Singapore’s solar energy deployment on track to meet Green Plan targets, but waste to landfill reduction lags

SINGAPORE has achieved 1.35 gigawatt-peak (GWp) of solar energy deployment as at June 2024, on track to meet its target under the Singapore Green Plan 2030, Baey Yam Keng, senior parliamentary secretary for the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, said in Parliament on Wednesday (Feb 5).

But progress to reduce the amount of waste sent to Semakau Landfill has stalled, he added, with waste to landfill per capita per day remaining about the same as the pre-pandemic baseline in 2018.

Singapore’s Green Plan targets include deploying 1.5 GWp of solar energy by 2025, as well as reducing the waste to landfill by 20 per cent by 2026, and 30 per cent by 2030.

Baey attributed stagnation in the waste to landfill progress to lower recycling rates.

“(This was) due to challenges such as higher freight costs, import restrictions by foreign countries, and lower demand for recycled materials,” he said.

But he added that the government would strengthen efforts and work with stakeholders to “reduce waste, close the waste loop and extend the life span of Semakau Landfill”.

Such efforts include rolling out the beverage container return scheme in 2026 and exploring the use of landfill mixed materials – such as incineration bottom ash and wastewater sludge – as reclamation fill.

People’s Action Party Member of Parliament Ang Wei Neng (West Coast GRC) asked a supplementary question about whether the government has explored options such as mandating the installation of solar panels on new and altered commercial buildings and housing of a certain size.

In response, Baey said that there are no current plans to do so.

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Instead, he highlighted JTC’s solar roof programme, which commenced with the solarisation of JTC-owned building rooftops. It then expanded to non-JTC buildings, focusing on privately leased industrial property. The programme, which requires no upfront capital outlay and operational costs from industrialists, makes solar adoption easy and accessible, he said.

Meanwhile, the government will continue to promote the use of cleaner energy for the private residential sector, Baey added.

Ang also asked about the impact of US President Donald Trump’s administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement on the Singapore Green Plan.

Baey said: “We do see challenges ahead, but Singapore will continue to work with like-minded members and persevere with these targets and efforts to curb global emissions.”

It also looks forward to support from “publics and industries”, so that it can encourage more members to adhere to their commitments, he said.