CLIMATE CHANGE LEGISLATION IN SINGAPORE AN EXCERPT FROM The 2015 Global Climate Legislation Study A Review of Climate Change Legislation in 99 Countries Michal Nachmany, Sam Fankhauser, Jana Davidová, Nick Kingsmill, Tucker Landesman, Hitomi Roppongi, Philip Schleifer, Joana Setzer, Amelia Sharman, C. Stolle Singleton, Jayaraj Sundaresan and Terry Townshend www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/legislation/ Climate Change Legislation – Singapore Singapore Legislative Process Singapore’s constitution took effect in August 1965 and is the supreme law. The country is a unitary multiparty parliamentary republic, with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government representing constituencies. General elections must be conducted within five years of the first sitting of parliament; however, since the legislative assembly election in 1959 the government has always been formed by the People’s Action Party, either outright, or with an overwhelming majority. A President is elected by popular vote every six years and is largely ceremonial (although has veto powers over certain executive decisions). Together with the President, a Prime Minister-led cabinet forms the executive branch of the government. The parliament is made up of elected MPs, non-constituency MPs (the best performing losers of the general election), and nominated MPs (appointed by the President). As a result of the 2011 general election, there are presently 87 elected MPs, three non-constituency MPs and nine nominated MPs. The next general election must be held by 8 January 2017. The parliament, together with the President, constitutes the legislative branch of government. Bills are usually introduced by a minister on behalf of the government, but any MP may introduce a bill (known as a Private Member’s Bill). Bills go through three readings, with debate and voting on the bill occurring at the second reading. After the second reading, bills progress either to a Committee of the Whole Parliament or to a Select Committee for detailed examination, debate and amendments. Bills are passed after their third reading in parliament, and in most cases, are then scrutinised by the Presidential Council for Minority Rights. If approved by this council, the bill is then assented to by the President before being published in the Government Gazette to become a law. Other government policies such as strategies and blueprints are produced by various relevant government departments, committees and agencies. These policies either act as executive government policy, or provide implementation guidance for legislative acts. Approach to Climate Change Singapore ratified the UNFCCC in 1997, the Kyoto Protocol (as a non-Annex I country) in 2006, and the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol in September 2014. It submitted its first communication to the UNFCCC in 2000, its second communication in 2010, and its third national communication and first biennial update report in December 2014. In 2009, it pledged to reduce its emissions by 16% from the 2020 business-as-usual (BAU) level if there is a legally binding global agreement in which all countries implement their commitments in good faith. Ahead of this, Singapore has embarked on policies and measures that should reduce its emissions by 7% to 11% below 2020 BAU levels. In 2007, an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change (IMCCC) was set up to oversee inter- agency co-ordination on climate change. The IMCCC is supported by an executive committee, which oversees a Long-Term Emissions and Mitigation working group, an International Negotiations working group, and a Resilience working group. The working groups are made up of relevant permanent secretaries and chief executives of ministries and national agencies. In July 2010 the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) was established as a dedicated unit under the Prime Minister’s Office to develop and provide co-ordination for climate change-related policies (both domestic and international). In 2012, the NCCS published a National Climate Change Strategy, which outlines Singapore’s plans to address climate change through a whole-of-nation approach and which replaced a previous version published in 2008. 2 Climate Change Legislation – Singapore The Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR), established in 1972 also plays an active role in climate change legislation and policy. The National Environment Agency is a statutory board operating under the MEWR and is responsible for co-ordinating national communications to the UNFCCC. It also leads various other energy and climate change measures, such as initiatives in conjunction with the Energy Market Authority, leading the Energy Efficiency Programme Office and co-ordinating the Clean Development Mechanism. The first version of the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint was published by MEWR and the Ministry of National Development in 2009, as a national framework that outlined strategies for sustainable development. The blueprint included targets related to Singapore’s GHG emissions, such as energy efficiency and the promotion of public transport. A review process for the blueprint, involving public consultation, was conducted and a second edition, the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint 2015, was published in November 2014. The key expected climate change impacts for Singapore are sea level rise (most of the country is only 15m above mean sea level, with approximately 30% less than 5m above mean sea level) and water supply and security (both in terms of drought and flash flooding). Other identified impacts include biodiversity and greenery, effects on public health (such as increases in vector-borne diseases e.g. dengue fever, which is endemic), an increase in the urban heat island effect (leading to knock-on increases in energy demand for services such as air conditioning), and vulnerability in terms of global food supply (as Singapore imports more than 90% of its food). The country is also focusing on developing its R&D capacity in the field of climate science. The Centre for Climate Research Singapore was established by Meteorological Service Singapore in 2013 to enhance in- house capacity in climate science and modelling in Singapore and the wider Southeast Asia region. Singapore, as a member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is party to the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint 2009-2015. Within this blueprint, enhanced regional co- operation on the topic of climate change is promoted, including specific actions such as encouraging efforts to develop an ASEAN Climate Change Initiative (ACCI) and developing regional strategies to enhance capacity for adaptation, low carbon economy, and promote public awareness to address effects of climate change. NGOs such as the independent Singapore Environment Council and WWF also operate, with the former running an annual Schools’ Green Audit Award to encourage children to cut down on energy and water usage, and to reduce waste and recycle. Energy supply Singapore is largely dependent on energy imports, importing all its crude oil and natural gas. In 2013, 160 mtoe of energy products were imported, with primary energy consumption approximately 16.4 mtoe. Gas makes up approximately 75% of primary energy consumption and fuels approximately 92% of electric power generation. A further 12% of the country’s energy consumption is diesel, with the remainder predominantly fuel oil. In 2013, Singapore opened a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, enabling it to diversify its natural gas imports from countries other than Malaysia and Indonesia, and to support trading. The terminal can presently accommodate a throughput of 6m tonnes per annum (Mtpa) and store up to 540,000m³. Plans for the terminal’s Phase 3 expansion were announced in 2014. These will add additional storage of 260,000m³ and raise throughput to around 11 Mtpa. Despite challenges such as the country’s small size and dense urban landscape, Singapore is also developing its solar photovoltaic (PV) technology capability, which will help facilitate the deployment of solar power on a larger scale. As of the third quarter of 2014, it had an installed capacity for its grid-connected solar PV systems of 24MW peak, up from 0.4MW peak in 2008. The country is also home to a large solar production facility owned by REC Solar ASA, which produced 722MW of solar panels in 2012. The Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore was established in 2008 at the National University of Singapore. The country does not have any mandated renewable 3 Climate Change Legislation – Singapore energy targets, although there has been some discussion of targets, including a report of the government’s Economic Strategies Committee in 2010 which recommended that the country should aim to have 5% of peak energy demand supplied from renewable energy sources by 2020. Through projects such as the SolarNova programme (led by the Economic Development Board), Singapore plans to raise the adoption of solar power to 350 MW peak by 2020, about 5% of 2020 peak electricity demand. Energy demand Energy consumption is increasing in Singapore, with electricity sales growing at 1.6% between 2012 and 2013. Industrial electricity consumption grew at 1.4%, commerce and services grew by 2.9% and the household sector by 1.9%. Energy efficiency is critical for Singapore, particularly given its small size (707.18km2) and the fact that it is highly urbanised. Singapore established an Energy Efficiency Programme Office (E2PO) in 2007 to promote and facilitate the