This Second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) of Singapore is a comprehensive document aiming to achieve a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by setting a quantified target in a range between 45 and 50 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2035. The long-term target is to achieve a net-zero emissions by 2050. This goal is established to support the collective global effort to reach the long-term temperature goal set in Article 2 of the Paris Agreement. The ability to fulfill this target is contingent on technological maturity and effective international cooperation. The NDC is an economy-wide absolute GHG emissions reduction target and covers the following key sectors (i) Energy; (ii) Industrial Processes and Product Use; (iii) Agriculture; (iv) Land Use and Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF); (v) Waste.
The NDC outlines several strategies and key initiatives across different sectors: (i) for the Energy and Power sector, the strategy focuses on leveraging low-carbon electricity imports, maximizing solar deployment, and improving energy efficiency through regulations and incentives, while using the Future Energy Fund (FEF) to de-risk key infrastructure such as hydrogen terminals and committing to phase out unabated coal by 2040; (ii) for decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors, the strategy involves investing in and monitoring key zero- and low-emission technologies by developing capabilities in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), targeting 2 million tonnes per annum of abatement for the industry sector by 2030, alongside the National Hydrogen Strategy (2022), which includes a pathfinder project for ammonia power generation and marine bunkering. Singapore is also building expertise in Advanced Nuclear Technologies through agreements with the United States and continues to fund Research & Development (R&D) to improve the viability of hydrogen and CCUS technologies; (iii) to accelerate emission reductions in road transport, the strategy adopts a dual approach by (a) promoting sustainable travel modes through expanding the “Walk-Cycle-Ride” infrastructure, including extensions of the rail and cycling networks by 2030, and (b) mandating a clean vehicle transition by committing to phase out pure internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by 2040 and procuring only cleaner-energy public buses; (iv) strategies related to Pricing, Policy, and International Cooperation include implementing a progressively rising carbon tax, regulating non-CO₂ emissions, utilizing international carbon markets, and initiating multilateral finance mechanisms.