Govt reviewing Marriage and Parenthood package

SINGAPORE: The government is reviewing the Marriage and Parenthood package to encourage Singaporeans to get married earlier and have more children.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said this as he urged Singaporeans to work hand in hand to overcome two key challenges that Singapore faces - having a sustainable population and maintaining the country's economic vitality.

Mr Teo, who also oversees the country's population planning policies, said: "We intend to put out a White Paper at the end of this year so that we can bring Singaporeans together to discuss this issue, to understand what the implications are and to come together to see what are the possible ways forward which will give us a sustainable population, a cohesive population and a population that will ensure our vitality into the future."

The second challenge is the economy, said Mr Teo at the Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC's National Day Dinner on Sunday.

The world economy is still weak, but with more jobs created in Singapore in the second quarter of this year, overall unemployment remains low at 2 per cent.

The government is also working to help Singaporeans stay employed and ensure that wages keep pace.

Mr Teo said about 400,000 Singaporeans benefit from the Workfare Income Supplement of up to $2,800 a year.

The scheme helps to top up the wages of low-income workers by up to 25 per cent.

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) also promotes upskilling and retraining to help Singaporeans stay in or find jobs.

This year, the government introduced the GST Voucher to help the lower-income groups offset the Goods and Services Tax. The GST Voucher includes cash, utilities rebates and Medisave top-ups.

Mr Teo said that in the coming months, the government will be engaging Singaporeans in a number of major consultations.

He said: "I encourage you to share your views so that we can build the future. What kind of Singapore do we want? What hopes you have for yourself and your children? I believe with such a conversation, we can build a closer society, focus our energies and achieve this vision which will give a better life for all of us.

"The alternative is we are a divided country, we spend all our time being envious of each other, we are unable to put our energies together, we become a divided society."

Mr Teo urged all Singaporeans to work hand in hand with determination and tenacity to create a better future.

S'pore outlines strategy to battle climate change

SINGAPORE: Singapore has released a national climate change strategy document which outlines the country's plans to address climate change through a whole-of-nation approach.

The key elements of Singapore's climate strategy include reducing emissions across sectors, building capabilities to adapt to the impact of climate change, harnessing opportunities for green growth and forging partnerships on climate change action.

The 136-page document was launched on Thursday by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also the Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change.

On reducing emissions, Mr Teo said the inter-ministerial committee will study how Singapore can stabilise its long-term emissions.

It is projected that Singapore's business-as-usual emissions are expected to reach 77.2 million tonnes by 2020. The business-as-usual level refers to Singapore's projected greenhouse gas emissions without policy intervention.

The National Climate Change Secretariat said the manufacturing sector will contribute 60.3 per cent of these emissions, with global manufacturing companies set to scale up their operations in Singapore in the coming years.

Singapore's refining and chemical industries are expected to contribute about half of Singapore's projected 2020 emissions. In view of this, Singapore has put in place various schemes to facilitate the adoption of energy efficient technologies and processes in manufacturing plants.

The building sector is estimated to contribute 13.8 per cent of 2020 emission levels. The National Climate Change Secretariat said the increasing demand for commercial space and more intensive use of space are likely to contribute to an increase in emissions from this sector.

Recognising this, the government has implemented measures and incentives to improve the energy efficiency of buildings.

The transport sector is projected to contribute 14.5 per cent to greenhouse gas emissions in 2020. Private cars contribute the largest share of 35 per cent of land transport emissions, followed by commercial vehicles, buses, taxis and the rapid transit rail system.

The secretariat said it will step up efforts to increase the attractiveness of public transport and encourage the public to make use of this energy efficient mode of transport. Under the Land Transport Masterplan, Singapore targets to achieve a 70 per cent public transport modal split by 2020, up from 59 per cent in 2008.

Households will contribute about 7.6 per cent of emissions. That is because growing population size and household incomes are expected to increase the demand for electrical appliances like air-conditioners, televisions, lightings and refrigerators, which contribute to greenhouse gases.

The secretariat said it has put in place awareness programmes to educate households of ways to save energy. It added that it will consider more measures to influence purchasing and energy usage patterns.

The secretariat has published a booklet entitled "The fight against climate change begins with You". Through this booklet, Singaporeans can find out how much money they can save in a year if they adopt energy efficient habits. For example, using a fan instead of the air-conditioner can help them save S$790 a year.

There will also be a series of public outreach programmes from September and a two-part documentary to educate the public on climate change. There are also plans for climate change education in collaboration with the Education Ministry and the Science Centre.

In his message published in the document, Mr Teo said Singapore needs to be pragmatic and practical, yet bold and visionary in addressing the issues surrounding climate change.

He said: "Everyone has a part to play whether through lifestyle adjustments or changes to business processes. Making adjustments earlier will make the transition easier. Every individual effort such as buying more energy-efficient appliances, taking public transport and using less energy will count."

He said efforts to reduce Singapore's long-term emissions will be challenging as Singapore's small size limits the country's ability to draw on alternative energy like solar, wind or nuclear.

Nonetheless, he said Singapore will enhance energy efficiency efforts and develop low carbon technologies to overcome current constraints.

Singapore is also building up expertise and capabilities on climate science, in partnerships with local and overseas research institutions.

Mr Teo added that Singapore is well-positioned to tap the economic opportunities arising from climate change by creating high-value jobs for Singaporeans and enabling the economy to benefit from green growth.