Highlights of S’pore climate issues in 2011 [News]

By Evelyn Choo, Channel NewsAsia, 28 Dec 2011.

More agencies are communicating environment-related messages to the public via social media and engaging in public consultations this year.

In some cases, public consultation has proven to be productive.

For instance, consumers often do not pay attention to labels on electrical appliances, which tell consumers how much energy they would use.

But after a recent public consultation exercise by the National Climate Change Secretariat, a suggestion — to pitch in terms of dollars and cents so that people will see the real savings and buy the idea — was made.

This was was among about a thousand ideas floated by participants at the exercise. Read more

Take the green lead, Singapore [News]

By Grace Chua, The Straits Times, 22 Dec 2011.

The United Nations climate talks in Durban, South Africa, earlier this month resulted in what some have called ‘a plan to make a plan’: an agreement for all countries to negotiate a new regime of greenhouse gas emissions cuts by 2015 and have it take effect by 2020.

The current Kyoto Protocol was extended for another five-year commitment period, but it covers only developed nations.

What’s a developing country to do in this interim grey area? They could get some pointers from Singapore, perhaps.

Though the island state aligns itself with the Alliance of Small Island States and the developing world Group of 77 (G-77), which want the developed world to bear responsibility for the emissions it put into the atmosphere, it bears characteristics of both developed and developing countries. Read more

Plan to import electricity silent on exports [News]

By Ronnie Lim, The Business Times, 19 Dec 2011.

Singapore’s plan to import electricity – as set out in a consultation paper by the Energy Market Authority last week – is currently a one-way document which does not present the possibility for gencos here to export spare electricity to neighbouring countries as well.

It covers, for instance, the issue of licensing for authorised importers, but is silent on exports.

PowerSeraya – which in May this year did the first commercial power sales to Malaysia’s Tenaga Nasional – could only do so after getting an ‘exemption’ from the EMA under Singapore’s Electricity Act, and following approval from the Trade & Industry Minister.

EMA’s proposed electricity imports of up to 600 megawatts per source country, which is quite sizeable, should also not undermine the billions of dollars in investments here, by both foreign and local corporations, in power generating capacity, industry officials here say. Read more

Energy Conservation Act – Govt seeking firms’ feedback [News]

By Grace Chua and Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, 17 Dec 2011.

The Government is seeking public feedback on the draft of a new law which would get energy-hungry firms to be more efficient.

Reacting to the draft bill yesterday, many of the affected companies said they already have energy plans and personnel in place, while commentators welcomed the efforts to improve energy efficiency.

Under the proposed Energy Conservation Act, firms in the industrial and transport sectors that consume more than 15 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of energy a year – roughly equivalent to the energy consumed by 3,000 four-room HDB households – would have to appoint an energy manager.

They would also have to monitor and report energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as submit energy efficiency improvement plans. Read more

Public Consultation on the Draft Energy Conservation Bill

1 The Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) and the Ministry of Transport (MOT) are seeking feedback on the draft Energy Conservation Bill.

BACKGROUND

2 The Energy Conservation Act (ECA) will mandate energy management practices for large energy users in the industry and transport sectors to promote energy conservation, improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impacts. The introduction of this Bill is in line with Singapore’s target to improve our energy intensity by 35% from 2005 levels by 2030, as stated in the 2009 Sustainable Singapore Blueprint.

3 Based on consultations with industry and benchmarking studies, there is currently a wide spread in terms of the quality of energy management among companies, with some facilities managing their energy consumption less closely than others. Mandating energy management practices under the Energy Conservation Act will focus management attention on proper energy management. Read more

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