面对气候变化 新加坡以长远规划加强应对措施

气候变化带来的威胁迫在眉睫，全球若不采取行动，继续对当前温室气体排放情况置之不理，新加坡到了2100年将面对更炎热天气、海平面上升问题，以及南极冰架倒塌带来的强大破坏力。

联合国政府间气候变化专门委员会将在2022年发布第六次评估报告，我国已经准备检讨规划范围，将报告中的新预测纳入考量，以更好地应对气候变化带来的影响。

国务资政张志贤星期四（7月4日）在蚬壳石油公司举办的”共创未来”论坛上致辞时，详述我国在应对气候变化所做的方方面面准备，包括减排、促进与利益相关者的合作，以及加强我国面对气候变化的抵御能力。

也是国家安全统筹部长的张志贤说，我国资源有限，早在1960年代发展初期，气候变化仍未成为关注点之前，已经致力于打造一个绿色环境，而这份长期规划理念一直不变。

新加坡目前应对气候变化所采取的对策，是参考了新加坡气候研究中心所进行的第二份全国气候变化调查。这份调查是以联合国政府间气候变化专门委员会2014年发布的第五次评估报告预测为依据，从而为新加坡制定对策。

张志贤指出，如果全球各国不采取行动应对当前温室气体排放情况，到了2100年，我国可能面对平均每日气温比1980年至2009年间，上升4.6摄氏度的情况，而到时的全球海平面相比于1986年至2005年间，将上升达一公尺。

到时的这个情景还未将南极冰架倒塌可能带来的冲击纳入考量，而它所带来的影响一直备受全球科学家关注。不少外国媒体去年底也报道了南极冰架倒塌恐引发全球大规模水患等隐忧。

新加坡在这方面早已未雨绸缪，采取行动，包括在2011年已把新填海土地的最低填海水平调高一公尺，而未来的大型基础建设如樟宜机场第五搭客大厦和大士码头也都会建在更高平台。同时，政府也在探讨需要进一步采取哪些填海、建造防波堤（sea wall）等措施，更好地保护我国沿岸地带。

张志贤说：”这些是我国必须做出的重大投资，以保障我们的未来，应对未来几十年海平面上升所带来的影响。”政府会谨慎探讨各项措施的成本效益（cost-benefit）。

此外，新加坡也正在透过让资源来源更多元化和自给自足能力的加强，来强化我国气候变化应对能力。

张志贤说：”在我们加强韧性的同时，也会积极帮助企业将挑战转变为机遇，建造绿色建筑与研发节能科技，推动节能节水及节省土地的城市耕作”

例如，吉宝岸外与海事正在与本地研究机构合作设计可抵抗北极海洋与冰川情况的钻探平台（rig）和其他岸外设施。新科工程最近也获颁合同，为美国海岸卫队设计和建造能穿越极地冰区的新重型破冰船。

另一方面，蚬壳石油公司也在”共创未来”论坛上宣布于本地设立旗下首个全球城市解决方案生活实验室。

蚬壳石油公司将与政府、私人企业和各地社群紧密合作推动创新概念与先进科技，改善能源与资源的使用方式，朝更节能减碳的未来迈进。

张志贤说：”气候变化无疑是我们现在面对的最棘手全球挑战之一。我们现在就须要采取行动减低碳排放量并培养应变能力，以在这个世纪末和更长远的未来保护好我们自己。”

SINGAPORE – As a small, low-lying island state, Singapore will continue to take preventive action against the impact of climate change, Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean said on Thursday (July 4).

Mr Teo drew attention in particular to the Republic’s efforts in going low-carbon and managing rising sea levels in a speech at the sixth Asian edition of the Shell Powering Progress Together forum.

Singapore raised the minimum level for newly reclaimed land by 1m in 2011, a move that preceded the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) most recent report in 2014 by three years.

The report projected that global sea levels – relative to Singapore’s sea levels from 1986 to 2005 – will rise 1m by 2100 if the world’s current carbon emission trajectory remains unchanged.

But sea waters could potentially rise even further, Mr Teo noted, as the report did not factor in the impact from the possible collapse of melting Antarctica ice shelves.

“We are currently studying what further measures we need to take, such as reclamation, sea walls or pumping stations, to better protect our coastal areas,” said Mr Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security.

“By planning early, we can phase in the necessary measures so that the cost can be spread out over many years.”

For example, the new mega-port at Tuas Terminal and Changi Airport Terminal 5 will be built 1m and 1.5m above the minimum level required respectively.

The focus of this year’s forum was on sustainable energy use in future cities. At the forum, Shell launched its first global City Solutions Living Lab, to be located here.

A multidisciplinary team will develop technological solutions aimed at helping cities move people and goods with lower emissions and switch to cleaner energy options, while working together with city authorities.

Shell said it chose to base the lab in Singapore due to the city-state’s active push for energy transition and sustainability, its pro-business environment and Shell’s longstanding presence here, going back to 1891.

Singapore’s commitment to a green environment dates back to the 1960s and going low-carbon is an extension of that, said Mr Teo.

Singapore introduced a carbon tax earlier this year and is investing in infrastructure for more electric vehicles to reduce the nation’s carbon footprint.

The tax, currently set at $5 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions in carbon dioxide equivalent, will be reviewed in 2023 with a view to increasing it to between $10 and $15 by 2030.

Mr Teo added that Singapore is happy to work with businesses like Shell who have adopted significant measures to reduce their carbon footprint.

“Businesses need to transform their business models for a world that demands corporate climate responsibility, and take advantage of the opportunities that this offers,” he said.

Source: Zaobao / The Straits Times

四品牌八超市将设捐赠箱 推广自备及再循环购物袋

本地四大连锁超市首次与非政府组织“零废新加坡”合作，从本月至10月展开全国“自备购物袋”活动，并在八间超市设置环保袋捐赠箱，让居民捐出干净且可循环使用的多余购物袋。

职总平价合作社（FairPrice）、冷藏公司（Cold Storage）、百美（Prime）和昇菘（Sheng Siong）将在旗下八间超市举行48场路演与推广活动，届时除了将收集到的环保袋分发给没有自备袋子的消费者，还会随机给予自备环保袋购物的人士奖励，希望能向逾120万名消费者宣导环保信息，减低对塑料袋的依赖。

这八间超市分别是：嘉龙威购物广场（Kallang Wave Mall）的职总霸级超市、职总平价城市广场（City Square Mall）超市、冷藏公司启汇城（Fusionpolis）超市、冷藏公司勘宝坊（Compass One）超市、百美阿裕尼上段裕盛超市、百美裕廊西75街超市、昇松金文泰西2街超市和昇菘武吉班让Junction 10超市。

八间超市的收银员都将佩戴“BYOB”徽章，也会有意识地询问顾客是否需要塑料袋，以提醒与推动客户自备购物袋（Bring Your Own Bag，简称BYOB）。

环境及水源部兼卫生部高级政务部长许连碹博士星期三（7月3日）在嘉龙威购物广场职总霸级超市举行的启动仪式上，引述新加坡环境理事会最近公布的一项调查称，本地居民每年从超市索取8.2亿个塑料袋，相等于每人每次取走三个袋子。她认为尽管许多人用这些塑料袋装垃圾，但拿取的数量已超所需。

零废新加坡（Zero Waste Singapore）经理白海琳受访时说，活动目的不是要禁用塑料袋，而是从塑料袋取用量最大的超市着手，希望减少国人过量使用的习惯。

她表示：“一些国人习惯用完塑料制品随手就扔……我们通过收集反馈和观察发现，许多人在家有多余且不常使用的环保袋。与其制造更多环保袋，我们希望利用现有资源再循环，鼓励社区内的重复使用。”

“自备购物袋”的倡议引发现场公众讨论。居民黄惠莲（76岁，退休者）从八年前就习惯在外出购物前自备环保袋。她认为捐赠箱的设立，有利于促进资源合理再分配。“我家有很多多余的环保袋没地方收，正好能捐出。”

另一名受访退休人士杨大卫（67岁）则认为捐赠环保袋并不实际。“消费者能自备袋子就偷笑了，还要他们特地捐更多出来？我觉得它不会起作用。”

公众：对塑料袋收费能有效降低使用量

从吉隆坡来新探亲的廖定妹（72岁，退休者）分享，促使公众自备购物袋的最佳做法是超市对塑料袋收费。

“我之前完全没有自备袋子的习惯。自从吉隆坡的超市今年3月起对每个塑料袋收2角钱后，包括我在内的全城市民都很记得去到哪里都要带袋子。”

Forgotten reusable bags collecting dust around the home can now be put to good use and help save the earth.

From Wednesday (July 3), members of the public can drop their unused reusable bags into a donation bin at eight supermarket outlets – two each from FairPrice, Sheng Siong, Cold Storage and Prime Supermarket.

Local environmental group Zero Waste SG (ZWSG), which is behind the initiative, will then collect the bags and ensure they are in good condition before redistributing them to random shoppers at each of the selected outlets. This will happen every two to four weeks from now till October.

“Singapore has a ‘use and throw’ culture. We want to reduce the country’s excessive usage of plastic bags and cultivate a habit of using reusable bags when shopping,” said ZWSG manager Pek Hai Lin at the launch of the initiative, held at FairPrice Xtra Kallang Wave Mall on Wednesday.

Some 820 million plastic bags are taken from supermarkets here every year, a recent study by the Singapore Environment Council found.

Ms Pek said that most plastic bags do not get recycled, as it is not profitable for recycling plants. Instead they get incinerated, a process that increases carbon emissions and contributes to global warming.

When shoppers use a reusable bag for a year, it is estimated that they save 125 single-use plastic bags, according to study commissioned by the National Environment Agency.

“Though the initiative is a good step to encourage the use of reusable bags, this alone is not enough,” said retiree Narayanan S.R, who was shopping at Kallang Wave Mall’s FairPrice Xtra.

The reusable bag sharing stations are placed at the Sheng Siong and FairPrice supermarkets at Khatib Central.

The Indian national said that he uses cloth bags made from coir, the fibre from coconut outer husks, to dispose of his garbage as an alternative to using plastic bags.

“It is the mindset of the population that they are entitled to using plastic bags which needs to be changed,” said the 70-year old.

But fellow shopper Mr Yang, who declined to give his full name, thinks that the initiative will not be effective.

The 67-year-old retiree said: “Everyone already has a reusable bag somewhere at home, and will still need to use plastic bags eventually.

“I try to take at least 10 plastic bags when I go grocery shopping, because what else am I going to use to dispose of my garbage at home?”

The participating outlets are: FairPrice City Square Mall and Kallang Wave Mall, Sheng Siong at Clementi West Block 720 and Junction 10, Cold Storage Compass One and Fusionopolis Way, and the Prime Supermarkets in Joo Seng and Jurong West Street 75.

Source: Zaobao / The Straits Times