Page 6 - Shaping A Sustainable Future

Foreword

In December 2015, the world’s February 2021, Singapore announced an enhanced
nations, including Singapore, 2030 Nationally NDC and a Long-Term Low-Emissions
united under the Paris Agreement Development Strategy (LEDS), which, together, set
in a pledge to safeguard our global out realistic but challenging climate security goals for
climate system. Singapore.

As of January 2021, 190 members Also in February of 2021, Singapore’s parliament
of the United Nations Framework acknowledged that climate change is a global emergency
Convention on Climate Change and a threat to humankind. The government, in
Prof Jeff Obbard (UNFCCC) were party to the partnership with the private sector, civil society and
agreement, with the United States the people of Singapore aims to deepen and accelerate
re-joining in February 2021. The goal of the agreement efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change by
is to keep the increase in global average temperature embracing sustainability in a ‘whole-of-nation’ approach.
to well below 2°C above preindustrial levels and to A clear long-term climate strategy for Singapore will
pursue efforts to limit the rise to no more than 1.5°C, facilitate a transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient
recognising that this would substantially reduce the risks future and allow the nation to seek new economic
and impacts of climate change. Nationally Determined opportunities in a thriving green economy under the
Contributions, or NDCs, represent national plans for Singapore 2030 Green Plan.
climate action.
In response to Singapore’s renewed climate ambitions,
The 2018 Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C the National Youth Achievement Award Council (NYAA),
(SR15) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate under the leadership of its Executive Director, Mr James
Change (IPCC) highlighted the importance of achieving Soh envisioned a project to engage students at the
the temperature targets of the Paris Agreement and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) to cut the carbon
set a timeframe to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions of the small and medium-sized enterprise
(CO ) emissions. The key finding of SR1.5 was that (SME) companies in Singapore. It was a privilege for
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while achieving the 1.5°C targets is still possible, and me as NYAA’s Climate Change Advisor to work closely
it will require “deep emission reductions and rapid, with the ITE to train staff and students to conduct
farreaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of environmental reviews at 15 SME companies in
society”. Under the agreement, global net emissions of Singapore to reduce carbon emissions and enhance their
CO need to fall by 45% from 2010 levels by 2030 and sustainability. With the generous support and funding
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each ‘net-zero’ by 2050. The urgent need to cut carbon of HSBC, the project became possible. The SMEs that
emissions has been underlined with the release of the participated in the project represent a Cross-section of
IPCC AR6 Working Group I report in August 2021, which Singapore’s economy, including industrial component
warned that climate change is now “widespread, rapid manufacturing and service companies, landscape
and intensifying.” practices, and childcare facilities.

As an island-state nation with limited natural resources, The outcome of the project has been truly remarkable!
Singapore is highly vulnerable to climate change. In Without exception, all environmental reviews resulted

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