Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Environment CBL: Report on 'Strategies for Sustainable Growth'

Here is a useful report that was prepared for our Prime Minister on the strategies that Singapore would need to adopt in order to ensure her sustainable growth. There are useful information on the topic of 'Energy Conservation' that you might want to glean and refer to as part of your project work on the CBL theme of 'Environment: Energy Conservation'.

20 comments:

  1. Chapter 4 summary: Making singapore more eco-friendly by building more resource efficient homes for Singaporeans. This chapter also encourages Singaporeans to make more environmentally friendly choices.

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  2. Chapter 1 Summary:
    This chapter is about the plans and strategies that will be upheld through and after the 'economic crisis' period. They plan to raise the prices of energy so as to promote energy conservation. They are also encouraging Singaporeans to embrace a responsible, environmentally friendly lifestyle. Ultimately, they want to build a Singapore that we, and future generations, will cherish and be justifiably proud to call home.

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  3. Chapter 3
    Our vision and goals for the future
    It talks about why being environmentally friendly can help develop the future. In the future, when our population grows, resources will be limited and our environment will be at risk due to climate change. So, we should be environmentally friendly to help build the future into vibrant city and improve on air quality, our recycling rate, reduce our energy intensity etc. The government will moniter and inform the public of the progress we have made as a nation to achieve these goals.

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  4. Chapter 7 summary: If we can increase the resource efficiency of our industry and develop environmentally-friendly technology, it can support future growth and increase our environment's stability.

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  5. Chapter 2 is about developing Singapore. Using some methods like:

    Using Long-Term, Intergrated Planning. Which is planning land use and infrastructure needs over the next few decades
    Using Pragmatic, Cost-effective Approach. Which is selecting the most cost-effdctive methods to achieve sustainable development goals like economic growth to provide good jobs for people
    Development starts with land use planning. It guides the development over a few decades. For example a concept plan in 1971 guided the development of infrastructure projects ike the Singapore Changi Airport.

    Pollution Control, Water, Waste, Transport, Noise, Management, and energy policy.
    These are all plans to help Singapore have a good environment.
    For example, for Pollution Control, PUB inproves the flow of water in our reservoirs and waterways to improve water quality and promote aquatic life.
    For Waste Management, refuse is collected daily from home to ensure a high standard if public cleanliness. We incinerate all waste that can be burnt, in efficient waste-to-energy plants which meet stringent emission standards. This saves energy.

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  6. Chapter 9: It is about encouraging people through programes to educate them about environmental sustainability, promoting energy and water conservation as well as nature appreciation. Basically, it is about creating a common vision among Singaporeans to have a clean, green Singapore, while conserving energy and educating young ones along the way, giving them a high value, innovation powered economy within a city of gardens and water, a comfortable home to future Singaporeans.

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  7. Chapter 3 summary
    Chapter 3 is about singapore’s vision, goals and challenges for the future.
    Challenges:
    Limited resources
    Density of the country will increase
    Competition for resources from other countries
    Combating climate change
    Visions
    Singapore will be a lively and liveable global city that is loved by its residents.
    Singapore will be more resource efficient
    Singapore will be more competetive and resilient
    Singapore will have a better quallity of the environment
    Goals
    Reduce our energy intensity (per dollar GDP) by 20% from 2005 levels by 2020, and by 35% from 2005 levels by 2030.
    2) Improve our recycling rate from 56% in 2008 to 65% in 2020 and 70% in 2030
    3) Reduce total domestic water consumption from 156 litres per capita per day in 2008 to 147 litres per capita per day by 2020, and 140 litres per capita per day by 2030.
    4) Reduce the annual mean for ambient fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) from 16μg/m3 in 2008 to 12μg/m3 by 2020 and maintain it at this level till 2030.
    5) Cap ambient Sulphur Dioxide (SO2 ) levels at 15μg/m3 by 2020 and maintain it at this level till 2030.
    Clean, Blue and Green Physical Environment
    6) Increase the green park space by 900 ha to 4,200 ha by 2020, and reach a park provision of 0.8ha per 1,000 population by 2030.
    7) Increase the length of our park connectors (linear parks) from 100 km in 2007 to 360 km by 2020.
    8) Introduce 30 ha of sky-rise greenery by 2020 and 50 ha of sky-rise greenery by 2030.
    9) Open 820 ha of reservoirs and 90 km of waterways for recreational activities by 2020 and have 900 ha of reservoirs and 100 km of waterways open for recreational activities by 2030.
    10) Build Singapore into an outstanding knowledge hub in the latest technology and services that will help cities grow in a more environmentally friendly way.
    Build a community in Singapore where everyone adopts a more environmentally responsible lifestyle.
    Priorities
    Improve Resource Efficiency
    2) Build Up Our Knowledge in how to grow in a more environmentally friendly way
    Encourage Community Ownership and Participation in building a clean, green and resource-efficient Singapore.
    Improve the Quality of Our Environment
    Conclusion
    The Government will monitor and inform the public of the progress we have made as a nation in achieving these goals. These goals will also be reviewed within five years and adjusted if necessary to take into account improvements in technology, cost-effectiveness of measures, public response and international developments.

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  8. Chapter 8 summary

    Singapore wants to have better and cleaner water resource such as reservoirs and the Singapore River.They are trying to do the following things:

    By conducting research to improve Singapore’s effectiveness in maximising our sources of water, as well as increase the energy efficiency of water treatment.
    ␣Establish a new $5 million incentive scheme to develop prototype building designs that achieve at least a 50% increase in the conservation of energy.
    ␣Develop Marina Bay and Jurong Lake District as our new generation of sustainable high-density places
    ␣ Create a five-year research program to adapt water sensitive urban design concepts and technologies to local usage of water.
    ␣ Invest in R&D and manpower in clean energy and water technologies. ␣Expand R&D in other clean environment technology areas such as waste management and near factories.
    ␣ Promote international exchange of ideas in sustainable development of the water conservation and the energy efficiency.
    ␣Contribute Singapore’s expertise to help build environmentally sustainable cities across the world by conserving water resources and energy efficiency

    Singapore is also trying to maximise its water resources by processing ultraviolet disinfection and by reducing sludge production.Singapore has also created the rain garden which creates a garden habitat,promotes biodiversity. Stormwater interacts with the soil and plants in the rain garden and also the garden is cleansed of litter and pollutants.

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  9. Chapter 5

    Summary

    Singapore’s Transport System has developed a lot in the recent years.Take for example the bus .Last time , it was not air conditioned but now,you cannot spot a non air conditioned bus in the roads.
    Roads in Singapore take up 12% of our total landmass.13% of our energy consumption is due to transport.
    Singapore will achieve a cleaner, greener and more convenient transport system by 2030 in three ways.
    – – –
    Enhancing public transport to meet the commuting needs of a growing population
    Improving resource efficiency by reducing fuel consumption and adopting fuel efficient technologies
    Achieving cleaner transport through cleaner diesel vehicles and cleaner forms of commuting
    Singapore wants to Enhance Public Transport by making 70% of journeys traveled at the morning peak hours to be via public transport by 2020
    They also want to Improve Resource Efficiency and Achieve Cleaner Transport.

    New Train Lines such as the Downtown Line is coming up so that our rail system can reach more places.There is also a Tuas extension which includes four more stations coming up.




    Singapore will encourage Fuel-Efficient Vehicles and the government will regularly review the GVR (Green Vehicle Rebate ) Scheme to encourage customers to purchase green and fuel efficient cars.

    The Government will price fuel correctly and will not subside fuel usage.They will regularly review the rate.

    In Tampines Town, cycling has become a convenient mode of transport for intra-town travel and short trips to key transport nodes. A Committee comprising the Singapore Police Force, LTA and the Tampines Grassroots was formed to oversee a pilot trial and study if cycling on footways would be feasible. The trial has enabled the Committee to identify measures needed to improve the acceptance of cycling on footways, including stepping up public education and enforcement. Another purpose is so that they can better ensure pedestrian and cyclist safety.

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  10. Chapter 6 summary:
    To tell citizens the plans of NParks. Some projects are:Creating More Parks and Nature-Based Leisure Options,Promoting Skyrise Greenery,Transforming our Waterbodies and Protecting and Enhancing Biodiversity.
    The important message is:The growth of our city does not have to come at the expense of our quality of life. With careful planning and innovative solutions, our small city state can continue to prosper as a global city and economic hub, yet remain a green and blue playground for all its residents.

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  11. Chapter 8 summary:
    Singapore is hoping to have cleaner and better water resource in reservoirs and the Singapore River. They are investing money to do the following things:
    ␣ Conduct research to improve Singapore’s effectiveness in maximising our sources of water, as well as increase the energy efficiency of water treatment.
    ␣Establish a new $5 million incentive scheme to develop prototype building designs that achieve at least 50% improvement in energy efficiency.
    ␣Develop Marina Bay and Jurong Lake District as our new generation of sustainable high-density districts.
    ␣ Establish a five-year research program to adapt water sensitive urban design concepts and technologies to local use.
    ␣ Invest in R&D and manpower in clean energy and water technologies. ␣Expand R&D in other clean environment technology areas such as waste
    management.
    ␣ Promote international exchange of ideas in sustainable development.
    ␣Contribute Singapore’s expertise to help build environmentally sustainable cities across the world.

    Singapore is also maximising their water resources by processing the water with ultraviolet disinfection and also reducing sludge production. Also, the PUB and the Housing and Development Board (HDB) have set up an experimental rain garden at Balam Estate. The rain garden creates a garden habitat, promotes biodiversity and provides an aesthetically pleasing landscape. Stormwater interacts with the soil and plants in the rain garden and is cleansed of litter and pollutants.

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  12. Chapter 4 is about living a sustainable way of life
    It tells us the areas to improve.
    1) Promoting a more environmentally responsible lifestyle
    2) Promoting resource-efficient buildings
    3) Making public housing more resource-efficient through innovative design and new technologies
    4)Stepping up public cleanliness efforts to make our city cleaner

    To have a more sustainable lifestyle, we must:
    1) Reduce the daily per capita water consumption to 147L by 2020 and 140L by 2030, through the promotion of water-efficient devices and water conservation.
    2) Introduce minimum energy performance standards for household air-conditioners and refrigerators by 2011 and set minimum water efficiency standards for water appliances in new developments and existing premises undergoing renovation from July 2009.
    3) Achieve an overall recycling rate of 65% by 2020 and 70% by 2030 through providing more recycling facilities and introducing new measures, such as incentives, to increase recycling.

    To make public housing more resource efficient, we must:
    1) Reduce energy consumption in the common areas of new estates and mature estates by 20% and 30% respectively.
    2) Implement a large-scale solar test-bed for public housing spanning 30 precincts islandwide.
    3) Develop a new generation of environmentally friendly housing districts along the Punggol Waterway.

    To enhance public cleaniness, we must:
    1) Step up public education, cleaning and enforcement.

    Some of the major national initiative to encourage people to reduce thei enrgy and water consumption at home:
    1) The 10% Energy Challenge provides households with practical energy saving tips to encourage them to reduce their energy consumption by 10%. NEA also promotes home energy audits and educates the public about energy-efficient appliances through its website and events. NEA will also collaborate closely with retailers and suppliers to improve the availability and affordability of energy-efficient household appliances.
    2) The Housing and Development Board (HDB) works with NEA and the Energy Market Authority (EMA) through the Energy SAVE programme to encourage residents in public housing estates to adopt simple energy saving habits and replace home appliances with more energy-efficient models.
    3) We want to reduce the daily per capita domestic water consumption from 156 litres in 2008 to 147 litres by 2020 and 140 litres by 2030. PUB works with organisations, including resident committees, and the community to form Water Volunteer Groups
    The 10% Energy Challenge provides practical energy saving tips to households
    (WVGs) under the 10-Litre Challenge. WVGs conduct house visits to educate home-owners on water conservation practices and assist in the installation of water-saving devices. The PUB has also set up an interactive website to help the public assess their individual water usage and learn how to achieve savings of 10 litres per person per day.

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  13. Chapter 9 summary
    It is about to educate people about the environment and promote a green environment through schools, teachers.etc

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  14. Chapter 1 is about how did they make the blueprint for stragies for sustainable life.. They actually made it by asking Members of Parliment and the people in Singapore about the topic and asked them suggestions on how to improve life in Singapore and how to conserve energy for the future generations to use..The authors of the report mentioned that the vision of the whole thing is to make Singapore a liveable and lively city state, one that Singaporeans love and are proud to call home. They also explained that the demands of our Singapore city is growing so they have to waste more resources to meet the need of the 5 milion population .. They also assured that they will reduce the use of water and other resources so that the resources are adequate for the future generations can use.. And they said that he government will put up more water and energy conservation pratices so that the people in singapore will the learn the importance of resources..

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  15. Chapter 5 Summary
    This chapter is about making Singapore a more environmentally friendly place by reducing emissions and making fuel -efficient transport methods. The government has come up with several methods such as converting drivers into cyclists and public commuters. They have already done this plan with one of the places in Singapore. Tampines Town. The people there have excellent bicycle facilities, and hence, not many of them use cars, reducing by a ton the emissions of Tampines Town.
    They also plan to have electric cars in Singapore. Buses and MRTs will all test them out and the drivers will give feedback on whether or not they are feasible.
    Understanding the needs of the growing population, the government is attempting to improve and expand the public transport of the population. But they are also trying to convert buses into energy-efficient vehicles. Hence, because if more people take public transport and the buses are energy-saving, the overall energy consumption will be lesser and the amount of PM2.5.
    The goal of the plan is to have at least 70% of the population during the morning peak hours go to work or anywhere via public transport. The public transport MRT is also expected to be expanded from 142km to 278km in 2020.
    The reason behind all these proposals to adopt energy saving methods in Singapore is because the amount of energy used by a car to carry five people is actually 9 times the energy needed for a double decker to carry 80people. There is a great difference in private car transport compared to MRT too. The energy is 12 times. An average MRT train can carry at least 200 people using 12 times less energy. The government has also invested a huge amount of money, namely $40 billion dollars.

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  16. Sherwin Seah2/09/2011 6:38 PM

    Chapter 9: It is about educating the public about environment sustainability, conservation water and conservation energy and make it part of the Singapore culture. Companies have adopt practices which reduce the environmental impact and improve the resource efficiency of their operation. In all, it is about giving the future Singaporeans a more comfortable environment to live in.

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  17. Economic growth and environmental sustainability go hand-in-hand. By making concerted efforts to boost the resource efficiency of our industries and develop clean technology as a new economic growth area, we can achieve environmental sustainability while supporting future economic growth.

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  18. Chapter 2 Summary
    (sorry, late)

    Singapore is a city but also a state. We have to locate our homes, offices, industries, public infrastructure and parks all within only 700 square kilometers of land.
    We pursue growth and a good environment together but not one at the expense of the other. We need economic growth to provide good jobs for our people and to give us the means to We are not rigid in our approach, and will adapt our policies and measures over time as our circumstances change.
    Today, Singapore is home to close to 5 million people. We have enough water and energy to meet our industrial, commercial and residential needs. There is an integrated public transport system with smooth- flowing roads. Our residents live in a vibrant city with clean air, lush greenery and flowing waterways for all to enjoy.

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  19. Chapter 6
    It is about Singapore's Greenery and how Singapore is trying to become A City Of Gardens And Water .

    Singapore is trying its best to try to become GREEN Country, they are building SkyRise gardens in HDB's or Condominiums and they are trying to enhance BioDiversity by Promoting Species Conservation, the URA will seek to focus development in urbanized areas before undeveloped areas are opened up.The NParks will make new efforts to Rehabilitate species including putting monitoring programs species programs, Species surveys improvements in the Nature Reserves, Nature Areas and parkland and reintroduction of rare species.They are also trying to Create more parks and nature based leisure options.

    They will also collaborate with domestic and international organizations, public interest groups and private companies to jointly develop the knowledge based and capabilities to expand conservation efforts.

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  20. Chapter 8 is about:
    Our goal to establish Singapore as a Hub for sustainable development solutions in the next decade and beyond.
    by:
    – Developing key capabilities and technologies, especially in resource efficiency and urban planning and design
    – Developing Singapore as a knowledge hub and provider of services relating to environmentally sustainable urban development
    and
    developing capabilities and technologies to achieve economic growth and a good living environment.
    e.g.Water technologies,to improve Singapore’s effectiveness in water treatment as well as to maximise our sources of water.

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