PUBLISHED ONMay 11, 2026 2:25 PMUPDATEDMay 12, 2026 12:14 AMBYSean LerAn increasingly uncertain world — energy disruptions, supply shocks and extreme weather — has reinforced the age-old lessons for Singapore that resilience cannot be built overnight, and must be part of Singapore's long-term planning, said Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong.
DPM Gan, who is also Minister for Trade and Industry, made these points at the launch of this year's Go Green SG campaign at Naval Base Primary School on Monday (May 11).
Now in its fourth edition, Go Green SG 2026, which runs from May 11 to June 28, features an array of sustainability-related activities, programmes and experiences.
Coinciding with the Year of Climate Adaptation, this year's whole-of-nation movement is intended to rally Singaporeans to take climate action, said the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment in an earlier statement on May 4.
During MSE's Committee of Supply debate on March 3, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu set out three key domains in which Singapore's adaptation measures will be reviewed: coastal resilience; heat and flood resilience; and, food and water resilience.
Pointing to the ongoing disruptions in the global oil and gas markets, DPM Gan highlighted that external shocks can affect countries, businesses and households.
"When energy flows are disrupted, the impact can be felt through higher electricity and transport costs, higher operating costs for businesses, and higher prices for everyday essentials," he said.
But countries that plan ahead — by diversifying their sources, strengthening their systems, and organising themselves nationally — are better placed to manage these shocks, DPM Gan added.
Referring to findings from Singapore's Third National Climate Change Study, DPM Gan noted that daily maximum temperatures in Singapore could reach almost 37 deg C by the end of the century, along with increased rainfall, flood risks and rising sea levels.
"These effects will also bring serious challenges for businesses," he said, adding that the impact could go beyond supply chain disruptions to affect work-rest cycles due to rising heat, and even insurance premiums.
"So even as climate change has wavered in some countries, the impact of climate change has not slowed. The physics of climate change does not pause because global attention shifts elsewhere.
"This is why Singapore must stay the course," DPM Gan emphasised.
Looking back at how Singapore readied itself in water resilience before water scarcity became a crisis, and strengthened energy resilience before supply shocks became severe, DPM Gan pointed out that Singapore has always planned long term.
"For Singapore, climate resilience is not optional. It is part of how we safeguard our home, our economy and our future," he stressed. "We must take the same approach to climate adaptation."
He urged individuals, businesses, schools, communities and the Government to act together amidst the uncertainties.
"The climate challenges ahead are real. But so is our capacity to respond. If we each do our part, we can build a Singapore that is greener and more liveable," DPM Gan said.
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