Cool Climate Solutions for Singapore in Light of Rapidly Rising Global Temperatures

Mr Mohamed Irshad asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) what efforts are being undertaken to cool our island in light of rapidly rising temperatures; (b) whether the Ministry has considered using latest technologies, such as thermal insulation coating, to paint our buildings to reduce temperatures and keep the buildings cool; and (c) what measures are in place to reduce overall energy consumption in Singapore in the face of such rising temperatures.

The Government is mindful of the need to plan for and mitigate rising temperatures. Apart from climate change impacts, temperature rise is also partly due to the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect from urbanisation.

Government agencies have implemented measures to help Singapore cope with rising temperatures and have plans to do more. For example, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) uses urban environmental modelling to design and orient blocks of flats to maximise wind flow and shade in estates. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), the National Parks Board (NParks) and other agencies have incorporated green open spaces in our urban landscape and distributed greenery to cool the environment through shade provision and evapotranspiration. We are also encouraging the use of coatings and building materials that limit the absorption and retention of solar radiation.

A key contributor to the UHI effect is heat generated by human activities requiring energy consumption. Hence, a key strategy under the Climate Action Plan is to improve our overall energy efficiency (EE), particularly in the industry sector, which is the largest consumer of energy. I will cite a few examples.

We amended the Energy Conservation Act in 2017 to enhance the energy management practices of large industrial energy users. Our carbon tax came into force in January this year and sends an important price signal to incentivise emissions reductions in the most economically efficient way. In tandem, we enhanced our grants this year to support the industry sector’s push to improve EE.

In the household sector, we introduced the Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme (MELS) and Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) in 2008 and 2011 respectively, which has raised the EE of energy-intensive household appliances, such as air-conditioners and refrigerators. This has helped households to reduce their energy consumption and save on costs.

In the building sector, the Government has been driving the adoption of energy-efficient design and solutions for more environmentally sustainable buildings. We are making good progress.

The UHI is a complex topic and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and other relevant Government agencies will continue to study this in greater depth. This includes investing in research and development to better understand the effect of rising temperatures on our local microclimate, as well as tapping on technology to help Singaporeans cope with rising temperatures.