Singapore's carbon intensity decreased 30% from 2000 to 2010

Singapore's Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, is in Lima, Peru from Dec 9-14 to attend a High-Level Segment of the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

The Conference aims to lay the foundation for a new climate change agreement which will come into effect from 2020. The agreement will have to be finalised by 2015 at the next UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, France.

The Conference will also discuss information requirements for Parties' post-2020 intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs), and ways to enhance action on climate change prior to 2020.

In his address to the conference, Minister Balakrishnan stressed the need to build momentum for the Conference in Paris in 2015. He underlined the importance of encouraging universal participation and recognising each country's unique national circumstances in order to build a durable and effective post-2020 global agreement.

Minister Balakrishnan also emphasised Singapore's commitment to support the multilateral system for dealing with climate change.

"Singapore is a member of the Small Island Developing States. We contribute very little at aggregate level to global emissions but we will play our part. Singapore generates relatively low levels of carbon emissions per GDP dollar in the world, ranking 113th out of 140 countries," said the minister. 

Singapore had submitted its Biennial Update Report (BUR) earlier this week. The BUR provides a summary of Singapore's actions to mitigate climate change and its effects. Singapore has achieved a 30 per cent decrease in carbon intensity for the period 2000-2010, said Mr Balakrishnan in his speech. This compares favourably with the global average decrease of 0.12 per cent over the same period.

"We ratified the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol and we will submit our INDC in a timely manner before COP-21. We just submitted our Biennial Update Report and we have also launched the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint 2015 which updates our plans, especially in areas such as energy efficiency and climate resilience," he added.

maryanns@sph.com.sg