Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport with regard to the new requirement for flights departing Singapore to use Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from 2026 (a) what are the metrics to monitor for global developments and the wider availability and adoption of SAF that the Ministry will use to determine whether to raise the SAF targets; and (b) whether the Ministry has any projected targets for the use of SAF from 2026 to 2050.
The Minister for Transport (Mr Chee Hong Tat): Mr Speaker, our approach to build a Sustainable Aviation Fuel ecosystem strikes a balance between economic competitiveness and environmental sustainability.
As explained in our announcement during the Changi Aviation Summit in February 2024, we will take into account developments such as the approaches of other air hubs towards Sustainable Aviation Fuel adoption, the scale of Sustainable Aviation Fuel production and availability of supply around the world, before deciding on our Sustainable Aviation Fuel target beyond 2026.
Mr Speaker: Mr Tan.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang): I thank the Minister for the answer. I have three supplementary questions. Number one, will the Government consider mandating for airlines arriving and departing Singapore to publish their percentage use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel and the emissions reduced as a result to promote greater consumer demand for greener flights?
Number two, when determining the reduction of emissions from the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel, will the Government take into account the type of fuel used, as certain types of fuel, such as crop-based fuel, may lead to greater conversion of forests or grassland and release stock carbon, resulting in greater production emissions?
And number three, will the Government study plans by other countries with higher Sustainable Aviation Fuel targets, such as Britain, Japan and the European Union, to raise our projected targets even further?
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Speaker, the flights that are departing Singapore, I think that is where the Sustainable Aviation Fuel requirement will be imposed. So, if the flights are coming in from another country, then it will be for the authorities in that airport that the flights are departing from, to impose this on the departing flights.
Types of fuel, certainly, there are standards, including by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), looking at the fuels that will qualify as Sustainable Aviation Fuel, Singapore will take reference from these international standards.
Lastly, I have also mentioned in the announcement during the Changi Aviation Summit, that the 1% target that we are starting with in 2026 is a first step. We will continue to monitor international developments and look at what we want to do for the subsequent steps. I think it is important to strike a balance between achieving reductions in carbon emissions on the one hand, and protecting the competitiveness of our air hub on the other hand. Both are important. And one very key factor, Mr Speaker, would be the production and supply capacity globally.
We hope that with Singapore and also other authorities around the world, sending a signal to producers that we want them to invest in new production capacity, this will help to raise the level of production globally.
Ministry of Transport
3 April 2024
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Office of the Leader of the Opposition 