Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Archives - Zureli

Search for any green Service

Find green products from around the world in one place

Window cleaning

Singapore Safety Glass

Scope for Singapore to collaborate with UAE on low-carbon technologies: President Halimah

Posted on January 19, 2022 by dishanth

Singapore can work with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on solutions that reduce planet-warming carbon emissions to sustain “robust global responses to the climate crisis”, said President Halimah Yacob on Monday (Jan 17). These solutions include hydrogen fuel and carbon capture, utilisation and storage.

Delivering a virtual keynote speech for the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit held in Dubai, she highlighted green innovations and efforts in the UAE, such as its vast solar parks and being the first in the Middle East and North Africa region to declare a net-zero commitment by 2050.

Dubai houses the region’s first solar-driven hydrogen electrolysis facility to produce green hydrogen, where the gas is produced using renewable energy and has zero emissions.

Singapore is keen to collaborate with the UAE on improving the technical feasibility and the establishment of supply chains for low-carbon hydrogen, said Madam Halimah.

Such advanced low-carbon technologies are an area of interest for Singapore, which has pumped $55 million into 12 research projects in the areas of hydrogen and carbon capture, utilisation and storage.

A local study looking at the feasibility of using hydrogen as a fuel stated last year (2021) that Singapore would need to explore various supply pathways for price-competitive low-carbon hydrogen.

It was reported in June last year that three Singapore agencies were studying whether hydrogen could be imported via ships or pipes.

“We cannot afford to work in isolation when our planet’s future is at stake. Cooperation, partnerships and leadership are critical,” said Madam Halimah.

“Sustainability plans and road maps, including our Singapore Green Plan, will need to be refined as technologies evolve, mistakes are made and learnt from, and the knowledge and experiences of others guide us onto better and wiser paths,” she added.

The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) is the first global and large-scale sustainability event after last year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Scotland.

The programme – which started on Saturday and ends on Wednesday – convenes numerous world leaders, international businesses and students to accelerate pathways to further sustainability and meet net-zero goals.

ADSW also acts as a global catalyst for COP27, which will be held in Egypt later this year, and COP28, which will be hosted by the UAE in 2023.

Speaking from Singapore, Madam Halimah said on Monday that the Republic and UAE will be enhancing their bilateral memorandum of understanding (MOU) on environmental protection and climate change to include food and water security.

The MOU – signed in 2017 – identified environmental protection, climate change and sustainable development issues of mutual interest to both countries, and established a mechanism through which both nations can pursue cooperative efforts.

“As we work to implement our respective plans, Singapore stands ready to collaborate with the UAE and other partners in the Middle East,” added Madam Halimah.

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said in Parliament last week that there is “significant uncertainty” associated with technologies like hydrogen and carbon capture, utilisation and storage.

“Their commercial success hinges on factors such as technological maturity and transboundary cooperation, which are not entirely within our control,” she said during a debate on Singapore’s green transition.

There have been sustainability-related collaborations between the UAE and Singapore.

Last year, a few Abu Dhabi organisations collaborated with Enterprise Singapore to hunt for start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises from the Republic that can help with smart city developments in the Middle East. The partnership is called the Abu Dhabi-Singapore Smart Cities Open Innovation Challenge.

Mr Imran Hamsa, Enterprise Singapore’s regional group director for Middle East and North Africa, told The Straits Times: “As global trading hubs, Singapore and the UAE share strong economic links and cooperation in areas such as innovation and sustainability.

“Through this innovation call, we hope to uncover new and viable solutions that will accelerate the development of smart cities and knowledge economies for both countries.”

Ms Fu is in Dubai for the ADSW. On Monday, she attended the Zayed Sustainability Prize award ceremony, where Singaporean company Wateroam – which develops portable water filters – won an award under the water category.

Ms Fu will be meeting various officials, including UAE’s Minister of Climate Change and Environment, the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, and the chief executive of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority.

In a statement, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment said Ms Fu and the government officials will discuss ways to enhance cooperation in areas such as food and water security, and climate action.

Source The Straits Times

Singapore and Gulf countries can be partners in fight against climate change

Posted on June 1, 2021 by dishanth

SINGAPORE – Rising sea levels, higher temperatures and threats to water and food security are some of the climate change challenges faced by Singapore and Qatar as well as other countries in the Middle East.

They can thus work together particularly in the areas of climate mitigation, clean energy and green growth, said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu on Tuesday (May 25).

She was delivering the opening remarks for an online panel discussion jointly organised by the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and the Doha Forum, a global dialogue platform.

Ms Fu pointed to three opportunities for partnership between Singapore and the Gulf countries towards a more sustainable future.

First, they should exchange expertise and best practices. “For instance, Singapore and Qatar have invested in solar energy as part of our energy mix. Singapore is building one of the world’s biggest floating solar farms and Qatar is working on the Al Kharsaah project, which will be one of the world’s largest solar plants,” she said. “At the same time, Qatar’s electric bus project could offer useful lessons as Singapore moves towards greener public transport networks.”

Second, they could work together in transitioning to a low-carbon future. Ms Fu observed that Gulf nations had been actively investing in what she dubbed as “needle-moving” clean energy solutions such as hydrogen and carbon capture, utilisation and sequestration (CCUS) technologies.

Qatar commissioned a carbon storage plant in 2019 – the largest of its kind in the region – which aims to capture over five million tonnes of CO2 per year from the emirate’s liquefied natural gas industry by 2025.

“In Singapore, clean energy research is a core part of our investment of US$18 billion (S$23.8 billion) in the next five years to strengthen the research and innovation capabilities of our companies,” said Ms Fu.

A third and prime area for cooperation lies in green growth and resilience, she said while praising Gulf countries for making “great strides” in renewable energy, circular economy, green cities and other aspects.

“On our end, we aim to develop Singapore as a carbon trading and services hub, and a leading centre for green finance to facilitate Asia’s transition,” said Ms Fu. “As a founding member of the One Planet Sovereign Wealth Fund initiative, which builds climate change into financial decision-making, the Qatar Investment Authority would boost green finance as it explores opportunities in Asia.”

She also noted that Singapore and Qatar share similar concerns around food security.

“We would be keen to learn more about Qatar’s strategies and share best practices. Singapore’s economic ties and relationship with the Middle East, and particularly the Gulf region, are on the upswing. Green growth and resilience have the potential to be new pillars of cooperation to deepen our ties further.” she Ms Fu.

Earlier, Ms Fu pointed out that Singapore has been an active member of international efforts to tackle climate change – by taking part in key negotiations, co-facilitating ministerial discussions, showing strong support for the Paris Agreement, and collaborating with global partners like the United Nations.

The Paris Agreement, reached in 2015, is a historic legally binding treaty which saw nearly 200 countries pledge to fight global warming and greenhouse-gas emissions.

The Ministry for Sustainability and the Environment’s permanent secretary, Mr Albert Chua, said Singapore would be involved in “some of the more delicate diplomatic manoeuvres” at the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November.

Asked by panel moderator and former diplomat Bilahari Kausikan what he expected from COP26, Mr Chua said there were outstanding issues to be resolved, including on Article 6 under the Paris pact – which revolves around how countries can reduce emissions using global carbon markets.

“In the case of countries like Singapore, where we have no natural resources, the ability to secure carbon credits from elsewhere becomes very important,” he explained.

Indonesia’s former special envoy on climate change, Mr Rachmat Witoelar, said he hoped the landmark COP26 summit would lead to funds distributed to states making an effort to tackle climate change.

Fellow panellist and Nikkei senior staff writer Kiyoshi Ando said he expected more ambitious targets from the world’s biggest source of carbon dioxide – China.

“What I fear is that all the countries are raising targets… and in the next couple of years, most will find that these are unrealistic,” he added. “I hope the Paris Agreement is not going to break up.”

By Justin Ong Political Correspondent

Source The Straits Times