Mr Teo Ho Pin, Chairman, GPC for the Environment

Members of GPC for the Environment

Chairmen of SGP 2012 Focus Groups

Mr Chia Wee Boon, Assoc Prof Simon Tay, Professor Leo Tan

Members of the Focus Groups

Ladies and gentlemen

Last year this month, we started preparing for the World Summit on Sustainable Development. We formed a national committee and three focus groups to review our current status, identify future thrusts, and formulate future targets to strengthen our environmental sustainability over the next 10 years.

Today, one year later, we are here to launch the SGP 2012. I would like to thank Wee Boon, Simon, Leo and all of you, members of the three focus groups for your contributions.

I would also want to recognize the contributions of another group of active Singaporeans. They took part in the 3-month Public Consultation process from November 2001 to February 2002. Their inputs to SGP 2012 reflect their conviction in wanting to play a part for a better environment. We value their suggestions and have incorporated the essence and spirit of many of their views in SGP 2012.

Once again, I thank each and every one of you for your generous contribution.

Sustainable development is a global challenge.

Since the Earth Summit held 10 years ago, many parts of the developing world continue to face challenges such as poverty, food insecurity, inadequate access to clean water and lack of proper sanitation and health services.

At the same time, concerns over unsustainable consumption patterns and degradation of natural resources remain critical challenges in some developed and developing countries.

When the global community meets at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) few days from now in Johannesburg, South Africa, it will deliberate on how best nations should individually and collectively contribute to sustainable development.

There are areas the global community has agreed on. There is a general consensus that the three key pillars of sustainable development are economic growth, social progress and environmental protection. Members of the global community share the view that to achieve sustainable development, we need to harmonize these three key pillars.

However, at the same time, there are still areas the global community could not agree on especially when it comes to implementation.

One area still lacking in consensus is about sharing of responsibility among countries. While we all agree that achieving sustainable development is a "common" responsibility of all countries, question is, should this "common" responsibility be "differentiated" between the developed and developing countries?

For example, developing countries argue that the developed countries, having gone through the process of industrialization, should assume greater responsibility in protecting the global environment from further degradation. They should also provide more funding support and technical assistance to help the developing countries build up their capacities.

On the other hand, developed countries express the view that while they are prepared to help the developing countries cope with sustainability challenges, developing countries must undertake to create a conducive and enabling environment for such assistance to be beneficial and effective.

In short, while there is consensus on the need to work together to achieve sustainable development, progress is still lacking on how developed and developing countries should support and help each other so as to make this world a better place for all.

The Ministers from around the world met in the final preparatory meeting in Bali a couple of months ago. We were able to narrow the gap, but still not able to reach consensus on all major aspects.

The WSSD provides an opportunity for the global community to strive for a consensus on these issues. Whether all outstanding issues could be resolved by the time the WSSD is concluded is still uncertain.

Regardless of the outcome at WSSD, one thing is certain though. That is, every nation must be prepared to act, to bear her share of the common responsibility towards sustainable development. Only in so doing can we all help to bring the world another step closer towards sustainable development.

In this regard, SGP 2012 is Singapore’s response to the global challenge of sustainable development. It is our message to the global community that Singapore is going to discharge her share of the "common" responsibility, regardless of whether there will be a consensus on "differentiated" responsibility at the WSSD.

Under SGP 2012, we are adopting a highly focused and action oriented approach towards environmental sustainability.

Yes, we recognize that we are a small country with no natural resources. We are fully aware that we could easily be overwhelmed by environmental disasters as we pursue socio-economic progress.

But no, we do not allow the lack of natural endowment to determine our fate. We do not leave anything to chance. Instead, we look ahead, plan for the future, set clear targets, and pursue the necessary policies head on with clear thinking and concrete strategies.

We believe that only by creating our future all the time, will we be able to continue to excel in environmental performance and at the same time strive for environmental sustainability for a long time to come.

However, the successful implementation of SGP 2012 will not come easy. It will not happen over night. All of us must be prepared to play our part, and commit ourselves to act in a timely and responsive way.

For example, to achieve sustainable waste management, we need to change our consumption and production patterns. We must be prepared to learn to reduce waste and maximise recycling as we pursue the best practices of moving towards "zero landfill".

Another example is better management of natural resources, be it our limited land or water.

We need to continue to strike a dynamic balance between competing demands for scarce land in Singapore, in order to transform Singapore from a Garden City to a City in a Garden.

Likewise for water, we need to conserve as much as we can to reduce our growing demand on the one hand, and reuse and reclaim as much as possible to increase our limited supply on the other. This will enable us to become much more self-sufficient in the future.

It is also worth highlighting that SGP 2012 is not just about environmental sustainability in Singapore. It is also about how we can continue to play an active role in the regional and global arena as we discharge our "common" responsibility towards sustainable development.

SGP 2012 is not an inward looking plan. While the issue of "differentiated" responsibility may continue to be debated, we are committed to do our part within our capability and resources for fellow developing countries, especially in the area of human resource development and capacity building.

Over the past 5 years, we have had many technical co-operation programmes to facilitate the exchange and sharing of expertise with our ASEAN neighbours and fellow small island developing states. We will seek to do more to promote and sustain such partnerships under SGP2012.

In closing, I would like to stress that for us in Singapore, at the end of the day, co-operation and partnerships across the 3P sectors are crucial in meeting our sustainability challenges.

When we put together the three focus groups to chart our future direction, we have reached out to as wide a representation of Singapore’s society as possible. Among you, we have representatives from our business community, civil society groups, academia as well as active citizens. It is a testimony to what we can do together through 3P partnership.

The launch of SGP 2012 today signifies the beginning of yet another new chapter, our 10-year endeavour to enhance environmental sustainability.

We look forward to working closer with all of you here and out there as we implement SGP 2012. Together as 3P partners, we can prevail over our limitations, and build an environmentally sustainable and enduring Singapore for generations to come.

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