Poh Li San
Singapore
“Thank you, Speaker, and I thank the Senior Minister of State Janil. I have two supplementary questions. The first one, will NEA consider adjusting gate fees for industrial and commercial waste collection to shift behaviour of businesses towards higher recycling rates, especially for food waste which accounts for about 11% of total waste b…”
“Thank you, Speaker, and I thank the Senior Minister of State Janil. I believe my questions in my speech were not addressed in the Senior Minister of State's reply.”
“Thank you, Speaker, and I thank the Senior Minister of State for her reply. I have a supplementary question on such an arrangement for existing flat owners who require back-to-back sale of their existing homes to finance their BTO flats.”
“Singapore households can achieve dual savings by combining Government-provided climate vouchers with the direct import of efficient appliances from overseas suppliers, whilst business operators, particularly those in the food and beverage industry who need to purchase multiple appliances, can also avoid excessive energy costs by using ene…”
“Coastal protection is a candidate for the latter even if we want to harness the power of the former. I ask the Minister to consider a centralised approach towards the design and construction of all coastal protection measures to ensure the most robust outcomes.”
“Mr Chairman, on behalf of all hon Members who have participated in the MSE Committee of Supply, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Minister Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State Zaqy, Senior Minister of State Janil, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Goh and all members of MSE, PUB, NEA, SFA.”
The complete record
Every one of 370 lines we hold for Poh Li San, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 7 of 8.
“The Government launched the Enterprise Sustainability Programme (ESP) to support Singapore businesses on sustainability initiatives, and to capture new opportunities in the green economy. The S$180 million set aside for the programme aims to support at least 6,000 companies for training workshops, capability and product development projects, and key enablers such as certification and financing. My concern is whether this amount will be enough and whether our SMEs will be guided as to how to apply for and utilise this programme. It was announced that the support will come on three levels - developing enterprises' capabilities in sustainability, strengthening sector-specific capabilities, and fostering a vibrant and conducive sustainability ecosystem. Many SMEs are struggling with day-to-day operations and trying to stay afloat. How will they know how ESP will be relevant to them? The Sustainability Experience Centre for SMEs sited at Nanyang Polytechnic is a good example of measures to reach out to SMEs and guide them with the green transformation of their operations. I hope more of such initiatives can be implemented. I would also like to request that Government agencies be more open and allow SMEs to try out innovative solutions that can help reduce carbon emissions. For example, a network of shared and swappable batteries for electric bikes distributed across the island can be a convenient and efficient option vis-à-vis EV chargers solution. Such swappable batteries solutions such as Gogoro are already implemented in Taiwan and Israel and will be rolled out in Chinese and Indian cities this year.”
“Modular courses will allow students of all ages to enrol and accumulate credits towards certification. This is flexible and inclusive, especially for workers looking to switch to careers to join the green economy. We should consider borrowing from the German model, which is also being adopted by the Chinese government. Young Germans split their time between classrooms at a vocational school and on-the-job training at a company as apprentices. The participation by German companies is high – about 80% of Germany’s large enterprises. In October last year, China’s State Council issued a new guideline to have a similar arrangement to build a world-class vocational education system by 2035. For Singapore, we can implement a similar system, by creating very tight and dynamic relationships between education and training institutions, research and industry stakeholders. We should also watch out for the workers, especially the older workers, who risk unemployment if they are unable to adapt to new positions or pick up new skills during the green transition. Many green positions, even green collar ones, may require IT skills which may be more challenging for our senior workers with lower levels of education. So, I urge Enterprise Singapore and SkillsFuture Singapore to work closely with the labour unions to equip senior workers with relevant skill sets for the green jobs, so as to minimise job displacements as companies transit into the green economy. Mr Speaker, I would like to address the next segment in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The Motion calls for an inclusive transition to a low-carbon society and this must naturally include our SMEs – the backbone of our economy.”
“(In English): I will now talk about green jobs and equipping Singaporeans to take advantage of opportunities in the sustainability sector. As we make the transition to a low-carbon society, almost all sectors will be affected and new green jobs will be created in finance, trading, technology and innovation, legal, engineering, governance, education and more. The inaugural Skills Demand for the Future Economy report has identified more than 450 green job roles across 17 sectors, ranging from manufacturing and trade and connectivity, to financial services and the built environment. Our education system will need to prepare and train Singaporeans and residents of all ages willing to learn in these areas. It is challenging, in this fast-evolving landscape, to draw up new and updated syllabuses, recruit and prepare the trainers and roll out high quality courses in a timely manner to meet industry needs. Major updates and changes to course modules at our ITEs, Polytechnics, and Institutes of Higher Learning will be required. Green activities and projects should be integrated into all disciplines. Institutions can consider integrating modules that expose and equip students from different disciplines with skills sets relevant in the sustainability sectors. Arrangements for internships and apprenticeships in these sectors will have to be made, and these would require the support of both MOE and MTI. The YP paper has proposed a Green Space Academy to groom local experts in research and development and technical experts, to sustain a pipeline of well-trained and specialised talents. This academy will take time to develop. In the short- to medium-term, the fastest way to roll out the training courses is to piggyback on our current education institutions.”
“It means that we can use the international carbon trading framework as agreed at COP26, to purchase and offset our emissions, and tap into renewable energy positive resources in our neighbouring countries to meet our global carbon commitment. This will be a win-win strategy for alternative energy negative countries like Singapore and for developing countries requiring funds for renewable energy projects and for environment conservation. Mr Speaker, Sir, I will deliver the next segment in Malay language. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] At the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, countries agreed that trading emissions reductions and providing assistance to other nations to reduce emissions, can count towards their carbon reduction pledges. This framework will provide us with valuable opportunities to collaborate with our neighbouring countries to work on emissions reduction and building infrastructure for renewable energy. In doing so, Singapore will be able to fulfil our climate change obligations and help this region reduce its carbon emissions. For these projects, very importantly, we need Singaporeans with the specific deep cultural and linguistic understanding of our regional partners to ensure the success and longevity of our transnational collaborations. Hence, our national representatives working at every segment and level – project management, engineering, human resources, legal, and more – need to have the language skills and contextual understanding of how things are done in our neighbouring countries. Many new jobs will be created, not just high-tech green jobs, but also green collar jobs. So, there will be a strong demand for those who are willing to pick up the necessary skills for these positions.”
“Presently, renewables still comprise a small part of its energy sources at 11% and there is much room for its geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind, biofuel and biogas energy supplies to grow. It has set for itself the goal of almost doubling renewables in its energy composition to reach 23%. Similarly, Malaysia plans to increase the share of renewable energy in its installed capacity to 31% in 2025 and 40% in 2035 under its power generation plan. Renewables now contribute 18% to Malaysia's energy mix, with hydropower accounting for 86% of its renewable capacity. The Philippines has abundant clean and renewable energy sources, such as geothermal, hydro, wind and solar. Its National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) 2020-2040 has set a target of 35% share of renewable energy in the power generation mix by 2030 and 50% share by 2040. There is much scope for our ASEAN neighbours to work together, pooling financing and engineering expertise to mitigate climate change. With our complementary strengths, we can work together to achieve our carbon commitments. A few months ago, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, consensus was finally reached on the set up of the international carbon market. The resolution of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement was critical. Countries will be allowed to trade emissions reductions as well as assist other nations in reducing emissions without trading. Private enterprises can invest in projects to sell green energy credits. The resolution of Article 6 is extremely important to Singapore. This gives us a way out of our severe constraints in alternative energy.”
“Some businesses will need more time to deal with stranded assets as a result of the green transition. We need viable and progressive transition timeframes for businesses. Otherwise, if we set too onerous targets, certain industry players may actually relocate to other jurisdictions. Instead of creating more green jobs in these businesses, we may inadvertently shift existing jobs along with their carbon emissions to somewhere else. We must also be mindful that for reasons of national strategic interests, we may need to continue certain critical activities which generate a substantial carbon footprint. One example is desalination which is rather energy-intensive. Unfortunately, we may have to make some painful trade-offs and sacrifices in order to meet our national carbon emissions commitment. Thirdly, more than 95% of our power generation is from natural gas, which is still a form of fossil fuel. The reality is that Singapore faces severe constraints on the production of renewable energy. We have neither hydropower nor geothermal energy. Our wind speeds are not fast enough for wind turbines. We do not even have enough space to mount more solar panels. Even as we step up the installation of solar panels on rooftops and over water reservoirs, the solar energy we make will only meet about 3% of our total electricity demand in 2030. In contrast, our neighbouring countries have abundant renewable energy resources. The Government is already working to import renewable energy from Malaysia, Indonesia and, further afield, Australia. If all goes well, we will get around 30% of our electricity from low-carbon sources by 2035. Indonesia, for example, will be a very valuable collaborative partner. It has already committed to making sustainable development a key focus.”
“As a green finance hub, we will be able to bridge international capital with green solutions and innovations from different parts of the world, facilitating efforts to reduce carbon emissions far beyond our shores and in magnitudes way beyond our own. This is how we can punch above our weight and continue to contribute much more significantly to global carbon emissions reduction efforts. Secondly, our two main greenhouse gas (GHG) contributors are from the industry and power generation, at 46.7% and 38.9% respectively. Manufacturing contributes 21% to our GDP, the largest sector by share and employs almost half a million workers. We are also the world's fourth largest global exporter of high-tech goods, producing five of the world's top ten drugs. Despite our size, Singapore is actually one of the world's leading energy hub and chemicals hub. To cut industry emissions, the Government and the private sector will need to work together to help industries transition into the green economy, with customised solutions to address specific industry needs. For instance, Jurong Island oil hub will be transformed into an energy and chemicals park that operates sustainably. Green technology will be vital in the transition to manufacture more sustainable products that are also produced with better energy efficiency. Green finance will be essential to fund these new technologies and businesses. With these new economic activities, there will be creation of new green jobs. However, going green will impose additional costs to businesses. To sustain this green journey for the long haul, we need to strike a fine balance between environmental sustainability and economic sustainability. Different types of businesses will need different timeframes to transit and transform.”
“They will share the green aspirations, as well as the concerns from the business community. They will discuss how Singaporeans can seize opportunities in this new pillar of growth, the trade-offs between environment sustainability and economic sustainability, as well as the importance of upgrading skills and transforming jobs for inclusive transition to the green economy. Environmental scientist, Nominated Member of Parliament Prof Koh Lian Pin will also be speaking about the importance of carbon offsets. Last Friday, the Young PAP (YP), published its second paper on climate change, entitled "Developing a Green Ecosystem". Many of us share deep concerns for our environment and for Singapore’s future. We hope to have the support of the whole House on this critical topic. Before we all dive into today's debate, let us recap some facts to better appreciate the scale of this climate crisis. Let us reflect and take stock of the measures that have already been implemented, to set the context for a productive discourse. Firstly, Singapore contributes about 0.1% of global emissions. Therefore, it may appear that any impact from reducing our carbon emissions is correspondingly limited. Notwithstanding, fighting climate change is a global effort and we should all continue to do our utmost to reduce our carbon footprint, as a nation, as organisations and as individuals. The question here is whether we can make a bigger impact in the global community. How can we contribute more to the global efforts to reduce carbon emissions? And the answer lies in our role as an enabler, intermediary and facilitator. We can build on our existing infrastructure as a global financial hub, to serve the region as a green finance hub and carbon trading centre.”
“The green sector is developing rapidly in response to the climate emergency. Indeed, there are many new and exciting opportunities in the green economy, particularly in green financing and many new job roles in the sustainability sector. On the other hand, the GPC is also concerned about the lack of standardisation in accounting standards and the problem of greenwashing. Hence, we are appealing for the firm hand of the Government to strengthen corporate accountability. And central to our transition to a green economy, our priority is to ensure Singaporeans are not left behind as the world progresses towards a sustainable future and economy. We need to create fulfilling opportunities in a region with a growing sustainability sector and equip Singaporeans with the relevant skillsets and experience. We need to help our businesses get ahead of the curve in sustainability. For today's debate, I would like to share some general observations on Singapore's green efforts and my views on green jobs. My fellow colleagues in the Sustainability and Environment Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) will also share their concerns and recommendations in the three areas of green financing, green jobs and corporate accountability. Ms Hany Soh will join me in speaking about jobs in the green economy. Mr Don Wee and Mr Gan Thiam Poh will share their views on green finance and carbon trading. Ms Nadia Samdin will address the issues of green finance and challenges in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) auditing. Finally, Mr Louis Ng, will share his views on the carbon tax and the carbon net zero goal. In addition, several members of the GPC for Trade and Industry will also be joining this debate.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, on behalf of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Sustainability and the Environment, I beg to move*, "That this House calls on the Government to enhance green financing, create more green jobs and strengthen corporate accountability, in partnership with the private sector, civil society and community, to advance Singapore's inclusive transition towards a low-carbon society." [(proc text) *The Motion also stood in the name of Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin, Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang, Ms Hany Soh and Mr Don Wee. (proc text)] This Motion builds on an earlier one which the GPC moved a year ago, on measures to accelerate efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The House had a wide-ranging discussion on climate issues, viable policy changes and proposals and the trade-offs for our economy and jobs, among other concerns. Since that debate, the Government had released the Singapore Green Plan 2030, launched new initiatives by the Green Finance Industry Taskforce (GFIT) and completed a study on establishing Singapore as a carbon services hub. Last month, in the inaugural Skills Demand for the Future Economy report, SkillsFuture Singapore identified job roles requiring green skills and curated the corresponding training courses. Despite the enormous strain on our national resources to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, our Ministries and Government agencies have been pressing ahead to make the transition to a low-carbon society a reality. And I wish to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the Ministries and agencies for their hard work during this very difficult period. I am heartened by my fellow Members' support for mitigation measures and their commitment to sustainability.”
“I thank the Minister. I have a supplementary question on safety net for the athletes. To compete at the top class, international level, our athletes will have to give their best in training and in competitions. They have to make many sacrifices including taking time-off from work and from their studies. And in many cases, it will come to "make it" or "break it" point as they go full-time for many years. So, what are the safety nets arrangements that our country can offer after they retired from competitive sports? These national athletes would have taken personal sacrifices to pursue excellence in their sport and that will assure athletes and their parents if they decide to go full-time to pursue sporting excellence.”
“Thank you, Speaker. I thank Dr Tan for his comprehensive reply. I have one question: if the supply crunch continues to worsen over the next few months, in the longer term, then, what is MTI's strategy to reduce the national consumption, the demand, especially from industries, the sectorial angle.”
“As the pandemic situation wanes, sports that are played in the outdoors, such as track and field, and those with minimal contact and played indoors, such as table tennis and badminton, should restart. Hopefully, team sports with less contact like volleyball and netball can also restart. Understandably, contact sports like soccer and rugby will take some time but the game could be reorganised into smaller teams so that children can resume playing again in a safe manner. Mr Speaker, be it competitive or community sports, sports should be an integral part of our daily lives, with a purpose to bond Singaporeans. Singapore is still very much a young nation and our sporting culture is still evolving. Sports can be a viable professional career in Singapore. What is important is that we search, focus, nurture and persevere to build a solid and strong foundation for our sporting ecosystem. Mr Speaker, Sir, through sports, we will bond and build Singapore. I support the Motion. [Applause.] 2.00 pm”
“They could even take a step further by using these facilities to create digital content and produce fitness workout videos. Sports will prepare our youths to be physically and mentally prepared for the challenges of the real world and my biggest concern is actually the unvaccinated young children below 12 years old. At the moment, physical education lessons for Primary schools are very controlled or suspended. In fact, most national school sports meet and games have also been halted for almost two years now. This stoppage of physical activities has an unhealthy and negative effect on young children and youths. Not only are they not able to exercise, they are not able to interact with their friends and are also unable to develop their physical and mental strengths through sports and games. It is important for MOE to take a risk-based approach to gradually open up sports activities and CCAs in Primary schools and restart the national school sports meet and games in the Secondary schools and Junior Colleges.”
“To add, instead of staying home to play online games, our younger residents are reminded to exercise several times a week through these community events. Unfortunately, the pandemic caused a severe impact on our community events. The strong momentum gathered over the past decade declined. A recent study by marketing research company Ipsos showed that 30% of 500 respondents experienced an average increase of around five kilogrammes during the pandemic. The main reasons were due to the more sedentary lifestyles and the closure of and capacity restrictions in gyms and fitness studios. Fortunately, 40% of the respondents reported that they are exercising more often due to the absence of work commutes which made it easier to carve out time to exercise. Going forward in a COVID-endemic world, if some of the safe management measures were to remain for a prolonged period, PA, HPB, ActiveSG and schools must look into what can be done to encourage people to partake in community sports. There are several challenges that will require creative solutions. I hope we can consider the following. Firstly, different measures for the vaccinated and unvaccinated. Access to enclosed and air-conditioned gyms and fitness studios will not be accessible to the unvaccinated individuals. Unvaccinated individuals will have to exercise in the open spaces instead. In fact, some fitness centres, including those operated by ActiveSG, have started outdoor gyms so that members can still do their free weights and circuit training in an open space. Secondly, I recommend that ActiveSG rent out fitness studios at a special rate to fitness instructors who wish to coach their students online. This will allow some fitness instructors to leverage technology to amplify their outreach.”
“A lot of hard work, resources and systematic development have to be invested in order to groom that one winner. Developing a talent to be able to compete at a high level competition and able to have a continuous pipeline of talents will require time. These four pointers are necessary to ensure a strong pipeline of athletes. The next Olympics Games is only three years away and we look forward to more local athletes shining brighter in the Paris Olympics in 2024. Mr Speaker, I would also like to discuss how community sports bond our nation. The People's Association (PA), Health Promotion Board (HPB) and ActiveSG actively promote sports and active living. The annual National Sports Participation Survey reports that regular participation of at least once weekly in sports and physical activity grew from 42% in 2011 to an all-time high rate of 69% in 2020. Since the launch of ActiveSG in 2014, they have garnered a membership base of two million and a visitorship of over 17 million every year to ActiveSG sport facilities and programmes before the pandemic. Community sports, such as zumba and brisk walking, have also garnered a huge following. In Northwest CDC, the brisk walking club has membership of more than 60,000 walkers! These sporting activities are simple, widely accessible and affordable. They are suitable for people of all ages and, more importantly, these community sports activities bring people together, regardless of their race, language and religion, gender and age. In addition, community sports and fitness activities play a very important role to keep our residents, especially the seniors, active physically and engaged psychologically, so that they can continue to age actively into their golden years.”
“When athletes win medals and excel at the global stage, they not only bring pride to Singapore, but also goodwill and publicity to their corporate sponsors. We could look into working with bigger commercial corporations that require endorsements and branding and in return, have them support the cost of training and provide financial assistance. A strong partnership with big corporate sponsors should be considered. Recently, there are some fast-growing multinational technology companies setting up shop in Singapore. We ought to move fast. A career in sports can be short-lived. I would now like to touch on the matter of professional athletes retiring. In March 2015, the Singapore Coach Excellence Programme was established to provide enhanced training and development pathway for all coaches from the grassroots and community to high performance sports. However, a career in coaching may not work for all athletes. One possibility could be a continuation of partnership with the corporations that supported these athletes or for Government-linked companies or Temasek-linked companies or even the Public Service to assist and support our national athletes to transit into second careers. A viable second career opportunity would certainly provide an additional assurance to athletes and their parents when considering if they should turn professional. All professional athletes' safety net must be addressed. On this note, I would like to recommend that MCCY and MTI work together to start a Sports Representation programme, to recognise the participation of big corporations in the support of our top-tier national athletes who are keen to turn professional. Fourth, persevere. The reality is that there is no short cut.”
“We can be talking about our strategies and problems till the cows come home but the fact is, "No money, no talk." So, on the financial aspects of nurturing a sports talent, we have to ensure that all talented athletes from humble family backgrounds are not denied a chance to excel due to the lack of resources. As of now, most of our national athletes are amateur athletes with no professional sponsorships. Most will have to juggle full-time studies or a full-time job with daily training. Nearer to major competitions, some may have to decide if they wish to take a year or two off from school or work at their own expense. Understandably, not all athletes can afford to do so. The SPEX Scholarship was launched in 2013 to address this issue. SportSG sponsors about 70 top-tiered national athletes with a monthly stipend so that they can train full-time. SportSG also provide various training grants to those athletes who decide to take time off to train full-time. Separately, SpexBusiness is a network of companies from diverse industries which offers our national athletes various career development support, such as employment opportunities and workplace flexibilities. All these grants sound good but it is just not good enough to attract talented athletes to go professional. To groom an Olympic medalist from a young age, it can easily cost millions. Instead of having to constantly justify why more state funds should be used to groom a handful of athletes when these resources could well be channelled into social services, we could relinquish total management control of our national athletes. With professional management, successful professional athletes can be very influential, just like big stars.”
“Basing on past performances and future potential, we will have to carefully identify three or four sports to focus on, basing on performance outcome and not social community participation. Second, search. To excel in anything you do, one will require the time to train. If you wish to be an Olympics Champion, you need to start training from an early age. We have to build a broad-based pyramid that includes the community sports academies, clubs and National Sports Associations to identify young sports talents. Upon selection and training, expose these talents to high-level international competitions in order to sharpen their skills and build up their experience. It is possible to find our gems if we search hard and early enough. Third, nurture. We have to do way more if we wish to develop a conducive environment for our talents, starting with MOE schools and the Institutes of Higher Learning to be more supportive in accommodating sports talents. Athletes will have to miss lessons or even examinations when they are representing Singapore at the regional and international sporting events. Such students should be provided with flexibility if they have to take a longer time to complete their academic studies, diploma or degree programmes. It is not easy for anyone to focus 100% if they have to choose between achieving excellence in their interest and their academic commitments. Most parents would want their children to focus on academics because that is the mainstream approach when it comes to securing a good future. This common mindset about no future for professional sports in Singapore must change. Academics may not work for everyone and sports can, in fact, be a good alternative for those who are less academic.”
“In 2004, Singapore Sports School was launched and in 2011, the Singapore Sport Institute to support Team Singapore athletes and coaches in high performance sports started. In 2013, SPEX Scholarships for top national athletes was launched and other athlete-centric programmes were introduced. In 2014, the $1.3 billion Sports Hub with its state-of-the-art integrated facilities opened. By 2015, National Youth Sports Institute was operational. Annually, the Government invests some $400 million towards sports and sports development in Singapore, including $70 million on the High Performance Sports system to support the development of national athletes and national sports associations. Clearly, these are significant investments by a country to ensure their high performance athletes have a conducive training environment and some financial support for them to train and compete full-time for major competitions. However, despite these investments to the sports ecosystem, Olympic medals still elude Singapore. Clearly, there are still gaps that we need to address to help our national athletes excel on the world stage. It is time for us to make a clear commitment whether we want to provide the best possible support to our sporting talents and excel on the world stage or are we just satisfied with participating in some major international events. If we want Singapore to shine and to show the world that our sporting talents are world-class, we will need a better plan with a clearer strategy. I would like to suggest the following recommendation basing on the following four points. First, focus. We need to be very clear about the sports that we intend to develop to create multiple structured development pathways.”
“We must embrace failure, give constructive and not destructive comments. Beyond winning medals, we must remember the greater meaning of sports and of the Olympic Games. As summed up by Tokyo Olympics Chef de Mission, Dr Ben Tan, and I quote him, "Team Singapore showed professionalism, fearlessness and tenacity at the Olympics". It is already an immense achievement for an athlete to qualify for the Olympics. In the midst of this raging pandemic, it takes an even greater amount of determination and courage to compete. We must all support Team Singapore! Mr Speaker, now that the Tokyo Games is over, it is time to review our national sports strategy. Prof Tommy Koh mentioned in his opinion piece that small countries could win medals as well. I agree. Now that it is evident to us that being small and unable to perform is just an excuse, we need to look into why Singapore cannot win more Olympic medals when countries that are less well-endowed and with similar or smaller populations can do so. Countries such as Hong Kong, Luxembourg, San Marino, Jamaica, Bahamas and Grenada have each won several Olympic medals. What else must Singapore do more and do differently? In preparation for this Motion, I have consulted several senior members of SportSG, Singapore Sports School, national coaches and several national athletes. I thank them for their candour and I would also like to put on record the commendable work and contribution in the development of the local sports ecosystem by MCCY, SportSG, SNOC, SNPC, many National Sports Associations and local sports clubs over the years. Here is a chronology of what was done so far for sports in Singapore. In 1993, the Sports Excellence programme, or SPEX in short, was introduced.”
“His victory was an inspiration to budding young athletes and his win re-energised the entire local sporting fraternity with renewed ambitions and possibilities. Our athletes may not have won any medal in the recent Tokyo Olympics but there were some debutants who delivered commendable performances in their maiden Olympic games, namely, shuttlers Kean Yew and Jasmine, fencers Kiria and Amita and sailors Kimberly and Cecilia. In the Tokyo Paralympics, our athletes delivered better than expected. Our athletes came home with two Gold medals and broke five National Records. Our heartiest congratulations to our swimmer and also former Nominated Member of Parliament, Ms Yip Pin Xiu, for winning two Golds at Tokyo Paralympic Games and a total of five Paralympic Gold medals for Singapore since Beijing Paralympics in 2008. And congratulations as well to Pin Xiu’s coach, Mr Mark Chay, who is also an hon Member of the House. Our Olympians and Paralympians remind us that with grit, determination and passion, we can overcome life challenges. With public expectations, every athlete is expected to perform well even though there will only be one winner. The thing about competitive sports is that it trains you to be resilient, instills discipline and to embrace failure and pick yourself up again to be better. When Joseph Schooling did not advance beyond the heats, there were many nasty comments hurled at him on the social media. At the same time, many Singaporeans including President Halimah, Minister Edwin Tong and yourself, Mr Speaker, came forward to support him. Minister Edwin reminded Singaporeans that we should not be fair-weather fans and we must be consistent in our support of our athletes, whether they win or lose.”
“Thank you, Minister Edwin, for moving this Motion to recognise and congratulate our Team Singapore athletes. Mr Speaker, I would like to mention that as Deputy President of the Singapore Table Tennis Association, there might be some personal association on the subject that I will be speaking on. Tokyo Games would be remembered as an extraordinary pandemic Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Tokyo International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee defied the multitude of obstacles, protests, delays and criticisms to have successfully hosted the event. For bringing the world together to compete and to celebrate the spirit of humanity in the midst of a global crisis, the organising committee certainly deserves the accolades. With sports, humanity triumphs. With sports, people all over the world can unite. With sports, we can overcome adversity. Singaporeans are worn out by the mental, economic and social impact from COVID-19. Over the past two years, we have witnessed and are reminded of darkness of mental wellness issues. Sports can strengthen our bodies and minds, toughen our fighting spirit and uplift our spirits during difficult times. Sports can bring Singaporeans of different races and religions, socio-economic backgrounds together and be the unifying force that bonds and builds Singapore. In this speech, I am calling for this House to do better and more for our national athletes as well as for all community sports participants, and to affirm the greater purpose of sports to bond Singaporeans. Singaporeans can easily recall the historic Joseph Schooling’s win against the swimming legend Michael Phelps during the 2016 Rio Olympics. That victory electrified Singapore and brought cheers and celebration across the entire nation.”
“Our National Tobacco Control Programme introduced in 1986 had a long-term strategy to make Singapore a “nation of non-smokers”. In 2018 we had announced a target to bring the smoking rate down to below 10% by 2020. In the recent announcement made on 11 July 2021, we achieved a smoking prevalence rate of 10.1%, just slightly shy of the 10% target. Personally, I believe that many smokers do wish to stop smoking but being addicted to the habit, it is often easier said than done. It would be good if we could introduce more aggressive campaigns to help those who sincerely wish to stop smoking and also to introduce a convincing message on the dangers of smoking to our children at an early age. Singapore must continue to inch steadily towards achieving a “nation of non-smokers”. Mr Speaker, Sir, it is a norm to work from home these days. The home is now an office for most working Singaporeans and with that growing trend, we must consider the circumstances that non-smoking Singaporeans are in. Their home now substitutes an office which is often located in a commercial district. Offices in all commercial districts do not allow smoking. If you wish to smoke while working in a commercial office, you will have to go downstairs to an allocated area to smoke. We are simply requesting for some consideration for smokers not to smoke at their windows or balconies. There is no doubt that second-hand smoke threatens public health and social harmony. The living environment of non-smokers must be addressed. I am in favour for the call to ban smoking at all balconies and windows. Mr Speaker, Sir, I stand in support of this Motion.”
“Most of the time attending to such complaints do not end well and would usually be compromising the much-needed harmonious environment amongst neighbours. There is absolutely nothing anyone can do to help the innocent victims of second-hand smokers. Town Council, HDB, NEA and even Police officers have been called upon to assist residents in some of these incidents. However, no one, including myself as their representative Member of Parliament, has any legal right to stop anyone from smoking at their window or balconies. While we can understand that it is not possible for a smoker to be able to quit smoking easily, it is important for smokers to understand that they need to be considerate and behave like my other neighbour who walks to a smoking or an open area to smoke. It is not fair to expose non-smokers to the dangerous toxic chemicals caused by cigarette smoke – period. Smokers must always remind themselves to smoke only at allocated spots. Under the Smoking Act, there is a list of places where smoking is allowed; some of these locations include open spaces in residential estates and town centres, surface car parks, top deck of multistorey car parks and uncovered walkways. Unfortunately, it is often seen that most smokers light up wherever convenient for them. Similarly, I would also like to clarify section 43 of the Environment Public Health Act. The intent of this Act is to protect residents from any fumes, vapours, example, in any premises which are dangerous to health. Then, should second-hand smoke from cigarettes not be included in this category? I would like to request that MSE consider second-hand smoke as hazardous to health. Separately, we should continue to have targets to bring down the number of smokers over the next five to 10 years.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I stand in support of this Motion. Everyone is well aware of the harmful effects of second-hand smoke. The World Health Organization revealed that annually 1.2 million non-smokers die from exposure to second-hand smoke. One point two million! And 65,000 children die from illnesses related to its poisonous and harmful chemicals. It has also been found that exposure to second-hand smoke during pregnancy increases the risk of stillbirth, congenital malformations and respiratory illnesses. With such comprehensive findings, it is evident that second-hand smoke has the same adverse toxic chemicals that smokers inhale. There is no safe degree of exposure for passive smoke. Unfortunately, I happen to be a passive smoker. Let me share my personal experience with everyone. I am residing above a neighbour who smokes by his window numerous times a day. A window is meant for natural air ventilation and definitely not for cigarette smoke to be emitted into our homes. Hence, whenever my neighbour below smokes, I will have to keep my window closed. On the other hand, I have a considerate neighbour who would take his smoke breaks near the car park a few times a day. The neighbour does this because he does not wish to expose his young son and his wife to his second-hand smoke. Over the past year, many of my Sembawang West residents have sent me troubling emails about them being exposed to second-hand smoke emitted by their neighbours. Given the rising number of people having to work from home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, this will be a concern that we will have to address. I am certain that there are numerous similar complaints that my fellow Members of Parliament in this House have had to deal with.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, notwithstanding the concerns highlighted, I support the amendments in the Road Traffic Bill. 4.14 pm”
“MOT, the law enforcement and insurance fraternities must also work out the corresponding changes needed in the road traffic rules, insurance coverage and compensation framework. A traffic accident involving an AV and a car driven by a human is not as straightforward as two human drivers involved in an accident. For instance, if there should be a malfunction of the AV leading to an accident involving deaths, would the owner or the manufacturer of the AV be liable? This aspect is as complex when compared to technology and safety development. The legal liability and insurance framework cannot be considered without the full understanding of the design and AV technology. I would hope MOT and the relevant Ministries are able to provide us with some information about AV legal protection and insurance coverage. Finally, I would also like to touch on the livelihoods of people who have been working as drivers. Every gamechanger will have its boons and its banes. Just like the adoption of digital technology, the disruptive nature of AVs will have some drivers losing their jobs once the technology is implemented on our roads. Some residents in Sembawang West have shared with me their concerns regarding their livelihoods once AVs are implemented on our roads. At this point, I can only assure them that AVs will not happen overnight. We will still have another five to 10 years to avert this disruptive socio-economic impact and we must make good use of this window to prepare ourselves well for this socio-economic disruption. As we extend the duration of the sandbox, let us all think out of the box to carefully plan ahead to be ready for a new equilibrium on our roads. Human drivers and driving machines will co-exist and this sandbox must not become a Pandora's Box.”
“Even though there is only one set of traffic rules, the human response can be varied and not everyone will always follow the rules. That is why it is so challenging to integrate machine-coded logic in AVs into the dynamic roadway system. Safety is paramount. Any mishap or a possible accident can easily derail many years of efforts to build safety, reliability and trust in AVs. Till date, a safety driver behind the wheel is still necessary. This is because equipment and systems can sometimes fail too. We must adapt AVs to our road users and continue to train more bus drivers to be AV bus safety operators. I would like to talk about the AV testing environment. The designated trial zone we have will allow a gradual phasing in of AVs and for the engineers to understand how AVs can be improved. However, the AV race will become more competitive as more AV companies enter the market and make breakthroughs in AV technology. Therefore, we should extend the sandbox by another five years for the AV technology to be more mature and fully tested. This extension will allow time for our AV engineers and land transport regulators to better understand and ensure smooth and safe operations before providing any approvals. In fact, I would suggest for LTA to consider extending the sandbox to other parts of Singapore where the roadway conditions may differ slightly from different parts of Singapore. The sandbox extension will also give space and time for road users to gain confidence and for AVs to make that ultimate big leap towards the day when safety drivers are no longer required. Over the next five years, engineers and regulators will validate how the AV technology can be applied safely towards our robust mixed-use traffic operations.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, after the advent of the Internet at the turn of the millennium, AVs may be the next big game changer. The implementation of self-driving technology will have a huge impact on our transport system. AVs will provide a much-needed solution to the shortage of manpower resources required in public transportation, goods delivery and industries. With recharged power, the AV fleet is able to operate 24/7 with no rest days required and no human resource headaches. In the long run, as AVs proliferate, we can expect to see lower costs of operations, higher productivity, enhanced convenience in last-mile connectivity and better control of road safety. The benefits of AVs are clear and the vision of future roadways operated by a mixed-use traffic is compelling. However, the journey is still fraught with many uncertainties. Unfortunately, the roadmap to achieve a stable AV system remains unknown. Back in the early 2000s, even though Singapore does not have a vehicle manufacturing industry, we chose the uphill path to be an innovation leader instead of being a technology adopter. Recently, Hyundai announced that they will build an innovation centre in Singapore to manufacture electric vehicles. Singapore has been ranked first in the KPMG 2020 Autonomous Vehicles Readiness Index. We must take advantage of our well-developed transport system and implement AVs as soon as possible. We do have a conducive innovation eco-system, including a sandbox to trial AV operations and push technological boundaries. In transportation, safety is key and vehicle reliability is critical. Roadways are a complex intersection of motorists, cyclists, commuters and pedestrians.”
“Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Minister for her clarifications. I have one supplementary question. To halve the absolute carbon emissions to 33 million tonnes carbon dioxide by 2050, given that industries account for the lion's share of the carbon emissions, are there strategic plans for the next three decades to: one, switch to cleaner power production plants for our national power grid, such as hydrogen or even biofuels, to replace LNG; and two, shift away from energy-intensive industries, such as petroleum refining, petrochemicals, semiconductors or even data centres?”
“Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Senior Minister of State. It is good to know that MOT does not intend to license cyclists. I have one supplementary question on enhancing safe cycling in Singapore. PCN and cycling paths across the whole of Singapore will take time to build. Can LTA embark on selective improvements to infrastructure that can enhance safety? For instance, widening of existing shared paths that are already too narrow and also adding more signages and markings on roadways, especially at road stretches with typically higher cyclist traffic and also junctions with blind spots.”
“Chairman, the Caring SG Commuters Committee was set up in 2017, to transform Singapore's public transport system and commuter culture into one that is more caring, welcoming and inclusive. At times, having to wait a long time for buses, squeeze into crowded trains and brave the elements of inclement weather can be frustrating. I would like to know the progress on how commuting on public land transport can be a more enjoyable experience. What are the plans to build a more inclusive transport system through hardware improvements, such as more considerate design features and barrier-free accessibility facilities? The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the number of commuters and some may even avoid taking public transport for the fear of increased exposure to potential COVID-19 infection. Will the Caring SG Commuters Committee focus on shaping commuters' behaviour with the aim of ensuring public health in times of pandemics or even during the less lethal influenza seasons? Should we work on having all commuters to wear mask even after the COVID-19 pandemic? On a more challenging front, how do we create the heartware to promote a more caring and inclusive commuter culture for everyone? Commuter-centric Public Transport”
“Three, can the Government provide an update on the developments in the aviation sector since the Ministerial Statement in October 2020? What has the progress of our measures been so far? Four, we have seen an increase in the number of imported cases over the past few weeks. Is this due to our border re-openings? How can we continue to re-open our borders safely? Five, there have also been a few cases where air crew and other aviation frontline workers who caught COVID-19 earlier this year. What has the Government done to safeguard our borders and frontline aviation workers? Six, in a post-vaccination world, what are our plans to open up our borders and revive air travel? Will vaccinated individuals be allowed to travel with fewer restrictions? Seven, how can we rebuild the connectivity at Changi Airport and protect our status as an aviation hub? Lastly, how can we strengthen our competitive advantage to capture air travel demand as it recovers? I hope Minister for Transport can inspire hope, confidence and provide guidance through this harsh winter for the aviation industry. Tuas Mega Port”
“Chairman Sir, I declare my interest as an employee of the aviation sector. The COVID-19 pandemic has literally sent our once vibrant and booming aviation sector into a cliff drop. Since the imposition of border closure in March 2020, passenger traffic has plunged from pre-COVID-19 peak of almost 69 million passengers per year to less than 3% of that. With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging in many parts of the world, non-essential overseas travel will likely still be curtailed for at least another year, until vaccination operations for the majority of our local population are completed. 12.15 pm Changi Airport was the sixth busiest international airport and the Singapore Airlines used to carry more than 36 million passengers per annum pre-COVID-19. Unlike other airports and airlines that are still able to continue to operate domestic flights during this pandemic, Changi Airport and Singapore Airlines group are 100% dependent on international travel. To the credit of many stakeholders in the aviation sector, tremendous efforts have been made to keep the planes flying, serve passengers and carry cargo, during this extremely difficult period. SIA has reconfigured some passenger aircraft for cargo flights and kept key city links connected even with very low passenger loads. Chairman, Sir, I have a few queries relating to our strategies to reboot air travel and to revive the Changi airhub. One, how much longer can SIA and Changi Air hub sustain if travel border remains closed beyond this year? Two, beyond the extended JSS and support for the aviation sector as announced in Budget 2021, does the Government intend to continue to support the recovery of the aviation sector and, if so, what are some of these additional support measures for companies and workers?”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman. I thank the Minister of State on the clarification on how the Government can incentivise SMEs to improve productivity and drive innovation. I also thank Minister Desmond Lee's sharing of the Singapore Green Building Masterplan's targets to meet the 80-80-80 goals. However, I believe my question on how we can ensure that property prices for our public housing can remain affordable inclusive and livable, may not have been answered. How can we do that while incorporating all these very ideal, new building requirements?”
“With more than 80% of our population staying in public housing, can we assure Singaporeans that public housing will be kept affordable, inclusive and liveable even with the rising cost of development?”
“Mr Chairman, echoing the views of Members Mr Kwek and Mr Xie, the built environment sector took a severe hit as a result of the pandemic. Many construction companies are badly affected due to the drastic reduction in the supply of foreign workers in the construction sector. As a result, there is a significant increase in the daily wages and other associated costs of hiring foreign workers. Understandably, cashflow becomes a major problem as project milestone payments are delayed. In view of this tight situation, how can MND and BCA help the construction industry tide over this difficult period? Looking ahead, the construction industry will have to accelerate industry transformation, to shift from heavy manpower-intensive processes and leverage technologies that enable higher productivity and effectiveness, for example, using drones for land surveillance and progress updates, robotics and autonomous platforms to assist workers in the heavy lifting tasks in construction sites. Having said that, many of such enablers would require heavy initial investment in equipment and software and the retraining of existing staff. How can the built environment sector be further incentivised to adopt the latest technology solutions in construction, either to reduce the dependence on foreign workers or improve productivity in construction? I would also like to ask about property prices in Singapore. Property prices have continued to rise, defying the typical downward trend in a recession. As the costs of construction increase, we can expect the property prices to rise further and developers will obviously pass the higher costs onto the buyers.”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman. I thank Minister Grace Fu for sharing the upcoming plans such as the Flow Reversal Technology to improve NEWater recovery, the fifth desalination plant in Jurong Island and also the food waste treatment plant at the Changi Water Treatment works. These are all very game-changing circular energy and self-sufficient strategies to ensure our water supply in the long run is secure. However, these are all huge infrastructure investment. Deputy Prime Minister Heng announced in his Budget speech that Green Bonds worth $19 billion of sustainability focus projects would be set aside such as for the Tuas Nexus project. I would like to know if MSE is open to expanding the scope of game-changing sustainability focused large-scale infrastructure projects so as to accelerate the pace of our sustainability efforts and also our own energy self-reliance.”
“Mdm Chairman, water usage in Singapore is about 430 million gallons a day. This consumption rate will likely double in 2060. Taking into consideration that water treatment technologies can be energy intensive, what are PUB's targets to improve its energy efficiency of water treatment? In 2020, PUB announced that it has commenced the construction of the 60 megawatt-peak floating solar photovoltaic system on Tengeh Reservoir. What is the progress of that project and how many other reservoirs will be similarly equipped with floating solar panels? In 2018, PUB and NEA announced that Tuas Nexus will be first in Singapore to treat both used water and food waste in the same facility to generate bio-gas for electricity production. Are there more plans to develop similar facilities to enhance sustainability? I hope the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment would shed light on these queries. Enhancing Water Sustainability”
“Mdm Chairperson, last month, together with several fellow Members of the GPC for MSE, we filed the Motion to Accelerate and Deepen Efforts to Combat Climate Change. The Singapore Green Plan 2030 that is organised along five pillars and outlined by the five Ministries is, indeed, encouraging. I would like to know how the sectoral plans within the pillars allows Singapore to achieve its net zero-emission aspiration earlier and is there a target year to achieve net-zero emission goal? On the matter of global warming, what are our plans to protect Singapore against the threat of sea level rise? This is especially so since our sea level is projected to further increase by about one metre. I would also like to know, how can we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic with a greener and more sustainable future for Singapore? Would the Minister for Sustainability and Environment shed light on these queries? Eco-towns – Involving the Community”
“Chairman, Sir, for decades, Singapore has managed a free market economy and is well-positioned as an international and regional hub. COVID-19 pandemic has severely disrupted economies globally. Would the Minister for Foreign Affairs share how will Singapore maintain its status as a hub for trade, shipping and finance given the economic uncertainties caused by this pandemic and what is our strategy to emerge stronger should the inflow of resources and talents be constrained by the pandemic? Fostering Our Connections and Resilience”
“So I hope MOF and MSE will expand the scope for such green infrastructure projects so as to accelerate the pace of achieving the targets set out in the Singapore Green Plan 2030. Budget 2021 is committed towards our long-term goals and sustainability and has given many Singaporeans renewed hopes after an uncertain 2020. Mr Speaker, Sir, I support Budget 2021.”
“This Budget will: one, help certain sectors to retain, retrain and prepare workers to be ready to spring back right away after recovery; two, help companies transform themselves for the future digital economy; three, support the core and the worst hit sectors, such as aviation, land transport, arts and sports; four, co-fund new ventures in the areas of creative ideas; and five, help the high-growth enterprises and the startups to have continued access into financial capital. The Government stands in solidarity with Singaporeans and will try to assist companies to adapt to the economic debacle that we are facing and there will be various assistance and grants. However, our workers and businesses must have the resilience to build their own muscles to innovate, have a creative mindset to reinvent themselves, be adaptable and be forward-thinking to compete against the best on the global stage. And we need to have the gumption and fortitude to succeed in spite of the risk of failure. In unity, we can emerge stronger. Last month, together with several fellow members of the GPC for MSE, we filed a Motion to accelerate and deepen efforts to combat climate change. And I am heartened to read about the Singapore Green Plan 2030 and the goals outlined by the five Ministries. The green bonds on selected public sector infrastructure projects is a welcomed financing tool to catalyse the flow of capital towards sustainable development and to anchor Singapore as a green finance hub. This will ensure that the access to capital for a large scale critical infrastructure is available to serve our next generations of Singaporeans. Deputy Prime Minister Heng has announced that up to $19 billion of projects will be allocated towards developing our green economy.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the COVID-19 pandemic may have caused a huge impact on economies around the world but this crisis has provided us with an inescapable fortuity to reassess the way we work and play. We need to reset. Before this pandemic, many of us were guilty of not exploiting digital technologies in our everyday life in purposeful ways. The pandemic has forced us to take an extraordinary digital leap in our daily practices. In a flash, an entire generation started to grasp digital tools in order to adjust to the new norm. Despite social distancing and self-isolation, we are all finding ways to connect with one another. Twenty-twenty was a year of disruptions and we had to disconnect to reconnect. COVID-19 is a game changer and has taught many of us about the importance of adapting and advancing. Just like a quote by Charles Darwin, "It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones who are most responsive to change." The pandemic has impacted different businesses and industries very unevenly. Inevitably, the pandemic will bring about new rising enterprises while traditional big wigs may be brought down to their knees. To help the new rising companies and try to avoid the downfall of some big wigs, the Government has announced four additional Budgets with a supplement of nearly $100 billion.”
“I hope BCA and the Singapore Green Building Council, who are co-leading the creation of the next Singapore Green Building Masterplan would consider the proposals I mentioned. Everyone must do his or her part to expedite and deepen efforts against climate change. We must all embrace sustainability. The future will always be uncertain but we must face the uncertainty of the future head-on by not being selfish and making a change in our attitudes today. Mr Speaker, Sir, once again, I support the Motion.”
“But the fact is whether you are a developer or a potential property buyer, you must be informed that if our environment is ever destroyed, no one escapes this catastrophe. We cannot continue to shape policies and develop our country with a narrow view that is heavily weighed on cost and benefit analysis. The higher costs incurred today is a worthwhile investment to safeguard our future. I would like to reiterate the rationale highlighted at the start of this speech. As a signatory to the Paris Agreement, whether it is the Government or the private sector, everyone must be prepared to go green. I agree that the Government will have to take the lead by reviewing the current incentive and tax system in the building industry in order to encourage the private sector to play its part. An example of an incentive could be creating a circular financing scheme, by way of grants awarded to developers from a central pool of carbon taxes collected from within the building industry. This collection could offset the higher costs for green buildings. And on the supply side, if the demand for eco-friendly building materials, furniture and engineering systems increase, the unit cost will drop over time. And with this new equilibrium, the market will then be able to support itself with higher demand and lower cost. We can then discontinue the carbon efficiency grant over time. These are my suggestions. They are non-exhaustive and I hope the key industry stakeholders, such as Singapore Green Building Council, architecture firms and construction firms will continue to work together to refine the Green Mark Scheme and make it compulsory for all new developments. The Green Mark Scheme can be our identity to embrace sustainability.”
“Two, adopt environmentally friendly design approaches, materials and technologies. We should allocate a higher score for the adoption of environmentally friendly designs. With creative designs, technological innovation and advancements in material engineering, such green buildings will be more common in the future. A prominent example would be the NUS School of Design and Engineering Blk 4,or commonly known as SDE4. That was designed by NUS Design and Environment, in partnership with external consultants, developers and builders. It is the first building in Southeast Asia to be awarded the Zero Energy Certification by the International Living Future Institute, which is one of the world's most prestigious sustainability organisations. Two key features of SDE4 are a large overhanging roof which hosts more than 1,200 photovoltaic panels to harness solar energy to meet the energy demands of the building and also an innovative hybrid cooling system to effectively manage the building's energy consumption by supplying 100% fresh pre-cooled air, albeit at higher temperatures and humidity levels than in a conventional system. Other examples of successful green concepts encapsulated in the building designs include CapitaGreen, Park Royal on Pickering, Oasia Hotel, Kampung Admiralty, Bukit Canberra and Woodlands Healthcare Campus, just to name a few. Three, introduce an incentive system to offset the higher construction costs. The billion-dollar question is: who should be paying for higher building costs of environmentally friendly buildings? Most billion and multi-millionaires developers will ask: what incentives will I get to accelerate change? They will claim that they do not directly benefit from the lower carbon footprint.”
“The Green Mark scheme rates buildings according to five key criteria – energy efficiency, water efficiency, environmental protection, indoor environment quality and other green and innovative features that contribute to better building performance. Over the last 16 years, the Green Mark Scheme has been widely adopted and more than 4,000 buildings in Singapore have earned the BCA Green Mark award. It is time to make some changes to the BCA Green Mark Scheme. I would like to suggest the following. One, to review construction regulations and standards, the Green Mark Scheme must encourage more use of recycled "green concrete", "pre-cast concrete and low-carbon concrete". Currently, the Green Mark Scheme includes carbon accounting. However, this scheme allocates only two out of 100 points for embodied carbon accounting. The assessment allows buildings to score highly despite performing poorly on certain measures of carbon intensiveness, which actually means buildings can be certified as Green Mark Silver, Gold, Platinum or Zero Energy despite being extremely concrete-intensive. This is not good. Green Mark can better achieve its goal of encouraging carbon-efficient construction by ensuring the Concrete Usage Index as a mandatory criterion. For existing buildings to be greener, projects undergoing addition and alteration ought to account for lower concrete usage. Designers and owners can consider the use of sustainable materials from carbon-aware manufacturers and vendors. When it comes to demolition work, under the Green Mark Scheme, one point is awarded if 35% of demolished concrete, is handled by a recycling contractor. This proportion should be raised to encourage more recycling. And recycled concrete can also be brought back to construction site for non-structural use.”
“The Government and private businesses have to look towards implementing rigorous green legislation and change industry standards and business processes, especially within the construction industry where new buildings must be designed to be more carbon efficient. We should set our 2050 carbon emissions goal for all new buildings, infrastructure and renovations to be net zero operational carbon. So, how can we reduce carbon footprint in our new buildings? I am an employee of Changi Airport Group and involved in the planning for development projects, including Terminal 4 and Terminal 5. My own experience in the built environment started almost a decade ago in 2012 when I was responsible for the closing and demolition of the Budget Terminal in Changi Airport, to make way for Terminal 4. We moved re-useable furniture and equipment, including transporting the rooftop solar-panel, to the other terminals. The demolition contractor then salvaged the building materials, such as steel parts and concrete, and traded in these materials in the recycled materials market. In the end, we even managed to recover some cost after paying off the demolition expenses. From there, we went on to design and build Terminal 4. In the process, I learnt about the BCA Green Mark Scheme. We incorporated many green and eco-friendly features which earned Terminal 4 a BCA Green Mark Gold Plus Award. The BCA Green Mark Scheme was launched in January 2005. This green building rating system provides a comprehensive framework for assessing the overall environmental performance of new and existing buildings to promote sustainable design and best practices in construction and operations in buildings.”