NUS Green Guide by Environmental Sustainability

Copyright ÂŠ 2007 Campus Sustainability Unit (National University of Singapore) National University of Singapore Campus Sustainability Unit @ Office of Estate and Development 2 Estate Office Drive Singapore 117587 Website: www.nus.edu.sg/csc/

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system without prior written permission from the publishers. Text: Campus Sustainability Unit Illustration: Kanika Malik (kaniecamalik@gmail.com) NUS Green Guide is to be published as an online book.

Content About Campus Sustainability -- 5 NUS Going Green -- 6 Introduction to Green Guide -- 9 NUS Online Green Guide -- 16 Singapore Going Green -- 50

ABOUT CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY Campus sustainability looks into development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needsâ&#x20AC;?. The four main areas that Campus Sustainability focuses on are resource usage, waste management, protection care and use of natural spaces and education. Campus Sustainability also has the vision to affect a total shift to environmental sustainability in all aspects of campus life by integrating sustainability into our operations, planning, construction, education, research, instruction and public service.

CSC has been organizing several projects in order to encourage staff and studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x; participation in conservation efforts. "Make Sure to Love our Earth" Roving Exhibition was organized by SAVE and supported by CSC from 8th to 16th Feb 2007. The objective of this roving exhibition is to highlight to students and staff the perils of global warming and its link to human beingâ&#x20AC;&#x;s ever increasing energy consumption. The exhibition was well-received. By placing exhibition booths at high volume traffic areas SAVE members were able to reach out to an average of 200 students and staff from the various faculties around the campus for each day of the exhibition.

Interaction With Nature 3D2N Perak Eco Challenge was jointly organized by CSC and NUS Staff Club from 29 Sept 2006 - 1 Oct 2006 to promote and implement balance and harmony between man and the environment. Other than this eco challenge, CSC had successfully organized other eco-trips since year 2002.

Canteen Tray Return Campaign (Started from 11 Feb 1999, ongoing) This is a campus-wide campaign, simultaneously launched in all NUS canteens, staff and students are required to return their food tray/crockery.

Recycling of Printer Toners and Ink Cartridges (13 Jan 2000, ongoing) Under this project, departments are encouraged to recycle their used printer toners and ink cartridges. The list of recycle contractors is obtained from ENV and circulated to all departments. Proceeds from the sale of the recycled toners/cartridges are deposited in department staff welfare funds.

Paper Recycling Project (08 Aug 2000, ongoing) This is a campus-wide campaign which aims to encourage staff and students to reduce, reuse and recycle paper on campus. Recycling bins are placed in every department and major student circulation area to facilitate the recycling effort. A recycling project Reduce, Reuse, Recycle @PGPR is here, courtesy of Prince Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x;s Park Residences in cooperation with the Campus Sustainability Committee, Students Against Violation of the Earth, Office of Student Affairs and CPG Management. Green and Yellow Recycling bins for Plastic Bottles and Cans as shown below have been placed in central locations in all seven residences.

Kent Ridge Park is a 47 ha public park located next to the National University of Singapore campus and Singapore Science Park. The Park has been adopted by the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Ascendas (Singapore) Pte Ltd in June 2002 under the National Parks Board (NParks) Adopt-A-Park programme. This is a community outreach programme aimed at encouraging a greater sense of public ownership and responsibility for our public parks. One of the adoption programmes which NUS is spearheading is to create a living diorama of Singapore's vegetation history for public education. The diorama will be created in the area near the Pond. There will be three major plots to show the different phases of the vegetation history, viz.: 1.

Original forest plot. Saplings of forest species from the Nature Reserves or grown from seed will be transplanted here to initiate the process of recovery back to the original forest type.

Agricultural crops plot. The plants to be planted in this plot include gambier, rubber, cocoa, coffee, nutmeg, sugar cane, pineapple, clove, and jambu air laut, indigo, gambier and tapioca.

Current vegetation (adinandra belukar) plot. The present vegetation at the site will be retained except that the non-native (exotic) species will be felled or weeded out.

INTRODUCTION In recent years, Earth has started showing many signs of worldwide climate change. Many studies have shown intimidating results that we can no longer sit back and relax. We have to do something about it before it is all too late. The average temperatures have climbed 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degree Celsius) around the world since 1880, much of this in recent decades, according to NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. Arctic ice is rapidly disappearing, and the region may have its first completely ice-free summer by 2040 or earlier. Polar bears and indigenous cultures are already suffering from the sea-ice loss. Source: www.cognitoy.com/meltingpoint/

Antarctica Is Melting Two studies released in March 2006 found that despite the increasing snowfall that comes with global warming, Antarctica's ice sheets are losing far more than the snow is adding.

Temperatures Near 'Dangerous' Level A study published Sept. 26 says that the average global temperature has risen to the warmest level of the past 12,000 years. Temperatures are only 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit below the maximum temperature of the past million years.

Forests Dying in Alaska 4 million acres of mature trees in Alaska have been killed by spruce bark beetles. Scientists believe that warmer temperatures have allowed the beetles to breed and mature twice as fast as normal. 10

Source: http://reference.aol.com/planet-earth/global-warming/

Rising Risk of Wildfires A firefighter struggles to get the Crestline Wildfire under control in Los Angeles County, Calif., Oct. 28, 2003. The wildfires burned more than 300,000 acres, devouring more than 600 homes and taking at least 13 lives. Scientists believe global warming will increase the risk of wildfires by raising temperatures and causing an earlier spring.

Asian Tsunami The Asian Tsunami 2004 may not be directly caused by global warming but it is indicative of the types of problems that global warming can and will exacerbate. It is known conclusively that climate change is raising sea levels, at least 10-20 cm over the past century, and it is expected this century's increases will be even greater. There is no doubt that all else equal, higher sea levels would contribute to greater damage from such waves.

Sea Level Rising

A ruined house sits on the beach in Shishmaref, Alaska, where beach erosion has forced inhabitants to relocate or abandon their village. A U.N. climate change report due to be released Feb. 2 is expected to predict that sea levels will increase between seven and 23 inches by 2100. Such an increase would speed beach erosion and pose a significant threat to coastal land. Source: http://reference.aol.com/planet-earth/global-warming/

Fast Track to Extinction Tropical Diseases Spread Mosquitoes that carry malaria or dengue fever are moving into formerly inhospitable areas at higher elevations. Global warming is expected to increase the range of mosquitoes and the virulence of their diseases.

Central American harlequin frogs are among the hardest hit by the effects of global warming, having lost 67 percent of their population in the last 20 to 30 years. Their warming environment has become a breeding ground for a fungus that is deadly to the frogs.

Some animal and plant species are already dying off because of global warming, a new review of hundreds of research studies contends. More than 100 cold-dependent species are also in trouble. Polar bears have started dropping in numbers and weight and emperor penguin populations have shrunk by a factor of 30 in some areas.

Climate Change Already Killing Species 12

Source: http://reference.aol.com/planet-earth/global-warming/

An upsurge in the amount of extreme weather events, such as wildfires, heat waves, and strong tropical storms, is also attributed in part to climate change by some experts.

Singapore consumes an estimated 2.5 billion plastic bags each year or 1.7 per person, per day. Individual usage is below 1 in developed countries such as the United States (0.9) and Ireland (0.8). These values are worth striving for because plastic bags are a waste of resources.

On campus, a large proportion of water is used in residences and labs. According to the National Environment Agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x;s (NEA) report on environmentally sustainability (2005), household showering needs used up a good 29% of total water, followed by laundry at 19 %.These statistics are good indications of water consumption patterns in hostels too. While campus management has retrofitted facilities with water conserving equipment, we have to do our part to reduce wastage.

NUS Online Green Guide

Paper Stationery Personal Computer Photocopiers

Printers Lighting Refrigerator

Washing Machine Cleaning Products Plastic

Water Tissue Products

PAPER DO YOU KNOW? Recycled paper uses 50% less energy, up to 75% less water and generates about 90% less wastewater than producing paper from virgin timber. Therefore buying paper that is made from as little as 70% recycled materials is considered a wise, environmentally friendly choice.

Although Singapore is a red dot in the world map, the level of resource consumption is not that small. In fact, Singapore is the second largest paper consumer in the world, after the US. Figures show that an average office worker can use about 100 sheets of paper per day and throw away about 30-50kgs of paper per year. This translates into the chopping down of 8.5 million trees.

Correspond electronically and refrain from printing emails

Reuse paper bags, envelopes and mailers.

Choose paper which has been manufactured in an environmentally friendly manner i.e. 100% chlorine free bleaching process used.

Choose printers and copiers with duplexing (print on both sides) options. Provide clearly labeled recycling deposits for paper that can be reused.

STATIONERY DO YOU KNOW? A survey by the Department of Environment, in New South Wales, in 2002 showed that an office employee threw away $23 worth of reusable office stationery every year.

We pay little attention to the office stationery that we use daily. The combined office waste generated by these materials however is not insignificant. There are a great number of brands and products one can choose from and with just a little bit of care, we could do our part in minimizing unnecessary waste. The following are some things one has to consider when buying office stationery:

Correction Fluid Most correction fluids these days are water based rather than solvent based. Correction pens should also be considered over the bottled varieties because they do not dry up as fast. Notebooks & Pads If notebooks and pads are going to be used for rough working and the likes, it is more cost effective to just staple together some used paper which is blank on one side. However, if you have to purchase new notebooks, look out for those with a high recycled content.

Post It Notes Post Its cannot be recycled due to the glue on them. Therefore chose the lowest grade post-its. Reduce the number of Post-Its used by replacing them with scrap paper pads. Try to make sure that Post-Its are only used for intended purpose.

Pencils Mechanical pencils have gained popularity over the past few years. Refillable pencils are environmentally friendly. Go one step further and buy pencils which have been recycled from old plastic cups. These are comparable in costs and appearance. Pens As in the case of pencils, refillable pens should be considered, even though they are more expensive. If you are purchasing disposable pens, ask for those which are made from biodegradable plastic (usually polymers of starch or polylactic acid <PLA>). Diskettes Diskettes are extremely polluting as they take over 400 years to decompose and burning them releases toxic gases that cause acid rain. Reuse diskettes as much as possible.

•Use mechanical pencils and refillable pens. •Requiring staff to sign out new stationery or implementing an ordering system is a good deterrent to unnecessary use of stationery. •Provide central deposits for used but still good office supplies. •Reuse scrap office paper as notepads for rough work.

Files & Binders can easily be reused. All one has to do is change the label.

Adhesives that require spray application should be avoided as most of the product is lost into the atmosphere. Most adhesives contain some solvents, although many are now water based and the solvent content has been reduced.

Water soluble adhesives, combined with paper of a cellulose material should be considered, as this combination is biodegradable.

Try to use plain brown envelopes. Envelopes with plastic windows are harder to recycle. If you have to buy new ones however, buy those with high recycled content.

Buy rewritable CDs.

Personal Computer DO YOU KNOW? White and bright colors (especially in backgrounds) can use up to 20% more power than black or dark colors. Unfortunately, e-mail and word processors tend to use white backgrounds, so your workstation uses considerable power while you are in these programs, which you are during much of the day. You can change your background by selecting Start, Settings, Control Panel, Display, and Appearance tab. The "Item" field should say "Desktop". Under color, select one of the colors at the right that has a rating below 65W and then click OK.

COMPUTERS •Computers use about the same amount of power when they're idling as when they are being used actively. •A typical computer uses 60-250 watts for the CPU and 80 watts for the CRT monitor. •Energy management puts you computer and/or monitor into a low-power sleep when they are not being actively used which consume less than 15 watts. •Energy saving labels, such as Energy Star, adhere to these guidelines. Refer to www.energystar.gov, for product list.

LAPTOP •A typical laptop computer draws 15-25W of power compared to at least the 150W of a conventional desktop machine. •Consider monochrome screens - they use only 50% and 70% of the energy used by VGAs and SVGAs respectively. •Flat-panel liquid crystal display (LCD) displays are far more energy-efficient than conventional cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitors. •Consider buying "Green Computers." They are highly energy-efficient and are designed and built for eventual recycling.

Energy Saving Tips 1) Turn off your monitor or enable "power saving" functions. 2) Recommended settings are 20 minutes for monitor sleep and 30 minutes for system sleep. Disable your screen saver Turn off your monitor or enable “power saving” functions

Peripherals includes printers, PDA devices, fax machines, and scanners which are high energy consuming

Turn off peripherals when you are not using.

3) The life of a monitor is also related to the amount of time it is in use. For Macintosh: a) From any application select the Apple menu b) Select “System Preferences...” (OS X) or “Control c) Panels” (OS 9) and then click on “Energy Saver” For Windows: a) Point your cursor at the desktop background and right-click b) Choose “Properties” from the pop up menu c) Go to the “Screen Saver” page; in the lower right-hand corner near the ENERGY STAR® logo click the “Settings” button. d) This brings up another dialog box where you choose power management settings.

4) If your computer is not being backed up nightly, you may be able to turn it off.

PHOTOCOPIERS DO YOU KNOW? Copiers are the largest energy guzzlers in the office environment, with an annual energy consumption of 3500 kWh. There is a great potential to save energy in this area because 70% of the energy consumed by copiers is used to keep it warm when idle. Even in standby mode, a photocopier is capable of consuming enough energy to print over 1500 copies of A4, in one night.

Copiers are also known to emit gases that can impact indoor air quality and consequently, occupant health. In badly ventilated rooms, ozone emissions and toner dust from copiers can cause irritation in the respiratory tracts of people who are exposed for extended periods of time. Analog (heat and pressure fusing) copiers The most common copiers and also the most energy consuming. After the image is scanned and reflected, charged toner is attracted to the photosensitive drum and then transferred to the charged paper or film. The dry powder image is then fused onto the paper or film by heat and pressure to form a permanent and durable print. These copiers are good for high-quality and high-volume printing. Laser (surface and belt fusing) copiers A more basic version of the above with smaller fusion rollers. They often shut down after operation and are quicker to warm up, using less energy. However, they cannot match the speed. Inkjet Copiers Use disposable print heads to fire tiny droplets of ink at paper or films at high speed, with frequencies of up to 12,000 times per second. These printers do not need any special paper or fusing technology. However, they are more expensive and are slower. Liquid ink copiers Use an organic liquid to carry the toner. Since they do not have to melt the ink, they need less energy than the conventional types. However they are not widely used. Digital duplicators Scan the image to form small perforations on a master copy that is used as a stencil. Duplicators are recommended for high volume applications that do not require high quality copies (eg, making worksheets in a school). They consume less energy than conventional high volume copiers but are inflexible.

Batch copying

Copiers which can handle recycled paper

Pre-programming Provide instruction

. Automatically turn off after a period of inactivity

Copiers with recognized energy saving labels (e.g. Energy Star).

Photocopiers with low ozone emissions or place copiers away from workstations in well-ventilated areas.

Copiers should not emit volatile organic compounds

Buy a copier that is appropriately sized copier.

High speed, good quality, automatic duplexing qualities

PRINTERS DO YOU KNOW? A typical printer can consume about 935 kWh of energy annually. Even though the energy use of an idle printer is significant, new energy efficient printers should not be bought where existing ones can be shared.

Laser printers •The fastest available with up to 25 pages per minute (ppm). •Ink Jet printers use disposable print heads to deposit the ink. •High quality mono ink jet resolution compares well to laser printing, but speeds do not exceed 4 ppm.

Ink jet printing •Colour ink jets are often said to have superior print quality to laser printers. •Ink jets do not need toner fusing and use up to 80 or 90% less power than laser printers •Ink jets can also print on the blank side of already used paper (this is discouraged with laser printers as it can dirty the fuser).

Printers that automatically power down to 15-45 watts when not in use. In general printers should meet the following power requirements:

Reduce printing by using the "print preview" option.

Load your printer with paper that has already been printed on one side and use new paper for final versions.

Avoid printing hard copies of e-mail messages.

Use a copier, rather than a printer, to make multiple copies of a document.

Printing by using both sides of the paper.

Sharing a printer

Printers have to be compatible with remanufactured printing cartridges

Filters to reduce the amount of ozone emitted.

Printer must not cause an ambient ozone concentration in excess of 0.04 mg/m3

LIGHTING DO YOU KNOW? While installing energy efficient lighting systems with smart controls are an important aspect of energy smart buildings. Occupants can contribute a great deal to energy savings.

Buildings which occupancy sensors are being used, can detect your presence and turn on the lights.

Use natural daylight when possible.

Clean light fixtures regularly.

Greater use of task lighting (such as desk lamps). This is so that people can carry out activities without illuminating entire rooms.

Consider reducing the overall brightness level in your room to enhance CRT screen visibility.

Turn off the lights when they are not required

Report any lighting problems to your Maintenance office, include a burned-out lamp, defective occupancy sensor, or a flickering bulb.

REFRIGERATORS DO YOU KNOW? Older refrigerator models were known to consume a good 25-30% of a householdâ&#x20AC;&#x;s energy use. The refrigerator technology of today has come a long way since then. Most refrigerators come with energy saving options. However savings can be further maximized if some consideration is given to the type and fit of a refrigerator.

Try to keep the fridge sufficiently full, ensuring at the same time that the doors can be closed and air can circulate.

It is usually less costly to run one larger refrigerator rather than two smaller ones.

Put food in the fridge only after it has cooled down.

Try to plan ahead, to reduce the frequency of opening and closing the refrigerator door.

Try to cover liquids which would otherwise evaporate and produce vapors which add to the compressor load.

Energy consumption increases significantly with bigger sizes.

Automatic ice makers and through-the-door dispensers will increase energy use somewhat.

WASHING MACHINES DO YOU KNOW? A half empty tub still requires the equal amount of energy as compared to a full load. Therefore, always remember to wash full loads. If you do not have a full load, wait till it gets collected.

Top-loaders can be further sub-categorized as impellers and agitators. •Agitators use a winged pole situated in the middle of the drum to move the clothes around. This form of washing is quite rough on clothes. •Impellers whip up the water in the drum to wash clothes. These are currently the most commonly used machines on campus. Advantages: •Fuss-free washing, whereby clothes can be thrown midway through a wash. •Shorter wash cycles •Cheaper to purchase than front-loaders. Front-loaders look like dryers and move clothes around by rotating the drum, tumbling the clothes the same way a dryer does. Advantages: •More cycle settings, along with a heating element for extra hot wash. •Having a faster spin speed than vertical axis machines also means that clothes will require less drying energy. •They also use approximately 1/3 less water, 2/3 less energy and a lesser amount of detergent as compared to top-loaders.

Wash and rinse cycles •Select a model with many choices. Top-loaders have limited wash cycle options. •Cold water washing is adequate with proper detergents and pre-soaking. Therefore the hot water washing element is not really required. •Dissolving powder detergent before it is added to the machine will improve its performance especially in cold water. •Buying a machine with the "Suds-saver" option (reusing slightly soiled wash water for consecutive washes) and pre-soaking are energy/water conserving options. Water level controls •Generally, washing a full load is most efficient. However, a small load should have the option of using a smaller amount of water.

CLEANING PRODUCTS DO YOU KNOW? All cleaning products actively damage the environment to some extent. However, it is important to choose items and services which cause as little ecological harm as possible.

Use concentrates (water makes up less than 20% by weight).

Choose non-toxic, biodegradable products

Minimize the use of cleaners. Use alternatives such a special cloth.

Reduces transportation costs and packaging Phosphate and phosphonate concentrations should be less than 0.5 % the total weight of the product.

Look for brands that use recycled materials for packaging and carry the Singapore Green label. (Refer to appendix for Green Label approved product list).

Avoid synthetic dyes & fragrances. They can cause skin irritation

VOC concentrations should less than 10% by weight

Avoid aerosol containers (which are flammable and may contain ozone depleting substances);

Alternatively there are a number of tried and tested homemade products one could use as substitutes for commercially available products. The eco-office green guide, by City Developments Limited (CDL), has an interesting compilation of such recipes, some of those are listed below: •Air Freshener: Bowls of vinegar or baking soda placed around the house absorb odors. Adding essential oils or herbs such as lemon grass, kaffir lime peels, cinnamon or cardamom (the herbs should be boiled until they release their aroma) will introduce a desired fragrance to the area. You should also add salt to discourage fungal growth. •Dish Washer: Fill soiled woks and pans with enough water to cover the bottom. Drop a piece of lemon rind into this and bring to a boil on a stovetop. This makes it easier to clean. For a burnt, black bottomed pan, pour vinegar and a thick layer of salt. Scrub hard and rinse it and you‟ll realize you have no need for harmful chemicals. •Stain Remover: Soda crystals are effective in removing blood, ink, fruit juice, tea, coffee, cocoa or milk stains. Do not use this stain remover on aluminum. •Silver Polish: Soaking silver in a soda crystal solution along with some tin foil produces sparkling silvers. •Shoe Polish: Olive oil is known to polish shoes as well as commercially available polishes.

PLASTIC DO YOU KNOW? Singapore produces about 2.54 million tones of waste annually. Our current method of waste disposal, incineration, is capable of reducing the volume of solid waste by up to 90%. The incineration ash together with non-incinerable wastes, amounting to about 0.8 million tones per year, has to be land filled at Semakau. At the current rate, we will exhaust landfill space in about 35 years. Given Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x;s land scarcity, it goes without saying that measures have to be taken to reduce waste. The Ministry of Environment has put the spotlight on recycling, better reuse-reduce technologies and the minimization of packaging and plastics. The sections below will touch on some of these aspects in greater detail.

Say â&#x20AC;&#x17E;NOâ&#x20AC;&#x; to plastic bags if you are buying only a small number of items

Paying for the bags and other plastics such as takeaway container.

Biodegradable plastic bags - The Biobag can reduce organic waste mass by up to 50% and thus could lead to savings in disposal costs of up to 30-40%. However they cost about 3 times more than the plastic currently used, ranging from 15 cents to $1.50, depending on size and thickness.

WATER DO YOU KNOW? Singapore currently consumes about 1.4 million cubic meters of water a day. This is quite a substantial amount of water for a population of just 4 million people.

Ensure the machine is fully loaded when doing laundry. Take shorter showers. Reducing shower times by 1 minute can save about 3500 liters of water per year.

Refrain from using running water to wash dishes as well

Report leaks or faulty water devices immediately.

TISSUE PRODUCTS DO YOU KNOW? Tissue paper can make up 30% of the volume of your office waste stream, as it is used to make paper napkins, serviettes, paper bathroom and kitchen hand towels, toilet paper and facial tissues. Tissue products, once used, cannot be recovered or recycled. In addition to that, the consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x;s need to have soft, strong, white tissue has led to the destruction of virgin forests all over the world. A large proportion of this virgin pulp is obtained through illegal logging from countries such as Indonesia, Russia, and the Baltic States. Everyday about 270 000 trees are flushed down the toilet or thrown into the garbage in the form of tissue.

The tissue industry is here to stay and growth in the U.S. alone is slated to be at about 4% annually. It is crucial that we reduce/minimize our use of tissue.

Use hot or cold air hand dryers, hand/face towels wherever possible.

Choose tissue products with a minimum of 30% recycled material.

Confirm that the stated recycled content refers to the tissue and not the packaging.

SINGAPORE: GOING GREEN!

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We hope that through this review, all of us will become more aware of the environmental challenges that we face as a nation, and be more proactive to do our part so that together, we can meet these challenges and ensure that we have a sustainable environment for our future generations."- Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources The Singapore Green Plan 2012 has been updated after the first three-yearly review carried out by the Ministry in 2005. The SGP2012 (2006 edition) has incorporated the majority of the recommendations raised by the three Focus Groups formed as part of the review, reflecting strong public ownership and commitment to continue to protect and enhance our environment. Singapore Green Plan 2012 (SGP2012) is 10-year national blueprint to build a sustainable environment for generations to come. The first three-yearly review was carried out from April to December 2005 with more than 17,000 participating through various platforms.

Singapore has come a long way in cleaning up and transforming our environment. In our early years of nation building, Singapore used to have fair share of problems, including dirty waterways, unchecked waste dumping, and from time to time outbreaks of vector-borne diseases.

However, through the commitment and hard work of all Singaporeans, Singapore is able to achieve international recognition as a garden city. Through the ABC Waters Programme, Singapore is now ready to be transformed into a city of gardens and water.

The National Environment Agency (NEA)

The Singapore Environment Institute (SEI)

The Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR)

Under NEA, the divisions of Environmental Protection, Environmental Public Health, and Meteorological Services work together to ensure a quality environment for Singaporeans, for now and for generations to come.

is the environmental training division of the National Environment Agency (NEA), a statutory board under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Singapore.

MEWR aims to move from maintaining good environmental performance in the short term to achieving environmental sustainability in the long term.

SEI offers general environmental awareness courses on weather, resource conservation, and environmental laws to the general public. SEI also actively promotes knowledge transfer among global and regional partners, and offers capacity-building programmes to government officials from other countries as well.

Together with its two statutory boards, the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Public Utilities Board (PUB), this can be accomplished through continued innovation in managing Singapore's limited resources, and vibrant partnerships and co-operations across the 3P sectors - private, public and people - crucial in meeting Singapore's environmental sustainability challenges.

The Environmental Protection Division plays a major role in protecting our environment. It implements programmes to monitor, reduce and prevent environmental pollution. It is also responsible for the operation of the four refuse incineration plants and offshore sanitary landfill in Singapore.

For more information please visit: http://app.nea.gov.sg/

For more information please visit: http://www.nea.gov.sg/cms/sei/index.html

For more information please visit: http://www.mewr.gov.sg/

We have saved 1,030,000 sheets of paper by refraining from printing out this guide. Similarly, you can save time, money and our planet by keeping in mind the tips presented in this guide.

References 

Biofuel Research Pte. Ltd, 2004, Biodiesel: An Organic Alternative Fuel, Singapore. Viewed on 6th Sep 2006: < http://www.biofuel.sg/index.html >



Campus Green Committee, National University of Singapore, 20 June 2005, The NUS Green Plan 2012: Action Program (Draft) (2001-04), Singapore. Viewed on 6th Sep 2006: < http://www.nus.edu.sg/cgc/GP2012-draft.htm >



City Development Council (CDL) and Singapore Environment Council (SEC), Project Eco-office: Reduce Reuse Recycle, EnviroSolutions & Consulting, Singapore. Viewed on 23 Aug 2006: http://www.ecooffice.com.sg/site/index.html



CPG, June 2006, User Procurement Guide, Green Performance, YLL School of Medicine, Campus Sustainability Framework, CPG.



Department of Environment, Government of New South Wales (NSW), 16 August 2006, Department of Environment and Conservation: Sustainable Living. Viewed on 31 Aug 2006: < http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/index.htm >



Environmental Protection Agency (US), Energy Star. Viewed on 23 Aug 2006: < http://www.energystar.gov/ >



Lee Hui Chieh, “Bag cuts volume of food waste? It's not corny idea” The Straits Times, 30th Nov 2005, Singapore



Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Planning Division, February 2006, Key Environmental Statistics 2006. Singapore

References 

National Environment Agency, 2005, Towards Environmental Sustainability – State of the Environment 2005 Report (Water), Chpt 2 (19), Singapore.



Singapore Environment Council (SEC), 2002, Green Label; Singapore. Viewed on 8 Aug 2006: < http://www.sec.org.sg/greenlabel_htm/greenlebel_terms_conditions.htm >



Sustainability Victoria, Government of Australia Website, 8th August 2006, Australia, Viewed on 6th Sept 2006: < http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/www/html/1517-home-page.asp >



The Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges,2006, Scotland Homepage. Viewed on 7th Sep 2006 < www.eauc.org.uk >



U.S. Department of Energy, 22 Aug 2006, Building Topics: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Viewed on 11 Aug 2006: < http://www.eere.energy.gov/EE/buildings.html >



World Wildlife Fund, 20 Nov 2005, Don‟t flush our Forests and Wildlife Down the Toilet. Viewed on 31 Aug 2006: http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/forests/what_you_can_do/consumers/tissue_issues/index.cfm



National Climate Change Committee, 4 Mar 2006, Energy Efficiency, National Environment Agency, Singapore. Viewed on 18 Aug 2006: < http://www.nccc.gov.sg/building/building.shtm >



National Environment Agency, 2002, National Environment Agency Website. Viewed on 6th September 2006: < http://app.nea.gov.sg/>