A group of youths and environmental organisations in Singapore have made a collective call for the government to ramp up its climate action efforts.
Their public statement was released on Nov. 5, in time for Youth Day at COP26, the biggest climate conference and also regarded as the world's best and last chance to avoid a climate catastrophe.
The group acknowledged in their statement that although the Singapore government had made progress on environmental issues over the years, "our actions are still not yet where they need to be".
"We want to be a part of this conversation", the statement wrote. In light of the magnitude of the climate crisis and its inter-generational impacts, the group added that they would like for the Singapore's decisions and choices to be more open and transparent.
"This is a matter that affects all of us, especially our generation and the ones to come. It is only right then, that we should be recognised as equal partners. We want to have a part in the choices Singapore ultimately makes."
As such, the group has outlined 18 recommendations across six areas — emissions and carbon, nature and biodiversity, energy, corporate responsibility and finance, community empowerment and inclusion, economy and people — that they hope the government can take into consideration.
The statement is co-authored by 10 individuals comprising activists and academics, and six youth-led organisations. It is also supported by 93 individuals and 75 organisations and entities.
Some of these 93 individuals include Nature Society committee member and veteran conservationist Ho Hua Chew, former Nominated Member of Parliament Anthea Ong, marine conservationist Neo Mei Lin and founder of Seastainable Co. Sam Thian.
Here are some of the recommendations for the government that the group has set out for each topic of interest.
Emissions and carbon
One of the key recommendations was for Singapore to peak emissions before 2025 and align with net zero by 2050.
Currently, Singapore's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are to peak emissions by 2030, and aim to achieve net zero emissions in the second half of the century.
The group also hopes to see greater decarbonisation efforts in Singapore's aviation and maritime sectors, which are not accounted for in Singapore's NDCs.
Nature and biodiversity
On nature and biodiversity, the group urged the government to protect Singapore's "remaining natural habitats".
This includes terrestrial habitats such as Clementi forest, and the marine ones.
Aside from our nature reserves and marine spaces like Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, remaining green and blue spaces are not formally protected, and 2,700 hectares of forested land is potentially slated for development, the statement cited.
Another recommendation was to amend existing legislations to protect marine habitats from overfishing and pollution, as well as to safeguard marine biodiversity.
Additionally, the group called to increase the access to data of conservation efforts, such as through making the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process more public to enhance accountability of companies.
Few days ago, over 100 countries at COP26 pledged to "halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation" by 2030. Singapore was not one of them.
Energy
When it comes to energy, the group pointed out Singapore still greatly relies on natural gas for electricity production.
Despite the recent push towards vehicle electrification which is less emissions-intensive than fossil fuels, it still produces "significant emissions from electricity consumption and production of the vehicle, the statement wrote.
Thus, the priority should be for Singapore to transition towards and bolster support for public transport, something which the government has already been aiming to do with its Walk-Cycle-Ride initiative.
Corporate responsibility and financed emissions
The group has also called for a ban on new fossil fuel and habitat destruction-related financing.
It brought up examples of how local banks like DBS, OCBC and UOB made the move to stop financing coal projects, with the former committing its lending and investment portfolios to net zero emissions by 2050.
It urged the government to establish clear directives prohibiting the financing of polluting or environmentally-destructive projects.
Community empowerment and inclusivity
When it comes to stakeholder engagement, the group reiterated the need for the government to engage the community through transparent consultations.
As addressing the climate crisis requires a "whole-of-nation" approach, having a curriculum that educates the younger generations about the environment and climate is necessary as well.
"Our youths and future generations must be equipped and empowered with the knowledge of the world they are growing up into, in order to be relevant, adaptable, and resilient to the climate and environmental challenges Singapore will be facing. Furthermore, climate action for Singapore encompasses a whole-of-nation approach, which means that the success of this approach will hinge on a robust educational effort; our youths cannot care for a crisis they do not understand or know about."
Economy and people
Lastly for the topic of "economy and people", one of the recommendations was to impose more ambitious carbon taxes.
Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong previously revealed that a revised carbon tax will be announced in the next Budget and will kick in in 2024. Currently, it stands at S$5 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions (tCO2e).
However, in order to ensure the viability of the carbon tax policy, the group has called on the government to hold "extensive consultation sessions with the public, including green groups" before the new price is announced.
To protect workers from becoming redundant in sunset fossil fuel industries, a minimum living wage should be implemented as well, the statement wrote.
Meanwhile, the government should invest more in green jobs, which would help workers leaving sunset industries transition.
Grace Fu: Heartened by youths advocating for sustainable action
In response to the public statement, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said that she is heartened by the efforts to champion for sustainable action.
"Their activism and willingness to drive the change they want is important in advancing our sustainability and climate agenda," Fu added.
Fu will be delivering Singapore's National Statement at global climate conference COP26 in a few days' time.
She highlighted that Singapore is determined to play its part in the fight against climate change despite our constraints.
For example, Singapore has committed to reduce methane emissions by at least 30 per cent of the 2020 levels by 2030, and phase out coal power by 2050.
Fu also encourages individuals to act and, in their spheres of influence, encourage others to reduce their carbon footprints.
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Top photo from SG Climate Rally / FB