UK-Singapore joint statement on climate change and low carbon business cooperation

The following statement was released by the Governments of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Republic of Singapore on the occasion of the visit of Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, President of the Republic of Singapore, to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew on 24 October 2014.

The UK and Singapore reaffirm our commitment to continue taking action at a national level to mitigate our greenhouse gas emissions and address the impact of climate change on our countries. We also remain committed to working constructively at the climate change negotiations to achieve a new agreement in Paris next year under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change which is applicable to all Parties. This agreement should be consistent with the goal of keeping the global average temperature rise within two degrees Celsius of pre-industrial levels. It should also be an inclusive agreement which allows all nations, big and small, to make a responsible contribution to tackling the climate change challenge.

Our strong bilateral relations provide a good basis for cooperation on climate change issues. In 2013, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) established the Centre for Climate Research Singapore (CCRS), dedicated to researching the unique aspects of climate and weather in the tropics. Collaboration between MSS and the UK Met Office has strengthened regional capacity to anticipate the effects of climate change. In June 2014, the Singapore and UK Governments collaborated on the inaugural Green Growth & Business Forum in Singapore. The Carbon Trust in the UK and the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore will also cooperate to enhance the implementation of energy efficient practices amongst small and medium sized enterprises in Singapore. Tom Delay, Chief Executive of The Carbon Trust met with President Tan during his visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew on 24th October.