Strong support for government policies to achieve Net Zero; Many are already taking action to reduce their carbon footprint

When provided with information about Singapore’s 2050 goal, 65% of respondents from a recently completed survey expressed support for Singapore’s target to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050[1], with an additional 17% saying they support a more ambitious timeline. This was despite the current low levels of awareness where only 15% of the respondents knew of the national commitment to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050.

These were the findings from a collaborative study by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation Institute for the Public Understanding of Risk (IPUR) at the National University of Singapore, the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities (LKYCIC) at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), and the Environmental Behavioural Sciences and Economics Research Unit (EBERU) of the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment.

The survey was conducted online between August and September 2023 with over 2,000 Singapore residents, aged 15 and above. It sought to, among other aims, understand the respondents’ attitudes towards the nation’s Net Zero targets and its associated policies, as well as the actions they intend to take to support the Net Zero target.

Individuals want to contribute towards Singapore’s Net Zero target

The study found that more than half of the respondents said they wanted to learn more about what the Government is doing to work towards Net Zero and how they can contribute towards it. The receptiveness was reinforced by strong support (more than 60%) for all 12 areas covered in the survey, which represent a wide range of sectors and approaches that had been implemented or were being considered.[2]

Of the 13 climate-friendly actions[3], eight of them (such as increasing the air conditioner temperature to at least 25 degrees Celsius and reducing use of single-use plastics) were already practised by more than half of the respondents. The survey also found that these same eight actions were more likely to be performed in future, with at least 80% of the respondents agreeing that they were likely to perform each of these actions.

According to the study, the biggest barriers to making high-effort lifestyle changes relating to diet and air travel were reluctance to change current consumption patterns, inconvenience, and the perception that food consumption behaviour changes would not have an impact on carbon emissions.

In terms of willingness to change habits, older respondents (aged 55 and above) expressed stronger intentions compared to their younger counterparts to make both lifestyle changes, such as flying less frequently, and everyday actions such as reducing air-conditioner use.

Government Chief Sustainability Officer, Mr Lim Tuang Liang, said: “Every individual plays a pivotal role in propelling Singapore towards our national Net Zero goal, which complements the efforts of both government and businesses. As the study shows, Singaporeans are already on board and are taking many environmentally friendly actions. But there are opportunities for more of us to further reduce our carbon footprint through our lifestyle choices, in ways that are aligned with social, environmental values.”

Dr Olivia Jensen, IPUR Deputy Director and report author said: “The study demonstrated that Singaporeans are keen to get more information about how to reduce their carbon footprint. Now, the research community needs to strengthen the evidence base around personal carbon emissions of Singapore residents to make sure that the guidance given to people is grounded in science. We also need to design ways of conveying climate information effectively without overwhelming people or undermining their will to act.”

Professor Cheong Koon Hean, Chair of LKYCIC commented: “Despite the barriers, people are ready to make some lifestyle changes to contribute towards Singapore’s collective Net Zero goal. The findings highlight remaining gaps in the knowledge, attitudes and practices that need to be bridged in order to mobilise Singapore’s citizenry to take climate action. This collaboration between LKYCIC, IPUR and MSE demonstrates how behavioural research contributes towards better policy design and communication.”

Other key findings from the study:

• There was a high level of trust in government communications which present opportunities for government agencies to promote higher impact climate actions. Findings further support this by showing that actions encouraged by the government have higher levels of acceptability and adoption.
• Respondents turned to and were more trusting of local news outlets and official government sources for environmental sustainability information.

The full report, titled Getting to Net Zero, is available online here.