Singapore to phase out unabated coal power by 2050

SINGAPORE will phase out the use of unabated coal in its electricity mix by 2050 and restrict direct government finance of unabated coal power internationally.

The city state is one of 28 new members that on Thursday (Nov 4) signed up to the world's largest alliance on phasing out coal, the Powering Past Coal Alliance. The group's members include sub-national governments, businesses and other organisations.

Singapore's membership was announced at the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, also known as COP26. It is one of the first Asian national governments to join the alliance.

Singapore's Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Grace Fu, said: "The burning of coal is putting billions of people at immediate risk. This is why Singapore has decided to join the Powering Past Coal Alliance, one of the first countries in Asia to do so. Singapore is fully committed to accelerating the transition to a low-carbon future."

Singapore has also signed the Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement, which commits signatories to international efforts and collaboration to shift away from unabated coal power generation in the 2040s, or as soon as possible thereafter.

This includes ceasing the issuance of new permits, and ending direct government support for new unabated coal-fired power generation projects worldwide. The statement was initiated by the UK COP26 Presidency to accelerate international momentum for global energy transition.

Singapore's reliance on coal has been marginal, and makes up less than 2 per cent of its power generation capacity today. For the larger South-east Asia region, however, coal continues to be the dominant fuel source for generating power.