SINGAPORE is among the top four in a new study ranking
Asia-Pacific cities in terms of their 'greenness'.
The first comprehensive study of this kind in the region, it
names Tokyo, Seoul and Melbourne ahead of Singapore for their
efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and live in a sustainable
manner.
The other cities in the top 10 are Osaka, Sydney, Auckland,
Busan, Taipei and Hong Kong.
The study, conducted by consultancy firm Solidiance, looked at
economic, environmental and social factors that contribute to how
eco-friendly each city is.
The criteria included carbon dioxide emissions, renewable energy
use, waste output and management, public transport ridership and
water management.
The study highlighted that the urban population has been rising
rapidly in the region in recent years, driven by economic
growth.
Coupled with the fact that urbanites account for up to 80 per
cent of humanity's global greenhouse gas emissions, Asia-Pacific
cities have had to turn to green infrastructure projects to ensure
environmental sustainability, said the study.
Singapore came in No. 1 in terms of water management and green
building policy, a further nod to its efforts in these two areas.
Last September, the World Green Building Council, based in Canada,
gave Singapore high marks in green building efforts and water
efficiency in a climate change report.
-- ST