In his 2021 Budget statement, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat outlined the Singapore Green Plan, a national movement and whole-of-society effort to build a sustainable Singapore for all generations.
For more information on Singapore Green Plan 2030, click here.
Harnessing technology
Technology opens new possibilities and will help us overcome climate change:
- Urban Solutions and Sustainability
Investing in research will help us build a more sustainable and livable environment. For instance, the development of an Integrated Environmental Modeller helps urban planners maximise thermal comfort for residents. - Agri-Food Cluster Transformation Fund
$60 million has been set aside to further support tech adoption in the agri-food sector.
Changing the future of transport
Emissions can be reduced by going car-lite, as well as by switching to cleaner-energy vehicles.
- Electric vehicle (EV)-related initiatives
$30 million will be set aside over five years for initiatives such as developing charging infrastructure. The Government aims to deploy 60,000 charging points at public carparks and private premises by 2030. - To encourage the adoption of electric cars
The Government will narrow the cost difference between EVs and internal combustion engine cars, e.g. lowering the Additional Registration Fee floor to zero from Jan 2022 to Dec 2023,and revising the road tax treatment for electric cars. - To discourage the use of internal combustion engine vehicles
Petrol duty rates will be raised by 15 cents per litre for premium petrol and 10 cents per litre for intermediate petrol.
To offset the petrol duty increase:
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Green financing
Green finance is an important enabler for sustainability efforts. The Government will issue green bonds on selected public infrastructure projects to catalyse the flow of capital towards sustainable development in Singapore and Asia.
Up to $19 billion of public sector green projects have been identified to be financed with green bonds as a start.
One such project is Tuas Nexus, which integrates waste and water treatment facilities, and maximises energy and resource recovery in the solid waste and used water treatment processes.
A whole-of-society effort
The public sector will take the lead in the Environmental Sustainability Initiatives. This includes reducing electricity and water consumption, achieving the Green Mark standard for buildings and committing to goals under the “GreenGov.SG” initiative.
Businesses and households are encouraged to also play their part.
The Government will:
- Launch the Enterprise Sustainability Programme to help enterprises, especially SMEs to use resources more efficiently and develop new green products and solutions
- Partner Singaporeans and support ground-up projects which aim to build a more sustainable future
