New campaign urges home, business, building owners to set air-cons at 25 deg C

Initiative part of efforts to help Singapore achieve climate resilience

- Zachary Lim

A new campaign to urge home, business and building owners to turn up their thermostats was launched on May 16.

Called the Go 25 movement, it encourages Singapore residents to set the indoor air-conditioning temperature in their homes, offices and buildings at 25 deg C. The campaign is an initiative housed under Go Green SG 2025.

According to the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), buildings account for more than 20 per cent of Singapore's carbon emissions, and air-conditioning is a key contributor to building energy consumption.

This in turn creates a vicious circle where hotter cities demand more cooling, which generates more emissions and heat, further raising ambient temperatures, said the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE).

"Achieving our climate goals requires the collective efforts of everyone. Each of us has a personal responsibility to protect and steward our shared environment, for ourselves as well as our future generations," said Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor at the launch of Go Green SG 2025 on May 16 at Changkat Primary School.

The launch of the third edition of Go Green SG - a month-long campaign packed with activities for the public, schools and organisations - was attended by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment Baey Yam Keng.

Running till June 29, the campaign aims to rally the public to make Singapore a green, liveable and climate-resilient nation.