Speech by Minister Desmond Lee at the launch of R.I.S.E to the Challenge II

Aug 22, 2022

Mr Loh Chin Hua, CEO of Keppel Corporation and Chairman of Keppel Land

Mr Louis Lim, CEO of Keppel Land

Mdm S Anitha, Mrs Ong Lay Khim, Mr Chai Koh Ping, Vice-Principals of Xingnan Primary School

Mr Ang Wei Neng, MP of West Coast GRC and Advisor to Nanyang Grassroots Organisation

Ladies and Gentlemen

And our young Xingnanians

Introduction

Good morning! Thank you for inviting me to Xingnan Primary School. I have heard many wonderful things about the culture of green living at Xingnan. From a game of “Ecobingo” to recycling your used shoes into running tracks, Xingnanians have shown how we can all play a part in caring for our environment. It is therefore fitting that we are here today to launch the second run of “R.I.S.E. to the Challenge”.

Before we begin, I would like to thank and congratulate Keppel Land and Sustainable Singapore Gallery for a successful first run of the programme. Over the past year, more than 50,000 students and members of the public have come to learn about the impacts of rising sea levels, through exhibitions in schools and at various commercial properties in Keppel’s portfolio. Efforts such as these are important to raise awareness about climate change, especially amongst our students. As the leaders of tomorrow, you will go on to use your knowledge and your passion to chart our path forward, towards a greener future for yourself, your children and their children.

Impact of Climate Change in Singapore

To the students in the room, I’m sure many of you have heard about how our planet’s climate is changing rapidly because of our heavy burning of fossil fuels.

Climate change affects all of us, no matter which country we live in. But Singapore is especially vulnerable to its impacts for three reasons.

First, we are an island nation. We are surrounded by the sea and about one-third of our land is less than 5 metres above sea level. If we don’t do enough to protect our coastlines, many parts of our island could go under water. Underground areas like our MRT stations could be damaged. The diverse plants and animals found in our coastal areas and mangroves could also lose their homes.

Second, we are a dense, built-up city. We have many roads and buildings around us which tend to absorb heat and radiate heat. As the air temperature gets warmer, our environment will feel even warmer because of the heat trapped in our building materials. And very hot weather can affect our health if we are not careful. We have seen this happening in many countries in Europe over the past few months.

Third, Singapore is small and we depend on other countries for many important things like food. So when climate change affects other countries and their ability to produce the things we need, we will be affected too.

Singapore Green Plan 2030

We are already experiencing some of these impacts today. Other impacts may only be felt decades or centuries later. This might seem very far away, but it does not mean we have time to act later. We must plan ahead and take action now to slow down the rate of climate change.

I’m sure you have all heard about the Singapore Green Plan 2030. It is our plan for how we want to tackle climate change as a country. No matter who you are, young or old, there is something you can do to contribute. Just like how Singapore might be a small country, but we can still play our part to support the global effort in fighting climate change.

Let me share briefly some of the things we are doing under the five pillars of the Green Plan, and you will see what an important part the “R.I.S.E to the Challenge” plays.

City in Nature

First, we are weaving nature more closely into our city, to make Singapore a City in Nature. By 2030, we will plant a million more trees across Singapore to cool and beautify our environment. We have planted some 400,000 trees already, which means we have 600,000 more to go, and we hope that all of you bring your parents to help us. We are also growing our parks and nature areas. By 2030, all of us will be able to walk to a park from our home, within 10 minutes. We are also working closely with our fellow Singaporeans to get more people to learn more about nature or even grow their own plants.

Sustainable Living

Second, we want to encourage Sustainable Living in our everyday lives to produce less greenhouse gases. We can play our part by using less water and electricity, reducing our waste and recycling a lot more. And where we can, choose to take public transport, walk, or cycle, instead of using cars. We will also have more programmes in schools where you can learn more about how we can better take care of our planet. That’s how we can rise to the challenge, and I hope that by riding on Keppel’s effort, you can help amplify this important message about sustainability to your classmates, your friends, and also your families and neighbours.

Energy Reset

The third pillar is Energy Reset, where we try to use less energy, and switch to energy sources that don’t burn fossil fuels and are better for the environment, like solar power. For example, to generate more solar energy, we will put more solar panels on top of our buildings like our HDB flats. I am sure many schools are also undergoing the same effort. We will use new technologies like cool paints in our buildings to reduce the energy that we use for lighting and cooling.

Resilient Future

Fourth, we are finding ways to build a more Resilient Future. To protect our homes and communities from rising sea levels, we are building sea walls, and also using natural barriers like mangroves. We are also growing more food in Singapore, so that we can meet more of our needs locally and be less dependent on other countries.

Green Economy

This leads me to our final pillar – the Green Economy. Not just building a green economy, but greening our existing economy is equally, if not more important. With these new plans and efforts, we will need people to work in jobs that will help to protect our planet. When you grow up, and if you are interested, I encourage you to explore the many career opportunities in doing good for our environment. Companies, like Keppel, are also leading the charge of transformation of the economy – this will create good jobs for you and your classmates.

Collective Climate Action

These are just some of the efforts that we are working on. But we can’t build a more sustainable future without your help. All of us, including the Government, our businesses, our educators and all of you students, must work together in order to succeed. No action is too small to make a difference.

This is why I’m excited to see the impact that the second run of “R.I.S.E. to the Challenge” will make. I am glad to see companies such as Keppel not only embracing sustainability in their own business operations and driving solutions to support Singapore’s sustainable development, but also actively advancing awareness of climate change and climate action in the wider community. Keppel is a model for how the private sector can lead the way and rally the community towards a more sustainable future.

Education is always the first step to action, and I’m heartened to know that students from all primary schools, secondary schools and junior colleges will be benefiting from the e-book that we are launching today. I also look forward to seeing the creative and impactful projects that you will come up with to help build a greener Singapore.

I would like to thank and commend Keppel Land and Sustainable Singapore Gallery once again for this meaningful initiative, and I encourage more corporates to step forward to contribute to our whole-of-nation efforts under the Green Plan. Through this programme, I hope that all of you will be inspired to learn and do more for our environment.

Many of you may have heard the Prime Minister speak at the National Day Rally yesterday. He spoke about the long-term future of Singapore; he also spoke about the challenges Singapore faces – both domestically and internationally. These are difficult challenges that we will have to overcome as Singaporeans of the future. As young Singaporeans, one common theme through all the issues he spoke about was about remaining united. Whatever our concerns, challenges and perspectives may be – including the impact of climate change on all of us,– the important thing is to work together as Singaporeans, differences aside, so that we can have a better, brighter, and more sustainable future for you, your children, and their children. I wish you all a good morning, and please rise to the challenge.

Thank you.