Joint Opening of Singapore International Water Week and CleanEnviro Summit - Ms Grace Fu

Speech by Ms Grace Fu, Minister of Sustainability and the Environment, at the Joint Opening of Singapore International Water Week and CleanEnviro Summit on 19 June 2024

Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

1 A very good morning, and welcome to the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) and CleanEnviro Summit Singapore (CESG) 2024.

2 I am excited to see so many of us gathered here today.

3 Over the next four days, we will welcome over 20,000 attendees and speakers from around the world to SIWW and CESG.

4 This year’s programme recognises the importance of pursuing development in a resource- and carbon-constrained world, while adapting to the effects of climate change. It brings forth our commitment to finding solutions and seeking out opportunities amid these challenges.

5 At SIWW, we can look forward to a new programme pillar on climate adaptation, specifically around coastal protection and flood management.

6 CESG will bring together thought leaders, government officials and industry captains to catalyse solutions for a sustainable and clean environment.

The reality of climate change

7 As we gather here today, we cannot ignore the grim reality facing our planet. The Earth continues to warm, with 2023 marking the warmest year since records began in 1850. Climate change is manifesting in unprecedented weather events in cities around the world, from the record-breaking rainfall that caused extensive flooding in Dubai in April, to the scorching heatwaves blistering several parts of India recently. These extreme weather events sound a clarion call for large scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate climate change and decisive action to protect us from its effects.

Building a green future amid resource constraints

8 The real impact of climate change reminds us that we must press on with our climate actions to keep our 1.5°C goal within reach. Singapore will do our part.

9 In 2021, we launched the Singapore Green Plan, which charts concrete targets over the next 10 years that will position us to achieve our long-term net zero emissions aspiration by 2050. We are increasing our carbon tax rate and introducing new policies to decarbonise our economy, energy and households.

10 As energy consumption is the main source of carbon emissions in Singapore, we aim to transform the way we use energy, and adopt clean sources of energy to mitigate our emissions.

11 We are maximising solar deployment on rooftops and open spaces, such as reservoirs. In 2021, PUB completed the first large-scale floating solar photovoltaic (FPV) project at Tengeh Reservoir which has a capacity of 60 megawatt-peak (MWp). I am pleased to announce that PUB has launched a tender for its second large-scale FPV project at Pandan Reservoir. The floating solar system at Pandan Reservoir will have a capacity of 55 MWp and when completed in 2028, will generate enough solar energy to power the equivalent of 16,000 four-room HDB flats. The FPV will generate renewable energy to power PUB’s operations while reducing carbon emissions that is equivalent to taking 5,800 cars off the road.

12 For businesses, we have the Energy Efficiency Grant to co-fund investments required to switch to more energy efficient equipment. To further accelerate the net zero transition, JTC, the government agency in charge of our industrial progress, will be launching the Decarbonisation Living Lab @ JID Innovation Call with the support of Enterprise SG today. Under this Innovation Call, businesses in the Jurong Innovation District can tap on up to $4 million of grants to trial and deploy carbon-saving solutions. The development of sustainable technologies will help reduce carbon footprint across the industry, and reinforce JTC’s goal to achieve net zero emissions in its industrial areas. More details will be shared by JTC later today.

13 In our pursuit of sustainable development, we must lower our resource footprint. One way to achieve this is to close our resource loops and pursue better resource recovery. The successful closing of the water loop – where used water is treated and purified to produce NEWater – is a prime example in Singapore.

14 Building on that milestone, we are pursuing our vision of a Zero Waste Nation. We launched the Zero Waste Masterplan in 2019 to set out our goal of closing our waste loops and achieving a circular economy. I am pleased that many households and companies have joined us on our journey towards zero waste.

15 There has been a heartening shift towards “reduce” and “reuse”. Despite steady growth in Singapore’s population and economy, domestic waste generated per capita has dropped by more than 15% over the past decade, while non-domestic waste generated per $ GDP has dropped by 30% over the same period.

16 More households are recycling, with National Environment Agency’s (NEA) survey last year showing that our household recycling participation rate increased from 64% in 2021 to 72% in 2023. However, the overall recycling rate, which includes waste from commercial premises such as factories and construction sites, decreased from 57% in 2022 to 52% in 2023, largely due to the change in the mix of waste, with the amount of construction and demolition waste which is almost completely recycled, dropping significantly last year. Even so, we have observed a decline in overall recycling rates in the past decade due to structural factors. Our local recycling market is small, and we are reliant on offtakes from other countries which are dependent on factors such as freight costs and commodity prices.

17 Despite these challenges, we are enhancing our efforts in recycling our priority waste streams.

18 On food waste, we are completing the development of the Food Waste Treatment Facility at Tuas Nexus.

19 For packaging waste, including plastics, we are implementing the Beverage Container Return Scheme.

20 And we are studying how to extend the Extended Producer Responsibility approach to other types of packaging.

21 We are also actively seeking ways to extract more value out of our waste. Today, the primary mode of waste disposal in Singapore is mass burn incineration. We are exploring new technologies that could generate higher value products from our mixed municipal solid waste, while reducing carbon emissions.

22 NEA will issue a Request for Information (RFI) for alternative disposal technologies. These technologies would involve treating mixed municipal solid waste as feedstock and processing them to generate higher value products with sustainable offtake demands, compared to landfilled incineration ash. NEA will assess the information gathered on industry’s interests and the commercial viability of technologies and where suitable, conduct pilot trials to evaluate the potential of expansion to full-size disposal facilities.

23 I invite industry partners to join us on our zero waste journey, to explore and seek out new recycling pathways and opportunities to close our waste loop.

Towards a sustainable and clean environment

24 Even as we work on these long-term initiatives, we must continue to keep our everyday environment clean. Public hygiene is the cornerstone of a clean and green environment. This is why my Ministry has designated 2024 as the Year of Public Hygiene.

25 The environmental services industry is our critical partner in advancing public hygiene. Faced with a shrinking workforce and higher service demands, we must continue to leverage technology to raise the bar on keeping our environment clean.

26 Last year, NEA facilitated cleaning service company 800 Super, and technology provider Weston Robot, to trial an autonomous cleaning robot to remove flotsam on our waterways. The fully solar-powered autonomous boat, currently deployed at Sungei Seletar, improves productivity by 80 per cent. NEA intends to work with another service provider, Chye Thiam Maintenance, to expand the initiative to two more regions later this year. Do visit the NEA Innovation Pavilion at Level 1 to learn more about the robot, among other NEA innovations.

Adapting to the impacts of climate change

27 Beyond changing our practices and habits to protect the environment, it is also important for us to plan ahead to adapt to the effects of climate change.

28 In Singapore, our third national climate change study (V3) has projected more wet and dry extremes and accelerating increase in mean sea levels. To protect our lives and livelihood, we have undertaken significant efforts to enhance our flood and coastal resilience.

29 We have invested heavily in the construction of canals, drains, and reservoirs to manage stormwater runoff effectively. Where possible, we integrate them into our urban environment so that they can double up into spaces for functional and recreational purposes.

30 We are looking forward to the completion of the Alkaff Lake at the new Bidadari Housing Estate.

31 Alkaff Lake will serve two purposes. During heavy rainfall events, it becomes a stormwater retention pond for flood control, reducing the risks of flash floods to surrounding residential areas. Under sunnier conditions, it turns into a recreational space with features such as terraced wetlands and a cascading creek for residents to enjoy.

32 The nearby Bidadari Underground Service Reservoir will be Singapore’s first to be built on low ground and will be integrated with Bidadari Park to optimise land use. It will help fortify water supply to meet the water demand of present and future Bidadari residents.

33 As a low-lying island susceptible to increasing sea levels, protecting our coastline is also a priority.

34 I will share more about our efforts at the Coastal and Flood Resilience Leaders Summit tomorrow.

Innovate and collaborate for a brighter future

35 I am hopeful that human ingenuity, which has enabled us to confront global challenges throughout history such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic, will be the key to us weathering the looming challenges of climate change and resource scarcity. Innovation drives the development of novel technology, which often has the potential for widespread scalability, allowing solutions to reach and impact large populations across the globe and in some cases, even save lives.

36 Today, I would like to honour Professor Gertjan Medema from the KWR Water Research Institute for his significant contributions in the field of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). His innovation enabled the use of wastewater surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic which played a key role in fighting the spread of the virus in many countries. This includes Singapore, where we have recently expanded the use of wastewater surveillance to detect the presence of Zika virus. Professor Medema is the recipient of this year’s Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, and will be giving the “Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2024” public lecture later today.

37 Innovation is most powerful when coupled with collaboration.

38 I am pleased to launch the Singapore Water Center today, a partnership between Singapore and the World Bank.

39 Established within the World Bank Group’s Singapore Office, the Centre will serve as a knowledge hub of Singapore’s experience in water management, ranging from water policies to technological and innovative practices for the water sector.

40 We hope that the Centre will also be a valuable source of thought leadership in urban water management for the region and beyond.

41 The Singapore Water Center exemplifies the spirit of what we aim to achieve here at the SIWW and CESG, which is to build partnerships and provide platforms for collaboration to advance a global agenda.

Conclusion

42 Ladies and gentlemen, international events such as SIWW and CESG are crucial for bringing together thought leaders, experts and practitioners from governments, academia, and industry to exchange ideas and co-create solutions. I wish everyone a productive Summit ahead, one where you will gain new insights and forge new partnerships. Thank you.