Consultation for Singapore’s Climate Targets to be Announced at UN Climate Change Conference 2022
Ministry of Sustainability and the EnvironmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns MP Louis Ng Kok Kwang’s inquiry regarding Singapore’s climate targets for the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference and the extent of consultations held with civil society groups. Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien stated that Singapore aims to achieve net-zero emissions by or around mid-century and is currently reviewing its 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution. She highlighted that over 1,200 youth and civil society representatives have been engaged, alongside an ongoing public consultation via REACH to gather views on a low-carbon future. The Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien noted that these inputs are being considered to finalize targets and assured that the Government maintains constant dialogue with green groups. She concluded that these engagement efforts help close the feedback loop and support the broader objectives of the Singapore Green Plan 2030.
Transcript
9 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what are Singapore’s climate targets that will be announced at the UN Climate Change Conference 2022 in November 2022; and (b) whether the Ministry have held consultations with civil society on the climate targets to be announced and, if so, what are they.
The Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Mr Speaker, as announced at Budget 2022, Singapore will raise our climate ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by or around mid-century. We are also reviewing our 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). Under the Singapore Green Plan 2030, we have been consulting closely with industry and citizen stakeholder groups, including more than 1,200 youths and civil society representatives from green groups and NGOs, through various engagement sessions.
Building on these efforts, the National Climate Change Secretariat has launched an online public consultation on Singapore's climate ambition via REACH. Members of the public are invited to contribute views on their vision for a low-carbon Singapore and how the Government, businesses, communities and citizens can work towards it.
We are taking into consideration the views received from these ongoing consultations as we finalise our climate targets later this year.
Mr Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Thank you, Sir. I thank the Minister for the reply. Could I just ask whether we can do a follow-up dialogue with the climate activists so that we can close the loop in terms of the feedback and concerns that they have raised?
Second, I am very glad we have done a public consultation on our climate ambition but could I ask, maybe for next year, whether we could do it a bit earlier? Because, by the time we end the consultation, it will be less than two months before we announce our NDCs at the UN Climate Change Conference 2022 (COP27).
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon Member for making this request on behalf the green groups. Please be assured that the Government will be reaching out and we are in constant dialogue, whether it is on NDC or our ongoing Green Plan initiatives.