Mindsets and consumption habits need to change as Singapore moves to tackle climate change, said Workers’ Party Non-Constituency MP Dennis Tan, as he urged the Government to set a “bold green agenda”.
To encourage “buy-in” to this mission, public education efforts should be ramped up, said Mr Tan, who was responding in Parliament to measures in the Budget statement on tackling climate change. He suggested that the National Climate Change Secretariat work with research agencies to translate and make the latest research on climate change accessible to Singaporeans.
Singapore’s efforts, announced when Budget 2020 was unveiled, include phasing out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040, expanding charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) and setting up a new coastal and flood protection fund to protect Singapore from rising sea levels.
While welcoming these measures, Mr Tan also said phasing out vehicles with internal combustion engines will increase demand on Singapore’s power grid, suggesting that “battery swop stations” be set up.
These are stations where cars can exchange batteries for freshly charged ones quickly with the benefit of helping to manage demands on the power grid.
Mr Tan also asked if the ban on petrol and diesel vehicles will extend to foreign vehicles that enter Singapore.
Other MPs such as Mr Ang Wei Neng (Jurong GRC) and Nominated MP Mohamed Irshad urged the Government not to shut the door on other alternatives such as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, even as adoption of electric vehicles is being encouraged.
Meanwhile, Ms Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC) suggested that the Government study whether climate-friendly infrastructure can be installed in housing estates.
Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) pointed to the realities of rising sea levels, noting that research-quality data points at Tanjong Pagar, Raffles Lighthouse, Sultan Shoal and Sembawang show that average sea levels have risen from 1984 to 2011.
Read more here.
Source: The Straits Times, 28 February 2020