SINGAPORE: Continuing its green push, the Singapore environment agency announced plans to continue to cut sulphur emissions and move cars toward cleaner fuel by 2014, in a move aimed to maintain its efforts to go greener. The National Environment Agency said that reducing the sulphur emissions will go a long way in helping to make Singapore a cleaner country and city. It also follows similar moves made by China, India and Thailand in recent years. The NEA told Bikyamasr.com on Friday that they believe this new directive “will ensure that Singapore continues to move toward a cleaner environment that will see a reduction in air pollution.” The proposed standards will put Singapore on the same level in terms of caps as Japan, South Korea and Australia. However, the city-state will still be behind over its diesel consumption. “Refineries in Singapore will have to supply cars and industries diesel with a sulphur content of less than 10 parts per million (ppm) from the current minimum of 50 ppm by July next year,” the NEA said in a statement published on Thursday. The environment agency added in the press release “that it will work with refineries to improve their processes and decrease their sulphur dioxide emissions.” Singapore is among the top most polluted cities in the world, largely a result of its port activities, but hopes to curtail other areas in order offset the carbon emissions from shipping. “Power stations are also working towards cleaner fuels for their energy needs in order to lower their sulphur dioxide emissions,” the agency said. “As the power stations and industries switch to the use of cleaner fuels to reduce sulphur dioxide, there will also be a reduction in other pollutants.” According to Reuters news agency, Singapore presently consumes about “23,000 barrels per day of gasoline and about 40,000 barrels per day of road diesel, an industry source said.”
