Sustainable Development for Singapore

The term ‘Sustainable Development’ has been defined in different ways. One of the most popular definitions is coined from a 1987 report produced by the World Commission on Environment and Development. Titled Our Common Future or the Brundtland Report, the report defines ‘sustainable development’ as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

Technological advances over time have given humans increasing control over the environment. The Western Industrial Revolution of the 17 th and 19 th centuries tapped into the energy of fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum to power machinery. Rapid world population growth from 2.5 billion in 1950 to 6.8 billion in 2009 (World Population Prospects, the 2008 Revision) and individual consumption has resulted in mankind’s ecological footprint exceeding the world’s capacity to regenerate by about 30 per cent (Living Planet Report 2008). The Living Plant Report 2008 further asserts that “If our demands on the planet continue at the same rate, by the mid-2030s we will need the equivalent of two planets to maintain our lifestyles.” Today, the effects of over consumption and waste generation have resulted in pressing global environmental issues such as loss of biodiversity, habitat loss, climate change, ozone depletion, sea level rise and pollution.

As a low-lying, densely populated island-state with limited natural resources, Singapore is highly vulnerable to global environmental changes. It imports almost all of its energy and other needs, especially food and water and is directly affected by sea-level rise. As such, a pragmatic approach has been adopted by the Singapore Government to ensure that while pursuing industrialisation and urbanisation in the face of limited land resources, the environment is not neglected since we live in close proximity to our industries.

In 2002, Singapore launched the Singapore Green Plan 2012 and set targets to be achieved to ensure its environmental sustainability. Subsequently, in 2008, Singapore set up the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Sustainable Development (IMCD) to formulate a national strategy for Singapore’s sustainable development. The Sustainable Development Blueprint focuses on strategies with key goals and objectives to ensure Singapore’s continued sustainable development with regard to economic growth and good living environment over the next two decades.

Singapore has come a long way since its humble origins and within a space of some forty years, has accomplished much to be proud of with regard to the quality of the living environment that we see today. While the Singapore Government has always been in the forefront in coming up with initiatives to maintain sustainable development, it is encouraging that more and more organisations and individuals are doing their part too. Due care must be taken to conserve and use resources as optimally as we can so that we can hand over to our children and future generations to come, a good living environment that is ideally, even better than the one our predecessors handed over to us. As an old proverb goes, “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we are borrowing it from our children.”

By Calvin Moi
Senior Consultant (CLC, PSB Academy)

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