Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources

The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M): Through the foresight and dedication of Singaporeans over the past 50 years, we have built an endearing home and a clean and green city with high environmental standards that we can be proud of. As we embark on the next chapter of our nation's growth, we will build on this rich legacy so that a sustainable environment will become an intrinsic part of our unique Singaporean heritage.

The Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (SSB) 2015 outlined our vision and plans to ensure that Singapore remains the best home for Singaporeans to enjoy a good quality of life. We will work with Singaporeans, the larger community and industry partners to realise our vision for a Liveable and Endearing Home, a Vibrant and Sustainable City and an Active and Gracious Community.

We will work hard to achieve an even cleaner and healthier environment whilst ensuring that Singaporeans continue to have access to fresh air and clean water. To achieve this, we will further reduce sources of air pollution by tightening vehicular and industrial emission standards. We will also strengthen our regulatory regime to ensure more stringent levels of food hygiene and leverage scientific advancements to minimise the transmission of vector-borne diseases.

As our population grows, the demands on our existing infrastructure to meet our daily waste management needs will increase significantly. Given our land and resource constraints, we will leverage innovative technologies and solutions to uphold our high standards of waste management. At the same time, we will encourage and facilitate the efforts of Singaporeans to reuse, reduce and recycle more as we work towards a Zero Waste Nation.

Everyone has a part to play in upholding high standards of cleanliness and public health. We will work closely with the community to reinforce these positive social norms such that it becomes an inherent part of our Singaporean identity and values. We will empower the community and provide more opportunities, such as extending the "Bright Spots" programme, for individuals to adopt greater ownership of our environment and to nurture values of graciousness and mutual respect together.

We recognise that spaces are important in connecting individuals and forming communities that care for our environment together.

Our hawker centres not only provide hygienic and affordable food, but are also well-loved and vibrant community spaces that enrich our lives. We have embarked on a review to strengthen the role of hawker centres, support innovation and work with the community to promote our local hawker culture and social graciousness. More of our new hawker centres will be integrated with facilities and spaces for meaningful daily interactions among residents.

We will also further expand our ABC Waters Programme to transform more waterways and waterbodies into recreational, social and community spaces closer to our homes and hearts. We are actively engaging and co-creating with our citizens during the design and construction phases of the ABC Waters projects, as well as working with them to keep our waterways and waterbodies clean.

Economic growth and environmental sustainability are not mutually exclusive. We will work with industry partners and regional governments to support economic growth in an environmentally responsible manner. Our experience with transboundary haze in the past few years has shown the devastating environmental, social and economic impact of irresponsible business practices. We will take decisive and sustained action to tackle haze, such as increasing collaboration with industries and key interest groups, to adopt sustainable land clearing practices. We will not hesitate to take tough actions against errant businesses.

Last December, the world adopted a historic agreement at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP-21) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris to combat climate change. Singapore is a responsible global citizen and we have put in place ambitious plans to achieve our pledge. This requires all of us – the Government, industries and individuals – to each play our part to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Significant adjustments will be needed as we put in place higher emission standards. We will work with industries to adopt greener practices and enhance their energy efficiency. As individuals, we will also need to reduce our energy consumption and, to enable this, we will share more information under our energy labelling scheme and work with community groups to drive greener purchasing decisions.

Our Government, as a large consumer of goods and services, remains committed to taking the lead in sustainability and will do more through more ambitious energy and water efficiency targets for the public sector.

Lastly, we are keenly aware of our vulnerability as an island state with limited resources. We will continue to invest in good environmental infrastructure and technology for a more resilient future. We are reviewing the Water Master Plan to ensure a reliable and sustainable water supply for generations to come.

While we continue to do our part in reducing our carbon footprint, we need to protect ourselves from the wide-ranging impacts of climate change. Singapore takes a proactive, long-term approach towards climate adaptation. We will build greater resilience into our infrastructure and systems within MEWR. On the broader front, we are working with other Government agencies to build resiliency in our key national assets. These adaptation plans will be regularly reviewed as new knowledge becomes available to ensure that we are prepared for potential climate change impacts.

MEWR will work closely with all our stakeholders – Government agencies, businesses and the community – to realise the vision outlined in the SSB 2015. Just as our forefathers have left us this City in the Garden, we must leave our children with a greener and cleaner home.