Impact of 2023 UN Climate Change Conference on Singapore's Sustainability Goals

Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference provided an opportunity for Singapore to further relations with the global community to tackle common issues, such as agri-food production, water management and renewable energy.

Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether an update can be provided on the outcome of Singapore's participation at the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference, especially in regard to the Sustainable Development Goals.

At the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference 2023 (COP-28), the UAE COP-28 Presidency announced four paradigm shifts: (a) fast-tracking the energy transition; (b) transforming climate finance; (c) putting nature, people, lives and livelihoods at the heart of climate action; and (d) ensuring inclusivity. The four paradigm shifts were aimed at galvanising the global community at COP-28 to close the implementation gap needed to keep the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement within reach.

These shifts are aligned with Singapore's climate ambition and the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Singapore's participation at COP-28 helped to further the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in several ways.

First, we supported the UAE COP-28 Presidency and the global shared climate agenda by, inter alia, co-facilitating ministerial consultations on climate mitigation and co-chairing the joint contact group for the First Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement. These efforts contributed to the successful adoption of the UAE Consensus. The UAE Consensus calls on countries to transition away from fossil fuels, accelerate the phasedown of unabated coal power, phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies and triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency globally by 2030. These are important initiatives that will better position the world towards achieving SDG 7 on Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG 13 on Climate Action.

Second, Singapore contributed to global efforts in strengthening resource resilience in key areas, such as food and water, in line with SDG 2 on Zero Hunger and SDG 6 on Clean Water and Sanitation. Singapore was among 159 countries that signed the COP-28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action. The Declaration's intent is to strengthen the resilience of agriculture and food systems to the impacts of climate through closer collaboration and partnerships. We also participated actively in key discussions like the Informal Ministerial Meeting on the Follow-up of the UN 2030 Water Conference, which continued discussion on key issues, such as strategies to improve global water quality and sanitation.

Third, Singapore launched initiatives and platforms to facilitate cooperation towards the SDGs. These include the Financing Asia's Transition Partnership (FAST-P) blended finance initiative, which aims to mobilise up to US$5 billion, or S$6.7 billion, for Asia's energy transition; and agreements on carbon market cooperation with countries, such as Costa Rica, Fiji, Rwanda, Senegal and Papua New Guinea. The COP-28 Singapore Pavilion also hosted more than 70 events that drew over 6,000 visitors and served as a platform for facilitating partnerships in sectors, such as finance, water and food, transport and nature-based solutions to address sustainable development challenges.

Singapore's active participation at COP-28 is a testament to our support for global efforts to implement the SDGs. Singapore supports the UAE Consensus and will work to implement its outcomes, including through the Singapore Green Plan 2030, which is our whole-of-nation blueprint aligned with the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.