One of the problem Singapore faces is to achieve its target of 7%-11% reduction to the BAU level by 2020 is that, Singapore already uses predominantly natural gas for its fuel needs which is cleaner and more efficient as compared to fuel oil. Further there is lot of limitation is utilising the non-renewable resources to the fullest for energy before 2020. Moreover our small size limits the shifts we can make to alternate forms of energy resources. Further still since Singapore is a contributor of a mere 0.2% to the global emissions, it clearly shows that we are quite an energy efficient society so there is only so much that can be done to improve further.
The government is further faced with the problem of boosting Singapore population but at what cost. Singapore’s land resources are extremely limited, it means that growing population will lead to a rise in our population density per square kilometre which eventually will also increase the level of our per capita emissions. To cater to this growing population the government will have to make a choice between protecting a natural habitat (example: forestation) or clearing it (example: deforestation) to make way for that land to be used for other purposes like housing, building mrt lines etc. A recent example to that is the debate regarding the proposal for the cross island line which would cut through the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. The concerns raised were that the building of the mrt line there is a serious threat to the biodiversity in that area. Another problem growing population poses is that it means greater industrialization, and as we have seen that Singapore’s Industrial sector is the largest contributor to the countries emissions, hence growing population means greater industrialization means increased emissions.