Speech By Mr Mohamad Maidin B P M
Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of the Environment

At the Sustainable Energy and Energy Efficiency Asia Conference and Exhibition Singapore
18 Nov 2003, 9.00 am at Raffles City Convention Centre

Dr Guillermo Balce, Executive Director, ASEAN Centre for Energy

His Excellency, Mr Vincent Perez, Secretary, Department of Energy from the Philippines

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning

It gives me great pleasure to address this conference and exhibition organised by the ASEAN Centre for Energy and IIR Exhibitions.

This first conference and exhibition on sustainable energy and energy efficiency in Asia comes at an opportune time as our economy turns for the better. As we ride the next wave of growth, we must bear in mind that our high-tech economy is as reliant on energy as ever before.

Energy is essential to economic and social development as well as quality of life. As a small island state that is dependent on oil and gas to meet its energy needs, Singapore has all along understood the need to reduce the environmental impact of energy production, use and consumption. For economic competitiveness, we are acutely conscious of the need to ensure that as we try to meet our energy needs, we do not bring about environmental degradation and waste. Economic activities have to go hand in hand with care for the environment.

As a nation, we need to be mindful of the widespread environmental concerns of the day, namely air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Singapore already has in place a comprehensive set of air pollution regulations for industry and the energy sector. Our land transportation policies are geared towards less pollutive and more energy efficient modes of public transport. The Government has facilitated the upgrading of power plants for higher efficiency and lower emissions by introducing competition in the electricity market and by bringing more natural gas to our shores.

We believe that the private sector can play a much greater and crucial role in helping us to move forward. In this context, we would like to see the local industry and commerce intensifying their knowledge and enhancing their capabilities in the clean energy industry.

There are a host of services in the clean energy sector that can be developed. These include energy efficient design and engineering, energy audits, computer modeling, energy management and conservation, research and development for clean energy technologies, generation of renewable energy, financial services related to clean energy production including commodity and risk management, marketing and distribution of clean energy products.

In Asia, sharp increases in energy services will be required for economic growth and to improve the standard of living of the region’s ever growing populations. These increases will benefit employment and the general well-being of our people if energy can be supplied and used in an environmentally sustainable way. There is much room for development and expansion of this sector in Asia. I believe that our companies should seriously consider the opportunities offered by this growing market in our region.

In Singapore, we will continue to assist local companies and industry to meet future environmental challenges by building up local capabilities and capacities, and by raising awareness of sustainable energy management practices and energy efficiency.

We are already providing incentives for test-bedding and showcasing successful environmental initiatives through NEA’s Innovation for Environmental Sustainability fund since October 2001. More recently, the Ministry of the Environment also worked with the Economic Development Board to launch EnnovaTE or Innovation in Environmental Technology to encourage the development and commercialisation of new environmental technologies, products and solutions in Singapore to stimulate our economy and sustain our environment.

Our next step is to boost our knowledge base in the clean energy sector and stimulate demand in economic activities for clean energy solutions and services. The National Energy Efficiency Committee, which I chair, will assist me by providing the necessary inputs to move these efforts. We have set up two workgroups in the pharmaceuticals and electronics sub-sectors to assist us in developing sub-sector specific clean energy and energy efficiency programmes as part of this national effort. These workgroups are made up of representatives from companies in the sub-sectors they represent. I would like to thank the chairmen and members of these workgroups for their enthusiasm and efforts in this area.

Allow me to also take a few moments to extend my appreciation to the ASEAN Centre for Energy and IIR Exhibitions for organising this event on sustainable energy and energy efficiency in Singapore. I understand that a wide range of topics will be covered by a distinguished list of speakers. I am delighted at the breadth of participation and appreciate the valuable role that this conference and exhibition will play in contributing to the development of sustainable energy and energy efficiency services in the region.

Finally, I wish all delegates a rewarding and worthwhile conference and our overseas guests a pleasant stay in Singapore.

Thank you.