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Energy consumption is the main cause of carbon emissions in Singapore. We aim to transform the way we use energy, and adopt clean sources of energy to mitigate our emissions.
Our Key Targets
On October 2022, Singapore announced that it would raise its national climate target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 as part of our Long-Term Low-Emissions Development Strategy. We will also reduce emissions to around 60 million tons of CO2 equivalent (MtCO2e) in 2030 after peaking emissions earlier.
Our Main Plans
Transformation Across All Sectors
To mitigate climate change, we need to transform the way we use energy. We are pushing for our industries to be among the best-in-class globally in terms of energy efficiency, developing super low energy buildings, promoting the use of public transport and encouraging households to conserve energy.
We are also developing ways for the transport and industry sectors to competitively transit away from fossil fuels. We plan to have all vehicles running on cleaner energy by 2040, and are funding research to develop decarbonisation technologies in partnership with industry.
Four Supply Switches
Harnessing the four supply switches of natural gas, solar, regional power grids, and low-carbon alternatives, together with more efficient use of energy, will allow us to overcome our energy challenges and achieve energy supply that is sustainable, affordable, and reliable.
Improving Energy Efficiency
The Issue
Energy is essential for our day-to-day living and powers our economy. Our energy consumption has risen as our nation develops and population grows. We must ensure that this precious resource is used wisely, to strengthen energy security and reduce our environmental impact.
Improving energy efficiency may not require drastic changes in lifestyle. It can be achieved by using energy in a smarter way. This not only reduces carbon emissions, but also helps us save on our utility bills.
Our Efforts
Households
Major energy consuming household appliances must carry an energy efficiency label to allow consumers to make informed purchases. These appliances must also meet minimum energy performance standards before they can be sold in Singapore. In 2020, we launched the Climate-Friendly Household Programme to assist 1-room to 3-room HDB households to switch to more resource-efficient appliances.
Industries
The Energy Efficiency National Partnership offers resources and learning activities to help companies improve energy efficiency, and recognises those that have performed well.
Public Sector
The public sector is taking the lead in improving energy efficiency. We have set targets for energy efficiency, and retrofitted buildings to achieve Green Mark standards. We are also greening our procurement process by purchasing energy efficient lighting, appliances and ICT equipment, as well as asking for guaranteed energy savings when contracting for retrofits of chilled-water systems.
Four Supply Switches
The Issue
The use of fossil fuels to power Singapore results in carbon emissions. Clean energy sources can help us meet our energy needs while minimising our environmental impact.
The Challenge
Singapore is an ‘alternative energy-disadvantaged’ country, as recognised under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Our small land area, location and other physical attributes make it hard for us to adopt alternative energy sources such as hydroelectricity, wind energy and geothermal energy. Solar power is the most viable option, and we have increased our use of solar energy in recent years. Nonetheless, it is limited by factors such as space constraints, cloud cover and humidity.
Our Efforts
Our goal is to build a sustainable future energy mix by harnessing the four supply switches of natural gas, solar, regional power grids, and emerging low-carbon alternatives.
We have set a target to deploy at least 2 GWp of solar by 2030. This will meet around 10% of peak daily electricity demand today, enough to power around 350,000 households in Singapore. We are pursuing innovative approaches to solar deployment to overcome our space constraints, such as deploying floating solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on our reservoirs and offshore waters. This includes Singapore’s first large-scale floating solar PV system of 60 MWp at Tengeh Reservoir, which will be one of the world’s largest upon completion in 2021. It will generate enough energy to meet the daily needs of Singapore’s waterworks.
To enable longer-term decarbonisation, we are exploring the use of emerging low-carbon solutions. These include carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) and low-carbon hydrogen.