The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) expects public sector emissions to increase and peak around 2025, as more polyclinics and MRT lines are set to open.
With energy-efficient infrastructure, electrified buses and carbon removal solutions, however, MSE expects long-term emissions to fall and trend towards net zero around 2045, a target set in October 2022.
MSE released on Dec 15 the inaugural GreenGov.SG report, which details the emissions profile and resource footprint of the public sector for FY2022 ended March 31 this year.
During the year, the public sector emitted 3.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. This is about 5.3% lower than the FY2020 baseline.
According to MSE, this decrease was mainly due to the decommissioning of the Tuas Incineration Plant in early 2022. The reduction in Scope 1 emissions from this facility outweighed the increase in electricity use and the associated Scope 2 emissions across the public sector due to the post-Covid-19 reopening of the economy.
Scope 1 emissions refer to direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by an organisation, such as petrol and diesel. Scope 2 emissions refer to indirect emissions associated with the purchase of electricity, steam, heating and cooling.
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GreenGov.SG was introduced in 2021 as a key enabler of the Singapore Green Plan 2030. Under GreenGov.SG, the public sector has committed to achieving net-zero emissions around 2045, five years ahead of Singapore’s national target of net zero by 2050.
Electricity and water use up marginally
The public sector also aims to reduce energy and water use by 10% and waste disposed of by 30% respectively in 2030.
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The public sector’s total electricity use and electricity used per unit area increased 1.7% and 1.3% respectively in FY2022 compared to the baseline.
Meanwhile, total water use and water used per person per day increased 1.2% and 0.8% respectively over the same period.
The marginal increases were due to a gradual reopening of the economy and increase in activities, after almost two years of Covid-19 pandemic-related safe management measures, says MSE.
Both electricity and water use are calculated against a baseline that uses the average consumption between FY2018 and FY2020. MSE says it has chosen to use these historical records to “better reflect hybrid working arrangements post-pandemic”.
The inaugural report excludes waste data. MSE says more time is needed to improve data collection, as waste disposal is not metered, unlike electricity and water use.
“In addition, waste tends to be co-mingled at bin centres, making it more challenging to attribute the waste disposed to specific agencies in cases where agencies are co-located,” says MSE.
The report also showed Scope 1 and 2 emissions across different ministries. Among 17 “ministry families”, including the Prime Minister’s Office and “Organs of State”, the Ministry of Transport logged the highest emissions from the baseline.
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Meanwhile, MSE cut its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 27.2% against the baseline, marking the biggest fall among the ministry families.
New initiatives
The public sector is exploring energy-efficient infrastructure and alternative low-carbon energy sources to meet its targets.
Notable goals include transitioning to 100% cleaner energy cars by 2035 and installing at least 1.5 gigawatt-peak (GWp) of solar energy by 2030. According to MSE, this effort will support the national target to deploy at least 2 GWp of solar energy that same year.
Meanwhile, initiatives to reduce water consumption will involve improving water efficiency in building designs and fittings, as well as using non-potable water in manufacturing processes, cooling towers and sanitation.
However, some residual emissions from essential public services, such as waste incineration and used water treatment, cannot be avoided immediately, says MSE. “To address these residual emissions, the public sector is exploring innovative solutions such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage technology.”
To complement the GreenGov.SG report, statutory boards will also publish annual environmental sustainability disclosures, starting in FY2024, which will end in March 2025.
Government chief sustainability officer Lim Tuang Liang says transparency through reporting will spur agencies to continuously strive to minimise the environmental impact of their operations.
“By sharing examples of our sustainability initiatives, we also hope that others can undertake similar efforts, and also provide new ideas that the public sector can learn from,” says Lim, who oversees the GreenGov.SG movement.
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu says Singapore is among the earliest governments in the world to publish a report of the public sector’s environmental sustainability performance.
“This signifies our serious commitment for the Government to be part of our action climate agenda and deliver on our GreenGov initiatives. Like the private sector and the wider community, we are learning as we embark on our sustainability journey,” says Fu. “We encourage everyone — individuals, businesses, NGOs and community groups — to join us as we drive environmental sustainability and build a greener and more sustainable future for Singapore.”
