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“Economic instability and geopolitical contestation, like the latest conflict in the Middle East, are clouding our focus on protecting our environment. Major emitters may backslide on their climate obligations as they grapple with the global tensions on security, energy, trade and investments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “In such uncertain times, the environment becomes an inevitable casualty, and our planet will face the impacts of climate change more severely, and sooner.”<\/span><\/p>\n Singapore will not be immune, she said, warning that businesses and residents alike could suffer from climate-related disruptions.<\/span><\/p>\n “In an increasingly volatile world, we must prioritise building a climate-ready Singapore now. We must prepare our infrastructure, businesses and people today to be resilient in a climate-impaired future,” Ms Fu said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On heat, Ms Fu said the government will strengthen inter-agency coordination and invest more in research and development to better understand its impact. Singapore is also expanding its heat stress sensor network islandwide.<\/span><\/p>\n In a separate speech, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary said a new Heat Resilience Policy Office has been set up to “chart the way forward for our heat resilience efforts”.<\/p>\n Established by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE), the office brings together agencies including the Ministries of National Development, Health, Manpower and Social and Family Development to coordinate action, oversee research and represent Singapore internationally.<\/p>\n Dr Puthucheary said the office will develop a heat resilience action plan across the infrastructure, health, economic and social sectors.\u00a0<\/p>\n “The action plan will identify priority areas and develop measures to address them, including by extending proven solutions to other sectors,” he said.<\/p>\n “This will also prevent duplicative efforts and ensure that our principles are aligned, while working with individual agencies leading the various initiatives.”<\/p>\n The office will also identify high-risk sectors and populations, and assess how to balance additional cooling needs with Singapore’s emissions targets, among other issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dr Puthucheary also announced the launch of a heat resilience R&D programme under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2030 plan to strengthen research and investment in heat resilience through two pillars \u2013 one focused on infrastructure solutions and the other on understanding and managing heat impacts on society.<\/p>\n A S$40 million (US$31.3 million) “Adapting to Heat Impacts” funding initiative will be launched under the programme to step up research in areas including the health impacts of heat, as well as community heat resilience. Vulnerable groups will be a key focus under the new initiative.<\/p>\n “We will devote more resources to study and protect those who are more vulnerable to heat, such as the elderly and the very young, and those who are more exposed to heat, such as outdoor workers,” said Dr Puthucheary.\u00a0<\/p>\nHEAT AND FLOOD RESILIENCE<\/span><\/h2>\n