Photo by Juliana Kozoski on Unsplash
On 29th November, the United Arab Emirates kickstarted the Conference of the Parties 28 (COP28), a momentous occasion in the world’s battle against Climate Change. The conference spans across 2 weeks, and is expected to be a “stocktake” for countries to showcase the progress they have made since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015. Over the course of 2 weeks, much was discussed in the conference, with one of main goals phasing out the use of Carbon Dioxide emitting coal, oil and gas and the establishment of a disaster fund. Now, this essay seeks to discuss what Singapore has done so far at the COP28, as it seeks to make its presence felt.
For one, in terms of the delegation Singapore is sending, it is making a bold statement by sending a youth delegation along with the ministers and members of parliament. Such a move made great sense, and it is important for Singaporean youths to be empowered to take ownership of our country’s push for climate change and take charge of our future. Climate change will likely be a more severe problem in the future, and it is important for Singaporean youths to be aware of the problems that the world faces, and be a part of discussing future solutions. This was part of the 6-month youth climate development programme, which is something extremely beneficial for Singapore’s youths, who need to be increasingly aware of the obstacles ahead for Singapore. Engaging the youths is also important since they are the ones who can push for innovation and also make their views known on social media to spread awareness about the mitigation measures that Singaporeans can take against climate change. Hence, the inclusion of youths into Singapore’s delegation was a great move by Singapore.
Next, the Singapore Pavillion was launched at COP28, and it greatly reflects the contributions and commitments Singapore have made towards resolving climate change. One measure by Singapore highlighted in the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) managing director, Ravi Menon’s keynote speech to launch the pavilion, was the Transition Credits. These credits are a form of carbon credits that can help owners of coal-fired power plants shift to harnessing renewable energy. Singapore, being known for an honest broker, and a relatively transparent country, will add to the credibility of these credits. The credits, similar to carbon credits and emission trading schemes, will incentivise and provide the funding for firms to push for renewable energy or lower-emission production methods. Though, integrity in the system will be extremely important, considering how there could be doubt on whether the coal-fired power plants are actually shut down, and another concern is probably the use of the funds, and how they can use it to “transition” to decarbonisation. Hence, these credits must adhere to core carbon principles and also it must be transparent to ensure its effectiveness.
More importantly, Singapore is taking advantage of this conference to cooperate with other countries, both within and outside the region, to research better methods to combat climate change. Singapore signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with Rwanda and Papua New Guinea, to collaborate on solutions for carbon markets and also low-carbon solutions. With climate change being a global issue, it is key for Singapore to seek regional and global partnerships to combat climate change. In Southeast Asia, Singapore is looking to import low-carbon electricity from neighbouring countries like Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam in a bid to fulfil an ASEAN Power Grid vision. In Asia, Singapore, as part of the Financing Asia Transition Partnership, will craft partnerships between public and private sector stakeholders to finance transition and back certain “green” projects. In the Singapore pavilion, its showcase of the 2030 Singapore Green Plan, highlights the nation’s desire to reduce emissions and collaborate internationally. One such example would be Singapore’s showcase of their commitment to saving the earth in the public sector, where they aim to reduce energy and water use, reduce waste generated and utilise products that meet high sustainability standards. While sharing these measures could point out Singapore’s dedication to sustainability, it also serves to educate other countries as well. Other countries can learn from Singapore’s approaches to ensure sustainability.
In conclusion, Singapore has much to showcase and discuss in COP28, owing to the fact that Singapore is greatly affected by Climate change as a low-lying state. In the conference, Singapore hopes to showcase its commitment to combating climate change, and also work with countries to craft regional and global solutions to the issue.
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