Singapore is different to all the other countries we have reported about so far and the measures it is taking to combat climate change are subsequently also very different. The combination of extremely limited resource availability and a dense island population mean that cleaning up the energy mix and reducing carbon emissions is a real challenge for Singapore. It has no fossil fuel resources and very little opportunity to use renewables but emissions-reducing measures do need to be implemented as it is host to several emissions-intensive industries.
The government of Singapore has set out a four part plan to meet it emissions reduction targets – called the Climate Action Plan. Energy efficiency is often seen as the “low hanging fruit” in emissions reduction measures but for Singapore, with its limited renewable energy options, it is the backbone of their Climate Action Plan. Other parts of the plan include reducing emissions from electricity generation, building up the nation’s alternative energy technology market and encouraging collective action. Solar is likely the only renewable technology type that will play a major role in Singapore’s power sector but they are attracting a lot of clean energy companes to the region with their cutting-edge research (e.g. floating solar PV farms, microgrid interconnection, integrating solar into urban environments) and supportive policy environment for alternative energy development.
To continue to read the full Singapore report as part of our Research Series “The Future is Renewable: Targets and Policies by Country”, please click “Read More”.
