E. Building A Sustainable City

101. Our Singapore Story is one of sustained investment and continuous improvement. Over time, we have transformed our living environment into a thriving metropolis and a beautiful home.
102. There’s still much more to do in the years ahead. We will:
1. a. Upgrade our homes and estates;
2. b. Refresh and rejuvenate our landscape and infrastructure; and
3. c. Importantly, prepare for a future of rising global temperatures.
103. Addressing the climate crisis requires strong international collaboration and collective action.
1. a. Unfortunately, momentum on global climate efforts has slowed.
2. b. This will make it harder for all of us to tackle climate change.
3. c. Despite these challenges, we remain resolute in our commitment to decarbonisation.
104. We will work with international partners and do our part to sustain efforts and drive meaningful progress.
1. a. Just a week ago, we submitted our new climate target to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
2. b. We have committed to reducing our emissions to between 45 to 50 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2035.
3. c. This will bring us one step closer to realising our longer-term aim of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

Greening and Enhancing our Transport Sector

105. I shared earlier about our plans to access more sources of clean power. That will be critical for us to achieve net zero.
106. Beyond energy, we will also accelerate efforts to decarbonise our transport sector, which accounts for about 15% of our total emissions today.
1. a. Our aim is to have 100% cleaner energy vehicles by 2040, and we are making good progress towards this target.
2. b. Last year, around a third of all new cars registered were Electric Vehicles (or EVs) and almost half were hybrid vehicles.
3. c. But adoption of clean energy variants of heavy vehicles has been slower, due to limited model availability, higher upfront costs, and less accessible charging infrastructure.
4. d. To accelerate the adoption of clean heavy vehicles, we will introduce a new Heavy Vehicle Zero Emissions Scheme and an Electric Heavy Vehicle Charger Grant. These schemes will provide incentives for the purchase of a heavy vehicle, and co-funding of the charging infrastructure.
5. e. The Minister for Transport will share more at COS.
107. Currently, drivers of internal combustion engine vehicles pay fuel excise duties. These duties contribute to revenue, and also serve as a form of usage charge.
1. a. EVs, while much less pollutive, should not be exempted from usage charges. We are still considering how to design a usage-charge mechanism for cleaner energy vehicles. In the interim, we have introduced the Additional Flat Component (or AFC) of road tax, for cars and electric light goods vehicles.
2. b. We will now introduce the AFC for electric heavy goods vehicles and buses.
3. c. The AFC will be set at $250 per year for electric heavy goods vehicles, and $190 and $550 per year for electric minibuses and large buses respectively. It will be phased in over three years starting from January 2026, and will be implemented in full by January 2028.
108. Alongside electrification, increasing the use of mass public transport is central to reducing emissions, and our vision of a more connected and car-lite Singapore.
1. a. Our target is for eight in 10 households to be within a 10-minute walk from a train station.
2. b. We are investing over $60 billion in this decade to expand and renew our rail network, which forms the backbone of our public transport system.
3. c. Singaporeans can look forward to the new Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line, as well as the extensions of the Thomson-East Coast Line, Downtown Line, and the Circle Line. We will continue to study how our rail network can be expanded.
4. d. And we are also investing close to an additional $1 billion to increase and enhance our bus services under the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme.

Securing a Climate-Resilient Future

109. As we do our part to reduce emissions in Singapore, we also have to assume the worst, and take steps to protect ourselves against climate risks.
1. a. If the world continues on a fossil fuel-based development trajectory over the coming years, global temperatures will keep rising, and that means we can expect a mean sea level rise of over one metre by 2100.
2. b. Coupled with high tides and storm surges, the impact will be significant, well above one metre, and that means that around one-third of Singapore will be vulnerable to coastal flooding.
3. c. We are therefore developing and implementing plans to better protect our island.
110. We will employ a range of solutions to do so. These range from static structures like sea walls, to more specialised measures like barrages and tidal gates, as well as reclamation to create more land.
1. a. In the southeastern part of Singapore, we earlier announced plans to reclaim land to develop “Long Island”. Besides raising the ground level above rising sea levels, this will create additional space for homes, as well as new waterfront parks for outdoor recreation.
2. b. In addition, PUB will complete site-specific studies for the Greater Southern Waterfront and Changi this year; studies for Jurong Island and the Northwest Coast are also underway. And step by step, we will complete the plans for coastal protection around the entire island.
111. The actual implementation of measures could stretch over two decades or longer, starting from the 2030s onwards. But it would be prudent to set aside funds now to ensure we can proceed with these major investments, which will benefit current and future generations. So I will top up the Coastal and Flood Protection Fund by $5 billion.

Embracing Sustainability as a Lifestyle

112. The Government is taking steps to green our energy and transport sectors, and to protect our island from climate risks. Singaporeans too, have a part to play in this. Sustainability is everyone’s responsibility. Individuals have the power to drive change through their choices and behaviour.
113. To fully realise our green future, we will need to make lifestyle adjustments and adopt sustainable habits in our daily lives. Every individual action counts.
1. a. Last year, we enhanced the Climate Friendly Households Programme by extending it to all HDB households, and increased the vouchers quantum to $300 and expanded its use to a broader range of energy- and water-efficient products.
2. b. We will further enhance the programme by providing an additional $100 worth of Climate Vouchers to HDB households.
3. c. We will also extend the Climate Vouchers to all Singapore Citizen households living in private properties.
4. d. I encourage all households to make the switch to more resource-efficient products if you have not done so already.
114. We have come a long way in building today’s Singapore. But our journey is far from over. Our next decade will be pivotal, as we accelerate efforts to decarbonise our economy, and enhance the climate resilience of our built environment. We have clear plans to do so. And as long as this Government is in charge, we are committed to delivering them. We will ensure that our island nation survives even as the oceans rise and we will build a better and greener future for all.