Singapore has rapidly positioned itself as a regional and global leader in sustainability, blending ambitious policy targets, innovative urban design, and multi‑sector engagement to address climate change and environmental challenges.
At the heart of this effort is the Singapore Green Plan 2030, a national framework that outlines concrete goals across energy, waste, buildings, transport and citizen behaviour to build a greener, more resilient future.
The Singapore Green Plan 2030 is anchored on five key pillars — City in Nature, Energy Reset, Sustainable Living, Green Economy, and Resilient Future. Each pillar guides major initiatives designed to reshape how Singapore grows and operates sustainably.
City in Nature: Singapore is increasing its urban green footprint by planting 1 million more trees and expanding park space so every household is within a 10‑minute walk of a park. By 2035, the nation plans to add 1,000 hectares of green spaces.
Energy Reset: To cut carbon emissions, Singapore is pushing renewable energy deployment — targeting vast solar installations and exploring low‑carbon imports — while phasing out new diesel car and taxi registrations and expanding electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
Sustainable Living: Initiatives aim to make waste management more effective, with efforts to reduce waste to landfill by 30 % by 2030, and emphasise water conservation and energy‑efficient lifestyles.
Green Economy & Resilience: The plan supports businesses to adopt sustainable practices and builds capabilities in green technologies — reinforcing Singapore’s role as an innovation hub for climate solutions.
Buildings contribute a significant portion of urban emissions, and Singapore’s approach has been proactive. Under the Singapore Green Building Masterplan, the city‑state aims to green 80 % of buildings (by gross floor area) by 2030, with 80 % of new developments being Super Low Energy and achieving significant improvements in energy efficiency compared to past standards.
The BCA Green Mark certification system — established in 2005 — has become a benchmark for sustainability in construction and design, ensuring better energy performance, water management, and indoor environmental quality.
Transport sustainability is a major focus. Singapore plans to phase in only cleaner‑energy vehicles for new registrations by 2030, with a long‑term goal to have its entire vehicle fleet run on cleaner energy by 2040. The country is also increasing its EV charging network to 60,000 points by 2030 and shifting public transport fleets towards cleaner energy vehicles.
Public transport usage is another target, with efforts to increase its modal share to over 75 % of trips by 2030, reducing reliance on private vehicles and lowering overall transport emissions.
Despite geographical limitations, Singapore is aggressively expanding its solar energy capacity, quadrupling deployment to meet Green Plan targets. The city‑state is also exploring low‑carbon electricity imports and regional renewable energy partnerships to help meet its ambitious climate goals.
Innovative projects like Tuas Nexus — an integrated waste and used water treatment facility — aim to optimise energy use and cut carbon emissions on a large scale.
While the deployment of solar energy is on track, some areas like waste reduction have seen slower progress due to recycling challenges and global material flows — underlining that sustainability is a long‑term effort with ongoing adjustments needed.
Singapore’s multi‑pronged strategy blends forward‑looking policy, public‑private collaboration, and citizen engagement to make sustainability a foundational part of everyday life — from greener homes and transport to cleaner energy and enhanced green spaces.
As the nation pushes toward its 2030 targets and beyond, it continues to serve as a reference point for cities around the world seeking to balance dense urban living with environmental stewardship.