Enabling Singapore's youths to adapt in an era of climate change

IN ITS 2020 government budget, Singapore committed close to S$1 billion for climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. Key strategic measures to build a low carbon economy included quadrupling solar energy production by 2025; phasing out internal combustion engine vehicles by 2040; actively investing in low-carbon solutions; and promoting green financing through a US$2 billion Green Investments Programme.

The climate matter is of utmost importance not least because Singapore is heating up twice as fast as the rest of the world - at 0.25 degrees Celsius per decade - according to the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS). Projections by the Centre for Climate Research Singapore suggest that the city-state could experience an increase in daily mean temperature of 1.4C to 4.6C towards the end of this century.

Climate researchers have attributed Singapore's rising temperatures to both global warming and the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. Asphalt and concrete from urban development have replaced greenery and waterways, trapping more heat. The UHI effect (Singapore's Central Region has the highest mean UHI intensity according to research) increases energy costs due to a higher usage of air conditioning which in turn contributes to air pollution triggered by increased electricity consumption.