Out-Law / Your Daily Need-To-Know
Singapore will phase out the use of unabated coal power by 2050 and end direct government finance of this kind of power internationally, its government has announced.
Unabated refers to coal power generation without the use of any technologies to reduce CO2 emissions, such as operational carbon capture and storage or utilisation.
The statement came as the country announced its membership of the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. Singapore is one of the PPAC’s 28 new members and one of the first Asian countries to join the alliance.
Singapore has also signed the Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement, which commits signatories to move away from unabated coal power generation in the 2040s, and to stop the issuance of new permits, according to a statement by Singapore’s National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS).
Mark Tan of Pinsent Masons MPillay, the Singapore joint law venture between MPillay and Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law, said: “This latest move by Singapore to phase out unbated coal power by 2050 is consistent with its stated aim of charting its way towards a low-carbon and climate resilient future. This was always one of the more likely strategies to be adopted by Singapore, particularly given the low reliance that Singapore had on coal for power generation, notwithstanding the certain level of transition risks which is likely to accompany such a move.”
“Ultimately, this is arguably another step forward in Singapore’s continuing drive to harness regulatory and technological changes as a means of staying on track to achieving its goals in this regard,” he said.
The NCSS said the Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement was initiated by the UK COP26 presidency “to accelerate international momentum for global energy transition”.
Singapore's reliance on coal is low, currently accounting for less than 2% of its power generation capacity, according to the statement.
Contact an adviser
