Singapore has long promoted itself as the ‘garden city’, and, compared to the majority of other Asian capitals, it has succeeded in keeping tree-lined streets, impressively large areas of ecologically diverse wetlands and nature reserves, as well as popular municipal parks, both within the CDB and the residential suburbs.
This preservation of nature has been driven by a government aware of the benefits of maintaining green belts throughout the urbanised city-state’s landscape, but it is also an issue that galvanises civic society today.
Singaporeans are increasingly aware and supportive of the introduction of more green initiatives in their country. These are the findings of the ‘Sustainability and Identity’ focus groups, whose co-chairman, Mr Ong Keng Yong, told The Straits Times that "going green was a hot-button topic", with members of the public offering "specific, rational and well-articulated ideas on how to take Singapore on a more ecological and greener path without being too confrontational." Some suggestions included setting up a green accreditation body and a system to establish reliable environmental standards for products and services.
These findings are echoed in The Business Times by chairman of focus group Knight Frank, Mr Tan Tiong Cheng. The group suggests the government offers tax rebates for owners of buildings achieving the Green Mark standard, the governmental benchmark scheme designed to promote greater sustainability in the construction industry, as well as setting up protected areas around places of worship or historically significant buildings.
The combination of public interest and involvement when combined with committed top-down government initiatives should ensure that Singapore continues to be one of the world’s greenest and most environmentally friendly cities and countries.
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