As a result of our careful long-term planning and sound policies, Singaporeans today enjoy a clean and healthy living environment that is internationally recognised. For instance, Singapore was ranked first in “Cleanliness” for four consecutive years from 2003 to 2006 in the Conde Nast Traveller’s Readers’ Travel Awards. We have also been consistently rated best for the overall quality of our environment among Asian countries for the past 6 years in surveys conducted by the Political and Economic Consultancy (PERC). We also share our environmental experience and expertise with other countries. For example, the National Environment Agency’s Singapore Environmental Institute regularly conducts capacity building training on environmental protection and management for international participants. Our Singapore Cooperation Programme also helps to train foreign officials on the various aspects of water, waste management as well as public health.

Going forward, Singapore’s challenge, as a nation with no indigenous energy resources, is to ensure that our energy supply is not just affordable and reliable, but also generated and used in an environmentally sustainable manner. At the same time, as a low-lying island state, Singapore will need forward-looking policies to prepare for and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

With the challenge of climate change today, environmentally sustainable development has taken on increased importance. In Singapore, we have already switched much of our power supply to natural gas, which is relatively less carbon-intensive. Our key strategy in addressing climate change will hence be to improve our energy efficiency. While our economy is expected to expand in the future and our population is expected to grow, much of the growing energy demand can be avoided if we use energy more efficiently.

Through the NCCS, we underscore our commitment to climate change action which can allow us to develop in an environmentally sustainable manner compatible with economic growth. Our climate change strategies and measures will evolve with developments in climate change. We will continue to review our national climate change policies and measures in line with advances in technology, further evidence on climate science and international commitment to climate change.