Switching to cleaner-energy vehicles a priority for Singapore’s net-zero ambitions: Iswaran
Tessa Oh
SWITCHING to cleaner-energy vehicles remains a key priority for Singapore, even as the Government continues to strengthen capabilities in the aviation and maritime sectors through “digitalisation and other innovations”, Transport Minister S Iswaran said on Thursday (Apr 13).
The Ministry of Transport (MOT) plans to further encourage the adoption of cleaner-energy vehicles through regulation, incentives and infrastructure, he said, noting that Singapore has already established “clear regulatory milestones” for land, air and sea transport.
Singapore will no longer allow the registration of diesel-powered cars and taxis from 2025, and internal-combustion-engine cars and taxis, from 2030.
In the aviation and maritime sectors, new airside light vehicles, forklifts and tractors will need to be electric from 2025; new harbour craft operating in Singapore waters will have to be fully electric, capable of using B100 biofuels, or compatible with fuels such as hydrogen from 2030.
Iswaran, one of the six ministers who on Thursday (Apr 13) released their respective ministries’ addenda to the President’s Address delivered in Parliament three days ago, said Singapore will also “review financial incentives to encourage the adoption of electric cars, and monitor related developments in other vehicle segments, such as motorcycles and goods vehicles”.
MOT will continue to work with partners to develop “sustainable international aviation and maritime ecosystems”, such as creating “green lanes” for flights powered by sustainable aviation fuels, as well as green and digital shipping corridors.
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Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, also among the ministers who released their ministries’ addenda to President Halimah Yacob’s address, also identified accelerating Singapore’s low-carbon transition as a key focus for her ministry. The minister said she was committed to working with all segments of society to get to net zero.
“The government will enable this green transition by working with all segments of society to change our mindsets, habits and behaviours, and supporting the creation of new sustainable business models and green jobs,” she said.
Another priority for the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment is strengthening the country’s national resilience, in areas such as climate change and food security. It will invest in “new capabilities to... raise our national resilience”, including stepping up research and development in areas such as decarbonisation, agri-food production, urban heat migration, coastal protection, and vector control.
In the area of national security, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of Defence pledged to strengthen multilateral and bilateral relations with Singapore’s immediate neighbours to build trust and encourage practical cooperation.
Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, in his addendum, said this is especially important in an increasingly volatile and complex geopolitical landscape, where “the rules-based multilateral order, which has underpinned global peace and prosperity, is under severe strain”.
“To navigate this increasingly fractured global order while seizing new opportunities for Singaporeans, Singapore’s foreign policy must continue to be guided by our long-term national interests that are well understood and supported by our people,” he said.
Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen stressed that as a small nation-state, Singapore must “uphold a global order and regional security architecture that is based on openness, inclusivity and adherence to international law and norms”.
Likewise, Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said MHA will continue to address “significant and emerging threats” to keep Singapore safe and secure. These threats include terrorism, crime syndicates and psychoactive substances.
To address external risks such as the disruptions in global supply chains brought about by Russia’s war in Ukraine, the National Security Coordination Secretariat (NSCS) will work with agencies to mitigate risks to the flow of essential supplies, and strengthen Singapore’s resilience.
The secretariat also pledged to work with government agencies to develop strategies against foreign influence and misinformation, in a bid to strengthen Singapore’s social resilience, said Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is the minister in charge of the NSCS.
“Strengthening social resilience is critical for a diverse, multiracial and multireligious country like Singapore,” he said. “We must continue to strengthen our foundation of unity and trust in peace time, so that we will stay united as one Singapore in times of crisis,” he added.
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