Singapore’s Carbon Footprint

Do you turn on the airconditioner to cool your room? Do you leave the room light on when you go to the kitchen? Do you leave the water running during a shower? If your answer to any of these questions is a ‘yes’, it is time for you to keep a close watch on your activities because believe it or not, you are contributing to a global problem that is growing at an alarming rate.

In 2012, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) expressed “Singapore had the largest carbon footprint per head in the Asia-pacific region in 2010”. WWF’S President Yolanda Kakabadse also said that Singapore “is a society that maybe is one of the best examples of what we should not do.” This is a clear indication that Singapore’s carbon footprint remains a paramount issue for the world. As a result, the Singapore Government is constantly faced with international pressure to address the source of its problem and find sustainable solutions. So let’s take a look at some largescaled efforts that the Singapore Government has taken so far to reduce its carbon footprint, and also consider how you can help.

it was stated that Singapore has “ongoing measures to reduce emissions to 7-11% below our business-as-usual (BAU) level by 2020.” It was also stated that the Singapore Government is looking into alternative energy sources and will “continue to study other energy options”. At present, Singapore ranks “113th of 140 countries” in its “carbon emissions per dollar GDP”.