Speech at Urban Land Institute Singapore Annual Conference 2021 by Dr Amy Khor

Speech by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, at the Urban Land Institute Singapore Annual Conference 2021, on 3 March 2021

Ladies and Gentlemen

1. Good afternoon. I am glad to join all of you virtually at the Urban Land Institute Singapore Annual Conference 2021. This year’s conference theme “The New Reality” is an apt one, as countries around the world adapt to living with the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. The disruptions brought about by the pandemic have been far-reaching, and have severely impacted the way we live, work, and play. This has led many to re-examine the status quo and explore new approaches to how we go about our daily lives and, by extension, how we plan and use our spaces. The pandemic has also catalysed a greater sense of urgency for climate action, and how we can build back better, stronger and in a more sustainable manner. This includes remaking and reinventing our city to be future-ready, and planning for long-term sustainability.

3. Sustainability has always been a part of Singapore’s development journey. Since our independence, we have sought to balance economic growth with environmental protection and social inclusion. For instance, as early as 1967, we envisioned a “Garden City” and took steps to make this a reality with our land use planning. As we face the evolving challenges posed by climate change, such as increased frequency of extreme weather events, and potential disruptions to critical resources like water and food, we must continue to adapt our living environment to ensure climate, resource and economic resilience.

Optimising land use to meet the challenges of climate change

4. The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, together with our statutory boards, has embarked on several initiatives on these fronts. Let me share a few examples of how we have been optimising our limited land space to enhance Singapore’s water and food security.

5. Singapore currently imports more than 90 per cent of our food supply, which makes us vulnerable to disruptions in global supply chains. As part of our strategies to safeguard Singapore’s food security, we had announced in 2019 that we would ramp up local production of food. By 2030, we aim to meet 30 per cent of our nutritional needs with locally produced food — up from less than 10 per cent today. However, given Singapore’s land scarcity and many competing needs, only about 1 per cent of our land is set aside for agriculture use. This makes it necessary for us to explore innovative ways to optimise and intensify our agriculture land to grow more with less. This includes building indoor vertical farms that require less land space compared to traditional open air farms, are unaffected by external weather conditions, and have the ability to optimise indoor climate conditions for crop growth.

6. We are currently embarking on an exercise to master plan the Lim Chu Kang area into a high-tech, highly productive and resource-efficient agri-food cluster. The master plan will cover about 390 hectares of land, and will be undertaken in consultation with stakeholders. We envision that the redeveloped Lim Chu Kang agri-food cluster will produce more than three times its current food production. We also continue to identify alternative spaces for growing local produce. In September last year, the Singapore Food Agency awarded tenders for urban farming at nine carpark rooftops. Successful proposals include technology-enabled vertical farming systems, and have the potential to collectively produce around 1,600 tonnes of vegetables annually. Another example of repurposing urban space, is the former Henderson Secondary School, which now houses a plot-share urban farm.

7. Tuas Nexus, which is the integration of the Tuas Water Reclamation Plant (or Tuas WRP) and the Integrated Waste Management Facility (or IWMF) is another example. Integrating both facilities has resulted in land savings of up to 2.6 hectares – about the size of four football fields – as compared to building the two as standalone facilities. The synergies from the integration will also enable the Tuas Nexus to be energy self-sufficient, with expected carbon savings of more than 200,000 tonnes carbon dioxide annually, equivalent to taking 42,500 cars off our roads.

The Singapore Green Plan 2030

8. These projects are significant milestones in our sustainability journey. However, it will take a whole-of-nation endeavour to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Last month, the Government launched a national movement to advance the sustainability agenda in Singapore. The Singapore Green Plan 2030 builds on what we have achieved in the preceding decades, and sets ambitious and concrete sectoral targets for the next 10 years. These will strengthen Singapore’s commitments under the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and Paris Agreement, and position us to achieve our long-term net-zero emissions aspiration as soon as viable. The Green Plan will also ensure that sustainability remains at the forefront of Singapore’s development, and become an integral part of our lives.

9. Let me share some of the key targets and strategies under the Green Plan that will enhance our built environment and promote sustainable living.

10. Under the Green Plan, we will intensify our push to make commutes greener. Public transport remains the greenest way to travel, and we will expand our rail network to 360km by the early 2030s. To encourage walking and cycling, we are tripling our cycling path network to 1,320km by 2030, and repurposing road spaces for active mobility. Our vision is for all vehicles to run on cleaner energy by 2040, so we will require all newly registered cars to be of cleaner-energy models from 2030. To support the growth of electric vehicles (EVs), we will work to expand our nationwide EVs charging network to 60,000 points. We will require the strong support of developers and premises owners for this.

11. To green the places where we work and live, and pave the way for a low-carbon built environment, we will raise the sustainability standards of our buildings through the Singapore Green Building Masterplan. This includes reviewing the Green Mark certification scheme, and pushing for the adoption of Super-Low Energy Buildings. We aim to green 80 per cent of Singapore’s buildings by 2030.

12. In our towns, we have installed solar panels on the rooftop of HDB housing blocks. We will also have in place energy-efficient infrastructure, such as a centralised cooling system in the upcoming Tengah town. Moving forward, we are looking to double the total solar capacity on HDB block rooftops to 540 Megawatt peak by 2030. We will roll out smart water meters, smart LED lighting, and pilot the effectiveness of “Cool Paint” in reducing ambient temperatures. Top decks of suitable multi-storey carparks will also be turned into urban farms and community gardens with extensive greenery, to increase green cover and enhance liveability. These initiatives will complement efforts to transform our towns into Eco Towns.

13. Green spaces where we can play and relax in are crucial for our well-being, especially so for a highly urbanised place like Singapore. By 2030, we want to have every household within a 10-minute walk from a park. We will provide more recreational options by adding 200 hectares of nature parks and 160 kilometres of park connectors so that all these are easily accessible.

14. We also see green finance as an important enabler. As an international financial centre, Singapore can catalyse the flow of capital towards sustainable development, to support the transition to a low-carbon global economy. To deepen the market liquidity for green financing products, the Government has recently announced plans to issue green bonds of up to $19 billion to fund infrastructure projects, such as the Tuas Nexus.

Conclusion

15. Let me conclude. These plans to enhance our built environment are a key aspect of Singapore’s sustainable development journey. But for Singapore to truly thrive as a city that is green and vibrant, we will need everyone to play their part — businesses, civil society, and individuals.

16. Being sustainable is about building something that will provide lasting value to stakeholders, and for our future generations. Increasing public awareness of environmental issues and trade-offs has driven a shift in expectations and behaviours. Investors and consumers today are increasingly demanding business models, products and services that are sustainable and resilient to the future effects of climate change — in other words, doing good for the environment is also good for business. I encourage all of you to make a conscious effort to incorporate sustainability in your respective fields of work. Every sustainable action and decision we make today will go a long way towards preserving our planet and leaving a legacy for our future generations.

17. Thank you, and I wish you a fruitful conference.