Not enough to just hit net zero, Singapore’s transition must be just enough

SINGAPORE is seeking public feedback on whether the nation should accelerate its climate goals and aim to be net zero by 2050.

The current goal, as described during the national budget in February, is to be net zero “by or around” 2050. A hard 2050 target is meaningfully more ambitious because it eliminates whatever elbow room Singapore had.

But ambition comes with a price, and getting to net zero by 2050 — which is just over 27 years from now — will have a significant impact on costs in Singapore. How those costs are paid, and who pays them, are just as important as technical questions about energy sources and consumption patterns. Making the transition an equitable one could well be the bigger challenge of the day.