Five key milestones in Singapore's sustainability journey as it turns 55

WITH climate change increasingly threatening our existence, sustainability has taken on a mainstream role in society and economy. The last few years have seen quite a buzz in the sustainability field. Sustainability as a notion is not static and will evolve with time. Nonetheless, let us consider the significant milestones that have occurred in our short history over the last five decades or so.

Garden city programme

This was the launchpad for Singapore's sustainability journey. Introduced by then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1967 at a time when many of our Asean peers were struggling to invigorate their economies, the garden city programme aimed to transform Singapore into a liveable city with lush greenery. Initially implemented in the form of an intensive tree-planting exercise supported by legislation on air pollution and vehicle standards, the programme has since had a profound impact on Singapore's built environment with the emergence of garden precincts, the establishment of park connectors and green corridors and the setting up of dedicated nature reserves to protect national heritage.