Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources

The high quality of the environment that we enjoy today is a result of the vision, discipline and hard work of our Pioneer Generation and leaders. We must safeguard this legacy, and pass on an even more sustainable environment to future generations.

Our future challenges are significant. This includes dealing with greater urbanisation, coping with climate change, managing epidemics and improving our quality of life. The review of the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (SSB) this year will set out the vision and strategies for Singapore's sustainable development in the next two decades.

First, we want to ensure a clean environment that provides Singaporeans a high quality of life. We will promote and nurture sustainable living by facilitating the adoption of green practices by individuals, households and corporations. We will improve our recycling infrastructure in existing and new housing developments to increase our recycling rate and extend the lifespan of Semakau landfill.

We aspire for not just a cleaned Singapore, but a clean Singapore that reflects our intrinsic values – social graciousness, mutual respect and collective responsibility. To do so, we have to uphold high standards of public cleanliness, food hygiene and sanitation; we need as a community to collectively reaffirm the positive social norms and behaviour. As there is still a minority who persists in anti-social behaviour, we will enhance our enforcement efforts to deter these recalcitrant offenders.

We will further tighten our vehicle emission and fuel quality standards in order to enhance air quality.

Growing our social capital also improves our well-being. We will create more social spaces for people to enjoy and bond with the community. We have been transforming and adding greenery to our waterways and water bodies and will continue to do so by expanding the ABC Waters Programme. The new hawker centres we are building will not only be a place for affordable, hygienic food in a clean, vibrant and inclusive environment, but also a venue where Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans from all walks of life can interact and form community bonds.

Second, we will build infrastructure ahead of demand to support a growing economy, and to improve resilience to climate change. Investments such as the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) Phase 2 and the Integrated Waste Management Facility (IWMF) at Tuas will

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ensure that capacity keeps pace with our needs. We will expand drainage and water infrastructure to better withstand increasingly unpredictable weather events. We will also do more to integrate our plans upstream and improve operational coordination with other public agencies to optimise the use of scarce resources. The new underground service reservoir to be sited in the new Bidadari town is one such example.

NEA's Centre for Climate Research Singapore was set up in 2013 to help keep us current with climate science, and inform our strategies for a climate-resilient Singapore. In addition, we have developed a risk assessment framework which will allow us to systematically identify, assess and mitigate the risks associated with climate change across the whole Government early, as well as a framework to guide our adaptation plans.

Third, we resolve to achieve a greener economy. This will be a much greater emphasis in our new SSB, as compared to the last. We have made good progress over the years in maintaining a balance and synergy between economic development and environmental sustainability. Increasingly, we need to see both these pillars not as trade-offs, but mutually reinforcing and intertwined. Moving forward, it is imperative for us to approach them holistically.

We will step up our efforts to engage and work with companies and industries to improve their resource efficiency and adopt best-in-class practices. Large energy users in the industry sector are now required to submit energy consumption data and develop energy efficiency improvement plans under the Energy Conservation Act (ECA). Starting next year, we will extend a similar requirement to large water users to submit Water Efficiency Management Plans. We will work with large water users in key industrial areas, such as Jurong Island, to identify and implement water-efficient solutions. These could include the use of seawater for cooling purposes and increased localised water recycling. We will also work with industry to reduce pollutive emissions to improve air quality. Through these steps, we hope to enhance our companies' contribution to a sustainable environment, while helping them become even more efficient and competitive globally by saving them money and enhancing their resilience to external shocks.

In addition, we are also exploring ways to improve our resource recovery rate. In particular, we will promote the upstream segregation of key waste streams. This will help to reduce contamination and improve the recovery of recyclables.

We will further enhance our knowledge base and capabilities and invest in directed research and development of new technologies to help achieve our environmental objectives. New innovations will be fostered through our support for test-beds and the scaling up of successful pilots. The growth of green industries and the creation of good jobs

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in this sector will build a base from which we can push the frontier further.

The Government fully intends to walk the talk. The Public Sector will demonstrate its commitment by enhancing the Public Sector Taking the Lead in Environmental Sustainability (PSTLES) framework.

Finally, we recognise that the protection of our environment is, ultimately, a collective responsibility. We will focus on encouraging and inculcating pro-social and pro-environmental behaviour by supporting more community-driven initiatives. We will also study ways to empower volunteers, by having them champion public cleanliness and take on stewardship of our water bodies. There are already many passionate individuals and organisations making a difference and a growing number of companies who embrace sustainability as not just a competitive edge but also as part of their contribution back to society. Therefore, I see great potential for bringing the community together to effect a real and positive change in Singapore.

We will complete our SSB review by the end of the year. The Blueprint will flesh out the key elements I have described, serving as a roadmap of what Government seeks to achieve in partnership with the People and Private Sector. Together, we can achieve our vision – a safe and sustainable city, a liveable and endearing home, an engaged and gracious community which takes collective responsibility for the environment that we hold in trust for future generations.

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