A key strategy to integrate environment and development in decision-making is to incorporate the planning and construction of environmental infrastructure in development projects. With this strategy, practically all the population is served by sewers and the sewage treated before discharge into the seas. Refuse is collected daily and disposed of by incineration or sanitary landfill.

Status

Environmental protection controls have been factored into land use planning to ensure that developments are properly sited and are compatible with surrounding land uses. The Ministry of the Environment is consulted by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), the planning and development control authority in Singapore, on all new developments. After a planning development has been granted planning approval, a developer can proceed to submit building plans to the Building Control Division (BCD) of the Ministry of National Development for approval to proceed with the construction work. The developer is required to submit a set of these building plans to the Ministry of the Environment for clearance on technical requirements on environmental health, drainage, sewerage, air and water pollution control, and hazardous and toxic wastes.

To promote energy conservation in buildings, the building control regulations require that the envelope of all commercial buildings that are air-conditioned must be designed with an overall thermal transfer value not exceeding a prescribed value. The value takes into account the heat gained through the external walls and windows of buildings. In addition, there are tax incentive schemes to encourage owners of trade, commercial and industrial buildings to use energy-efficient equipment and technology and highly efficient pollution control equipment.

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This information is based on Singapore's submission to the 5th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, April 1997. Last update: 1 April 1997

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