Appointments in new Cabinet show climate change remains a priority

Climate change first shot to the top of the national agenda in 2019 under then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, when he said in his National Day Rally speech that Singapore's climate change defences were of as much existential importance for the country as its armed forces.

- Audrey Tan

Following that speech, the Government rolled out numerous initiatives for Singapore to do its part in tackling the planetary crisis, including higher carbon taxes and plans to import clean generated electricity from abroad.

Now, based on the latest Cabinet appointments by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, it appears that mitigating climate change is likely to remain a priority for the new Government.

A notable development is the creation of an Energy and Science & Technology portfolio within the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), which will be helmed by Dr Tan See Leng.

Singapore's energy sector is dependent on natural gas, a fossil fuel that currently accounts for about 40 per cent of the country's total emissions.

Given the country's electrification push, such as for land transport, this sector's contribution to total emissions is likely to increase, and Singapore urgently needs to find cleaner, alternative fuel sources if it is to achieve its target of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

In announcing his new Cabinet line-up on May 21, PM Wong said that energy - especially clean energy - will be an important part of his Government's agenda, and that with Dr Tan's new role, the Government will consider how it can better organise itself to accelerate its transition to clean energy.

Dr Tan, who is also Manpower Minister, had already been overseeing energy issues when he was Second Minister at MTI. The Energy Market Authority is an agency under the ministry.