Singapore to formulate national plan addressing climate change risks

The city-state will tap various stakeholders to address the impacts of the climate crisis.

The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment is set to develop Singapore’s first National Adaptation Plan (NAP) that guides efforts in managing the physical risks of climate change.

According to Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, the “NAP will serve as our long-term roadmap outlining actions that we will collectively take with Singaporeans to enhance our climate resilience.”

MSE will develop a whole-of-government integrated strategy for heat resilience, in partnership with businesses, academia, and the community. Investments will also be increased in science and technology to identify innovative and effective solutions in managing the effects of heat.

To prepare for rising sea levels, site-specific studies will be conducted across Singapore’s coastline to identify and construct the most fit-for-purpose multi-functional coastal protection measures.

When it comes to food supply, the ministry aims to diversify the city-state’s import sources, build a stockpile of essential food items, and help the local agri-food industry scale up and become more productive and climate-resilient.

In line with its 2050 net-zero goal, Singapore said it will work with its partners to develop mitigation measures such as the carbon credits market, and carbon capture, utilisation, and storage solutions, including conducting carbon capture trials for its Waste-to-Energy plants.

MSE said it will invest in building Singapore’s capacity to assess the safety of nuclear energy options for a sustainable future. It will also plan long-term and invest in water infrastructure, as water demand is expected to almost double by 2065.

The government also plans to launch the Beverage Container Return Scheme to reduce waste disposal, improve recycling, and explore better ways to reuse waste residues.

Meanwhile, up to $1b will be invested to upgrade existing hawker centres and build five new ones over the next 20 to 30 years.