MSE Committee of Supply 2023


During the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE)'s Committee of Supply debates on 2 March 2023, Minister Grace Fu, Senior Ministers of State Dr Amy Khor and Dr Koh Poh Koon, and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng shared the Ministry's key initiatives as the Government continues building Singapore into a green, liveable, and climate-resilient home for all.

Two years ago, the Singapore Green Plan 2030 was launched, charting bold and concrete policies and actions for Singapore to achieve our net zero emissions goal. This year, we are pressing ahead in our implementation efforts for Singapore's green transition.

2023 Announcements

Public Sector leading the way in environmental sustainability

The public sector has committed to achieve net zero emissions around 2045, five years ahead of our national target

  • Annual GreenGov.SG report on Government's efforts, progress and plans (from 2023)
  • Statutory Boards to publish annual environmental sustainability disclosures on their efforts, progress and plans (from 2024)
  • Up to 5% of evaluation points to be set aside for environmental sustainability for large Government construction and ICT tenders (starting in 2024)

Supporting our Households & Companies to be more energy efficient

  • Helping households make more informed decisions
    • Energy labels will be introduced for portable air-conditioners and more lamp types
    • Energy standards for appliances will be raised over the next two years
  • Extension and expansion of the Climate Friendly Households Programme.
  • Enhancement of Energy Efficiency Fund (E2F) to provide manufacturing SMEs more certainty when investing in energy efficient technologies and with a simpler grant application process
  • Tunneling works for Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) Phase 2 Project expected to be completed (by 2H2023)
  • Redevelopment of Kranji Water Reclamation Plant and Kranji NEWater Factory to increase treatment capacities and NEWater production
  • Introduction of mandatory water recycling requirements on new projects in wafer fabrication, electronics and biomedical industries (from 1 January 2024)

Reducing packaging waste, recycling better

  • Larger supermarket operators to charge at least 5 cents per disposable carrier bag to encourage consumers to reduce the use of disposables (from 3 July 2023)
  • Beverage container return scheme to boost recycling of used plastic bottles and metal cans
  • Bloobox distribution to encourage households to recycle right

New & upgraded hawker centres

  • Two new hawker centres – Buangkok and Woodleigh Village (in 2023)
  • A refreshed hawker centre – Jurong West (in 2023)

Raising hawkers' productivity

  • Expansion of Hawkers' Productivity Grant from $5,000 to $7,000 to cover stall-level digital solutions (extended to FY2025)
  • Enhancement of Productive Hawker Centres Programme to cover co-funding for Cleaning Process Automation solutions (extended to FY2028)

Sustaining the hawker trade

  • Enhancement of ongoing programmes such as Hawkers' Development Programme
  • New Coastal Protection and Flood Management Research Programme to support development of innovative coastal protection and flood management solutions
  • Ongoing site specific studies will cover half of Singapore's coastline when new study at North-west coast (Lim Chu Kang) and Sungei Kadut area) commences in second half of 2023
  • Ongoing drainage improvement works at 25 locations to enhance flood resilience

Diversifying our food import sources

  • Increased our food supply sources from 172 countries and regions in 2019 to 183 in 2022

Growing local

  • Launch first land tender for wider range of food types (e.g. fruited vegetables and mushrooms) in 2H2023
  • Continue efforts to transform the Lim Chu Kang region through masterplanning

Developing a skilled agri-food workforce

  • New ITE Work-Study Diploma in Agriculture and Aquaculture Technology to nurture pipeline of talent for industry (from April 2023)

New Alliance for Action (AfA)

  • Explore solutions to raise demand for local produce

A more productive & sustainable aquaculture sector

  • SFA's Marine Aquaculture Centre as the anchor research campus of Aquapolis for aquaculture research and innovation
  • Pre-planning study on integrating future research facilities with aquaculture infrastructure

Leveraging Science, Data & Technology to enhance food safety

  • Development of Whole Genome Sequencing analytics to better identify causes of foodborne diseases

Green Action for Communities (GAC)

  • Galvanise community participation to develop action plans for sustainability initiatives
  • 700 GAC group members engaged through workshops and deep dives
  • More deep dives to be rolled out over the next few months

SG Eco Fund

  • Supported over 180 ground-up community projects on sustainability