of-mind planning issues, quality-of-life issues, existential issues. As we move forward together in a new era, climate resilience and sustainability must be the zeitgeist of our times. Everyone from every sector has important contributions to make. We need local Singaporeans, overseas Singaporeans, returning Singaporeans, foreign talents, from Government, businesses, civil society and Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs) to be able to visualise, articulate and work towards the common climate resilient and sustainable future that we all want for ourselves and our future generations. We must intuitively know that while we address the very real and immediate challenges of the day, we cannot afford to ease up on our efforts to achieve climate resilience, meet our sustainability goals and become a low carbon society, a City in Nature. These are the things worth fighting for. This is a future worth fighting for. Mdm Deputy Speaker, I support the Budget. [Applause.]”
“By thinking and acting beyond our geographic constraints as a small island state, Singapore has the opportunity to create climate impacts beyond our borders. Our businesses can support climate actions beyond their value chains. We can become a world-embracing global city for sustainability. Ultimately, the highest quality carbon credit is the one we will never need. Avoiding or reducing carbon emissions sits at the top rung of our climate mitigation hierarchy. In other words, decarbonisation must remain our top priority as Singapore transitions towards a low-carbon society. Sometimes, I like to imagine how Singapore would look like in 2050. I would like to think that we would have achieved our net zero target by then and many years ahead of schedule too. In 2050, every building in Singapore would be solar-panelled. Every vehicle would be electric. These electric vehicles would be silently plying our streets. Our streets would be lined by a few million more trees, creating a dense network of Nature Ways. These Nature Ways would be home to a rich diversity of native birds, mammals and other animals – a testament to the foresight of NPark's Rewilding Plan. Our waterways and coastlines would be a showcase of technology-based and nature-based solutions, offering optimal protection against storm surges and sea level rise, while also providing recreational and other benefits to society. Singapore would be an international hub of climate and sustainability solutions, providing services and products to the rest of the world. Our investments in Research, Innovation and Enterprise through the decades, would have ensured not only our climate resilience but also our long-term prosperity in a green economy.”
“The fact is, nature-based solutions are integral to every mitigation pathway to achieve the goal of the Paris Climate Agreement, as recognised by the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change. In other words, meeting the Paris goal requires us to implement nature-based solutions in addition to our decarbonisation efforts. Carbon credits and carbon markets in general, are ways of shifting capital across sectors and across borders to help us implement these nature-based solutions at scale. However, to ensure genuine climate and societal benefits, it is vital to invest in the R&D of credible carbon accounting and monitoring methodologies. There is no perfect methodology and we should never let perfect be the enemy of the good. But the good must get better. Here is where Singapore has another important role to play. We can help to improve the credibility of carbon accounting standards and our ability to discern the quality of carbon credits. For example, with support from the National Research Foundation, the National University of Singapore (NUS) recently launched a new research programme called Carbon Integrity SG. I declare that I am the principal investigator of this programme. Carbon Integrity SG will enable Singapore researchers to work with regional universities, Government agencies, businesses and civil society to develop more robust and more accurate carbon accounting methodologies for Southeast Asia's ecosystems, to ensure the supply of high-quality forest carbon credits to meet our needs and market demands. In his speech to the UN Climate Ambition Summit in December 2020, Prime Minister Lee emphasised that climate change is an existential threat for the global community and especially for a small island state like Singapore.”
“But it can also be helpful to remind us that as we transition to a climate resilient, more sustainable and more equitable society, no one succeeds until everyone succeeds. Singapore's climate mitigation measures include progressively raising the carbon tax, improving our energy efficiency, greening our buildings, electrifying our transportation as well as transitioning to solar and other cleaner sources energy. Our adaptation measures include increasing our vegetation cover, building a polder at Pulau Tekong and establishing a Coastal and Flood Protection Fund, to support the construction of coastal and drainage infrastructure. Singapore should aspire to do more. We can create positive climate impacts beyond our shores by supporting regional and global efforts as a strategic partner in R&D, capacity building, green growth and policymaking. For example, our revised carbon tax policy will soon allow carbon-tax liable companies to use high-quality carbon credits to offset up to 5% of their taxable carbon emissions. This measure can help grow a new carbon services industry in Singapore as well as support impactful climate actions internationally, including nature-based solutions such as forest conservation and restoration projects. The global voluntary carbon credit market was worth about US$2 billion dollars in 2021 and is expected to grow in value to between US$10 billion and US$40 billion in 2030. Unsurprisingly, there is a wide disparity in the quality of carbon projects and products in the market today. There is also a disparity in the credibility of carbon accounting standards. Indeed, these underlying issues of quality and credibility have created confusion and anxiety, leading to recent controversies around the use of forest carbon credits.”
“In other words, we need to take climate change and sustainability seriously, not to save the planet but to save ourselves, to ensure a liveable Singapore for this and future generations to come. This may require us to constantly reflect on our assumptions, our priorities and our way of life. Our way of life in Singapore reflects our social compact, which is underpinned by our shared purpose and values. I believe we want to be a fairer and more inclusive society, a kinder and more gracious community. And as we refresh and strengthen our social compact, we must also take seriously the desire of fellow Singaporeans, especially the youths, for stronger climate actions and a just transition to a sustainable future. We must ensure that climate change and sustainability are always among the bread-and-butter issues we focus on. And as we address the impacts of climate change, we must ensure that the most vulnerable among us are well supported and the able are doing their part by contributing appropriately. At the same time, our climate and sustainability efforts must be considered in light of other societal priorities and their trade-offs, particularly when different priorities require common and limited resources, such as our land. We have to consider the value of our land not only for its climate and biodiversity benefits, but also for its contribution to meeting our housing, education, healthcare, transportation, economic, defence and other societal needs. In other words, we must recognise that no single interest should be considered absent of the others. In fact, the greatest challenge we face as a small island state arguably is the reconciliation of all our priorities. As I had mentioned in this House before, this tension between priorities can be painful.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, in his Budget speech, Deputy Prime Minister Wong provided a stock-take of the socioeconomic challenges that Singapore had experienced in 2022, as well as the various policies and actions to help us overcome these challenges. He also presented the outlook for 2023, including the uncertainties and downside risks linked to the global economy, as well as new opportunities to add vibrancy to our own economy and create more jobs for Singaporeans. Deputy Prime Minister Wong also introduced several support measures, including the Enterprise Financing Scheme, the Energy Efficiency Grant, the permanent GST Voucher scheme and the Assurance Package to support our businesses, our workers and our families. In other words, Budget 2023 recognises and addresses many of the bread-and-butter issues that Singaporeans are understandably concerned about. Another issue of concern this Budget also touches on is climate change. Given the tight fiscal position that Singapore is in and the socioeconomic challenges we face, why should we continue to invest in climate resilience and sustainability? Some of us may think that we are saving the planet. But the planet has been around for billions of years before us and will continue to be around for billions of years after us. It had recovered from at least five mass extinction events over the last 500 million years. By comparison, we modern humans have been around for only the last 200,000 years or so. The reason why we need to cut emissions, stop deforestation, protect biodiversity, reduce pollution and reverse ocean acidification is because we need to live within the finite and safe operating space of our planet for which humans can survive and continue to thrive.”
“Chairman, at first glance, sports and sustainability may seem to be two very different arenas. However, there may be opportunities for collaboration between the two sectors and communities for mutual benefit and the benefit of all Singaporeans. For example, in July last year, ActiveSG launched the permanent programme to collect and recycle used sports shoes into construction material for jogging tracks and fitness corners. Could the Ministry share what additional initiatives are being considered to promote sustainability in sports?”
“Madam, our youths are our future. We should engage and encourage them to participate and contribute actively to matters of national concern that will impact our society in the long run. Over the years, MCCY has announced numerous initiatives, such as the Youth Action Challenge and digital engagements, to engage our youth and seek their views. Could the Ministry share its plans to provide even more opportunities for the civic participation of our youths from diverse backgrounds on topics of national interest, such as the review of our nationally determined contributions and other sustainability goals? Additionally, what are the Government's plans to support our youths in taking ground-up actions on social and environmental causes they are passionate about?”
“Chairman, it has been two years since MND announced its City in Nature vision. May we please have an update on the progress made on transforming Singapore into a City in Nature and how NParks will continue ramping up efforts on this front? What more can be done to inform and interest our people, especially the young, in conserving our biodiversity and nature?”
“Chairman, climate change and sustainability education requires the teaching of not only sustainability-related skillsets, values and principles but also the ability to think ecologically and holistically at a systems level. Future generations of Singaporeans need to be both digital citizens and ecological citizens. Has the Government considered incorporating sustainability competencies and systems level thinking into our education curriculum at appropriate levels to ensure that our learners are well-equipped for a global green economy and will be ready to compete with global talent? Are efforts being undertaken to ensure teachers have access to sustainability resources and training in order to deliver such curriculum?”
“It has been a year since MND announced the latest edition of the Singapore Green Building Masterplan. May we please have an update on the progress made so far? Buildings account for over 20% of our carbon emissions. How will the Building and Construction Authority support our transition to a low-carbon society? The Government announced during the Committee of Supply 2021 that it was driving R&D in urban sustainability with the goal of enhancing the climate resilience of our urban infrastructure while reducing their carbon footprint. May we please have an update on the progress made so far? How does the Government plan to encourage stakeholders to adopt these solutions? New Residential and Commercial Buildings”
“Chairman, the EV charging sector is growing rapidly with the acceleration of EV adoption. Has the Ministry considered the need to strengthen regulations on EV chargers and EV charging operators, to ensure a safe and reliable charging network? Public Transport Greening Targets The Government has announced targets for the greening of our public transport and point-to-point fleets by the year 2040. Will the Ministry be announcing further details of our EV roadmap, particularly in relation to any intermediate targets for the greening of our public transportation fleets, similar to what has been done for private vehicles? R&D in Urban Sustainability”
“What steps is the Government taking to ensure that all stakeholder participation in our sustainability journey will be well-coordinated, complementary and synergistic to ensure that all stakeholders work towards the common goal of building a Singapore core of talents and expertise to achieve our sustainability ambitions?”
“Chairman, as Singapore positions itself to become a leading climate services hub, we need to develop a healthy pipeline of talents for our green economy. What are the Government's plans for building a Singapore core of industry-ready talents to support our emerging sustainability sector, especially in relation to our Industry Transformation Maps? Has the Ministry assessed whether our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) provide adequate training and upskilling programmes on sustainability-related competencies at the undergraduate, graduate and continuing education levels, to address talent gaps in our emerging sustainability sector? Are there plans to consult the public, private and people sectors, including IHLs, businesses, green groups and our youth, on the demand, content and modes of delivery for these training and upskilling programmes? To build a vibrant and impactful sustainability ecosystem in Singapore, we should welcome and, indeed, encourage the participation of international organisations, including research and educational institutes, service providers and non-profits, to contribute to Singapore's efforts in building a green talent pipeline towards our sustainability goals. But, crucially, to ensure success for Singapore's sustainability goals, we need to work closely with international stakeholders to build a common and deep understanding of Singapore's existing capabilities and gaps, ongoing efforts and investments and long-term vision and mission for sustainability, so that they might truly engage, collaborate and uplift our local enterprises, IHLs, civil society groups and other Singapore stakeholders.”
“How does the Government intend to direct its funding under the USS domain to achieve Singapore Green Plan 2030 outcomes and to scale up innovation and enterprise to unlock green growth opportunities? Does the Government have any early examples of the returns on our R&D investments into sustainability and climate resilience for Singapore? Third cut. 7.15 pm Impact of Energy Efficiency Fund (E2F) Given the revised carbon tax trajectory in Budget 2022, we can expect more Singapore-based companies to tap into funds, such as the Energy Efficiency Fund, to improve energy efficiency of their operations as part of their decarbonisation journey. How much of this fund has been dispersed so far and, of which, how much has been resourced from our carbon tax revenue? Additionally, does the Ministry have any early examples to share regarding the impact of the E2F since its inception?”
“Thank you, Chairman. The Government has made commendable efforts in engaging the public on the Singapore Green Plan 2030 and Budget 2022 and has continually encouraged public participation through public consultations. Will the participating Ministries in the upcoming Green Plan conversations consider putting in place guidelines and protocols for greater accountability and transparency in the engagement process, including releasing post-engagement reports of key insights to the public? Furthermore, it is laudable that the Ministries have conducted online public consultations on issues, such as the future of Dover Forest and the proposal for retailers to charge for plastic bags. However, the length of time allocated for seeking public feedback often varies between consultations for different issues, ranging from several weeks to months. Has the Ministry canvassed feedback from the participants of these consultations and the public to better assess the most appropriate length of time for conducting public consultations? Will the Ministry consider ways of ensuring sufficient time be allocated for future public consultations for the public to be more fully aware of issues and to provide even more valuable comments? Sustainability R&D Investment Outcomes In December 2020, the Government announced its Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 Plan (RIE2025), amounting to $25 billion allocated for the period 2021 to 2025. One of RIE2025's key focus areas is urban solutions and sustainability, which will address challenges in sustainability and climate resilience. The Government also mentioned that we will allocate $5.2 billion under RIE2025 to scale up innovation and enterprise platforms, including those seeking to facilitate research and technology translation.”
“Moreover, a PPP of this nature is consistent with the stated goals of the Singapore Green Plan to develop Singapore as a carbon services and trading hub. Credible carbon offsets can be a major project to help develop Singapore's trusted reputation in the region. Of course, all markets require liquidity and the best way to get the programme off to a solid start is to provide a steady stream of income. To this end, I would like to suggest that MSE consider requiring the purchase of credible carbon offsets along the lines of what I have described for all official international travel by civil servants. These will operate in line with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). Even better, if the Government takes on the proactive role of permanently retiring offsets that it purchases, then I think the world, the Earth in particular, will be much better off. Carbon Credits and Fighting Climate Change”
“Now, making carbon offsets that truly work requires that the amount paid for said offsets actually goes toward reducing the total amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere. This is where a credible system of offsets, paired with an actual cap-and-trade exchange, comes in. Recall, carbon cap-and-trade systems are typically seeded with a fixed amount of carbon emissions distributed via permits. These permits, of course, are finite. Hence, a credible exchange would direct the funds from the carbon offset toward the purchase of permits, which are then retired from circulation. The major difference between this approach and that of a green vendor is that there it is no longer a counterfactual of otherwise increased carbon emissions that are being funded. Rather, it is now used to fund activities that have to be backed up by actual verifiable emissions reductions. This is where trusted governments can take a lead. A private-public partnership (PPP) led by private sector initiative and efficiencies, but encompassing active public sector involvement to ensure that the programme's purported goals are being met, strikes me as the best way forward for such an endeavour. A separate agency operating under the umbrella of NEA can take the lead on the Government side. I have previously spoken about why carbon taxes tend to trump cap-and-trade systems. I still hold to that position, which is shared by the majority of economists who have studied the merits of both systems. Still, I see little reason why, if we are going to operate a carbon emissions trading system alongside a carbon tax regime, the system should not also be operated in a manner that complements our carbon reduction efforts.”
“Chairman, in line with Singapore's announcement of our revised target to achieve net-zero emissions by or around 2050 and the review of Singapore's Nationally Determined Contributions by COP27, the Finance Minister mentioned in his Budget 2022 speech that public consultations will be done as part of this revision and review. How will these public consultations be conducted and which stakeholders will be engaged in the process? 7.00 pm Carbon Offsets that Work Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): Presently, most carbon offset programmes often serve as little more than a palliative. Typically, parties interested in reducing their carbon footprint, the climate-conscious non-profit hoping to attend an environmental conference on the other side of the world, say, will purchase offsets from a vendor or exchange equivalent to the amount of carbon that they expect to generate. Unfortunately, such vendors are seldom closely regulated and depend on the goodwill and enterprise of the operators. Too often, even among well-meaning vendors, the strategy is to simply pay off some rancher, who would otherwise cut down trees on their land, using the cash from the non-profit with a small fee paid to the vendor for the effort. The system works well, of course, for just about everyone involved. The ranchers benefit from a stream of income for not developing their land, the non-profit believes that they have done their part in reducing their carbon footprint. And the vendor has earned a transaction fee, all while believing that they are doing good. Just about everyone, except the Earth. The typical scenario sketched out above is such that net emissions will actually have increased. So, go on, do the math quickly in your head.”
“Safeguarding our food security is among the most important priorities for Singapore in our sustainability journey. One of the Government's efforts to address this goal is to produce 30% of our nutritional needs locally and sustainably by 2030. How does the Government plan to help the local food production industry build up capabilities and capacity to achieve our 30 by 30 goal and enhance the resilience of Singapore's food supply? As we achieve success in increasing our local food production, is the Government looking to calibrate food imports to avoid wastage? Unlocking Singapore's sea space for sustainable aquaculture can help boost our local food production in the long term. However, as with our land resource, there will be diverse and competing needs for the use of our sea space. Does the Government plan to provide the local food production industry with greater certainty on the use of both land and sea space to optimise the supply of local produce?”
“If the Government says net zero by or around 2050, I have faith we will get there". Mr Speaker, Sir, fellow Members of Parliament and fellow Singaporeans, in these challenging times, our youth are rallying behind us, behind our measures. They are putting their trust to do the right thing and to succeed. We must not fail them. At the heart of cities are their people. While Singapore is uniquely challenged in several ways, we are also uniquely endowed in other ways, in particular, the indomitable spirit of our people has enabled us to survive and thrive throughout our history, despite all odds. As we emerge from yet another "crucible of fire", to borrow the Prime Minister's words, we will level up and emerge even stronger yet again. As Singapore confronts climate change and other sustainability challenges, we have the opportunity to be part of something bigger than ourselves, to punch above our weight once more, to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress not just for our nation, but also the world, charting our new way forward together as a bright green spark, as a Global City for Sustainability. Sir, I support the Budget and thank you for the privilege to speak.”
“From 2024, carbon tax liable businesses will be allowed to use international carbon credits to offset up to 5% of their taxable carbon emissions. This is nothing short of visionary, as also noted by Mr Mikkel Larsen, CEO of Climate Impact X. This measure will go a long way towards supporting the growth of a vibrant international carbon market to achieve climate impact at scale. Crucially, this will also create demand for high quality nature-based carbon offsets, to help support forest conservation and reforestation projects internationally. These green transition measures are well aligned with Singapore's ambition to be a Global Carbon Services and Trading Hub. Mr Speaker, Sir, to transform Singapore into a Global City for Sustainability will demand "a measure of courage, imagination and intelligence" – to borrow the words of Mr Rajaratnam. I am optimistic about the odds of our success, not least because our youth are bursting at the seams with an overwhelming sense of civic virtue, purpose and pride. In more ways than one, they are the reason we are on this sustainability journey. Ms Kate Yeo, born and raised in Singapore, is currently a first-year undergraduate student at Dartmouth College in the US. Kate is deeply passionate about environmental and sustainability issues in Singapore and has been regularly posting her explainers and thoughts on Instagram as @byobottlesg. After hearing about the green transition initiatives on Budget Day, Kate posted the following on Instagram, and I quote, "Still lots of details to be released, and of course we will still have to see how these policies will work in practice. But on the whole, I am hopeful – simply because Singapore is sometimes painfully pragmatic, and we do not set targets we cannot hit.”
“First, the most basic and foundational knowledge on climate change and sustainability that every worker should possess. Second, function-specific skillsets to ensure the capacity of corporate function departments to support the rest of the company in developing and deploying sustainability initiatives. And third, sector-specific competencies to enable the successful transition of key industries towards more sustainable business models and practices. Importantly, as we continue to develop and deploy more training programmes to fill these gaps, we should also be cognisant of the needs of other cities. By helping other cities build their capacity for addressing climate change and sustainability challenges, Singapore may also become a sustainability academy for the world. With the bold and decisive announcements in this Budget of our net-zero ambition by or around mid-century, and our revised carbon tax policy, we are signalling to the world that Singapore is absolutely serious about taking concrete actions to tackle climate change. As Minister Grace Fu recently highlighted, our carbon tax increase sends a clear signal to companies, that emissions have an explicit environmental cost. Companies must factor these costs in their business decisions. By putting an appropriate price on carbon, we are incentivising companies to transition to renewable energy, to improve their energy efficiencies and to invest in cleaner technologies. More importantly, as many of our Singapore-based companies have international value chains, these changes in corporate decision-making and behaviour can have far-reaching global impacts. But in my opinion, there is an even more important and impressive aspect of our revised carbon tax policy.”
“This requires our Universities and research institutes to work collaboratively with our public, private and people sectors towards a common vision of transforming Singapore into a Global City for Sustainability. Another area that requires close collaboration between these different sectors, is education. During the Straits Times Education Forum 2022 held in February this year, Minister Chan Chun Sing highlighted the need for Singapore to retrain about half a million adult learners each year, through continuing education and training programmes. As Minister Chan noted, and I quote, "The skills to learn fast, unlearn and relearn, become more important than getting a particular grade at a particular point in life". This is especially true in our nascent but rapidly growing sustainability sector, where the need and demand for the upskilling of our workforce may prove to be the greatest. Fortunately, our educational institutions have already been rising to the challenge. For example, Ngee Ann Polytechnic offers a specialist diploma in "Sustainable Facilities Management"; Temasek Polytechnic offers a diploma in "Energy Management and Sustainable Design"; SMU offers an executive education programme on "Sustainability and Sustainable Businesses"; and NUS offers a Master of Science programme on "Sustainable and Green Finance", just to name a few. Many of these training programmes are taught by both academics and industry specialists, who are eager to share their perspectives, knowledge and experience in the field of sustainability. There is clearly more to be done, to build capacity on sustainability across different sectors and value chains. My recent discussions with stakeholders in Singapore, point to three main buckets of skills gap, as follows.”
“We can collaborate with other Global Cities to address the emerging sustainability challenges that the world faces. Singapore as a Global City for Sustainability is not just a thought experiment. The transformation has already begun. Let me highlight a few examples in the areas of research, education and actions. The Cities of Tomorrow R&D programme is a multi-agency effort led by MND, to identify challenges that cities face and to develop solutions to address these challenges. This programme has several research focus areas that address our sustainability goals. For example, the programme will develop solutions for creating a more people-centric and pleasant living environment, by addressing the impacts of climate change in cities, while considering the social sentiments and needs of the people and communities. As Minister Desmond Lee noted during the Urban Sustainability R&D Symposia 2021, and I quote, "We aspire to build a city that not only meets our physical needs, but that also enables us to forge strong relationships and deep emotional connections with each other". The programme will also support our transformation into a City in Nature, by developing the necessary tools and techniques for enhancing biodiversity and our natural environment and implementing nature-based solutions to tackle climate change. These are timely and important goals that will undoubtedly deliver new insights and innovations to benefit Singapore. In fact, as a Global City for Sustainability, we may want to be even more ambitious, by not only developing solutions that cater to Singapore's needs, but also exporting the solutions we develop, to meet the needs of other cities around the world.”
“In his speech to the Singapore Press Club in February 1972, former Senior Minister, the late Mr S Rajaratnam, noted that he once believed Singapore as a small city state – and I quote, "… without a natural hinterland, without a large domestic market and no raw materials to speak of, has a near-zero chance of survival politically, economically or militarily" – end quote. However, when Mr Rajaratnam made that speech, he immediately acknowledged that he had already been proven wrong. Singapore had, in fact, not only survived, but also begun to thrive. The reason for that, as Mr Rajaratnam observed, is because we had been transforming ourselves into a new kind of city – the Global City. We had begun to view ourselves, not as a self-contained city state, not as a regional city, but rather, as a world embracing Global City. Fast forward to today, as we embark on our sustainability journey, we may wish to consider that Singapore can be a "Global City for Sustainability". In the same way that Singapore has had to transform ourselves when faced with an existential crisis half a century ago, we have to pivot ourselves yet again today as we face the existential crisis of climate change. By working with other Global Cities as our eager collaborators, our allies, our co-inventors of new knowledge, new technologies and new opportunities, we can leverage our respective strengths, overcome our individual weaknesses and amplify our capacity to meet our challenges. As a Global City for Sustainability, size matters not, because the world is our hinterland. We can free ourselves from the shackles of our geographic limitations. We can expand the canvass of our imagination through innovation.”