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The Singapore government is set to announce concrete environment and sustainability targets soon via a whole-of-nation sustainability agenda called the Green Plan 2030.

This was announced by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) Grace Fu in Parliament today (February 1).

The Green Plan, which will be a "major policy priority" for the government, will set "ambitious and concrete targets" on a sectoral basis.

Fu said that this Green Plan will bring together 3P partners — the public sector, the private sector, and people — to develop comprehensive programmes.

"Through this process, we hope to catalyse bold, balanced and collective action. Bold – that we push the envelope on all fronts, challenging ourselves to do more, in spite of our national circumstances and constraints.

Balanced – for we know that with every action and target, there are considerations and trade-offs to be made, and every Singaporean must have a voice and stake in our sustainability journey. And collective – because we need all 3P partners to work with us to make the Green Plan a reality."

More details about the Green Plan will be unveiled in the coming weeks and DPM Heng Swee Keat will speak about the sustainability agenda during the Budget debates.

With regard to inevitable discussions about trade-offs and costs, Fu also urged Singaporeans to address them with solidarity, evaluate them carefully, and make collective and informed decisions.

"These costs may manifest in the change in the price for a good or service we enjoy today, the cost of producing a product, the need to allocate scarce resources to a new solution, the investment in new infrastructure, or some inconveniences in changing our habits and the way we do things."

As she ended her speech, Fu affirmed the government's commitment to partner the private sector and Singaporeans to tackle climate change and sustainability in Singapore's development.

"Climate change requires us to envision a new future, and be prepared to give up the old to embrace the new. And we firmly believe that in Singapore, we will co-create a sustainable future for present and future generations."

Top image by Joshua Lee.