Grace Fu: Singapore turns climate commitments into action

This year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference emphasises turning commitments into action – Singapore will bring together the government, businesses, financial institutions, researchers and communities to explore solutions to climate change, to benefit more people and make a tangible difference.

The Singapore Pavilion at the 31st UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP31) opened on Tuesday (10 November), with the theme of bringing stakeholders together to strengthen their collective capacity to address climate change.

In a pre-recorded video address, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said the Paris Agreement provides an important framework for global climate action, but countries must translate commitments into concrete action, especially as the impact of climate change becomes increasingly severe. “Turning ambition into action requires us to all do our part,” she said.

“In Singapore, we turn words into action. And we are grateful for the trust and support that our partners have given us.”

In recent years, Singapore has advanced several partnerships to promote regional climate action. These include Scaling Projects and Investments for Resilience in Asia (SPIRE Asia), announced at the opening ceremony, and the Financing Asia’s Transition Partnership (FAST-P), launched in 2023.

The new initiative will help Southeast Asian farmers strengthen their climate resilience in several ways, including using blended finance to raise US$500 million (S$640 million).

This is Singapore’s fifth consecutive year hosting a pavilion since COP27, providing a platform to foster exchanges and deepen cooperation.

Over the next two weeks, the Singapore Pavilion will hold more than 60 events across seven themes: adaptation and resilience, carbon markets, cities and zero waste, energy and decarbonisation, finance, transport, and youth.

This year’s pavilion draws design inspiration from nature, with terracotta tile motifs depicting the sun, greenery and flowing water, symbolising climate change mitigation, adaptation, and community strength respectively. The design also incorporates elements of Peranakan tiles familiar to Singaporeans, alongside Turkish-style tile patterns.