As temperatures soar, look out for the vulnerable

Dear friend,

Temperatures are soaring yet again across the globe as we enter summer. With now-yearly reports of deaths due to heat-related causes, it's a reminder that the impacts of climate change aren’t far away in the future–they’re already here, and they’re affecting the most vulnerable amongst us.

Recently, we were quoted in a TODAY article exploring the impact of rising temperatures on low-income communities in Singapore. While we are happy that this issue is receiving coverage, much more can be done. Could we look more into researching on the impact of heat on rental households, for example? Parliamentary questions on this issue have not seen conclusive replies. What about clinical data about the impact of heat on the elderly and blue-collar workers? We need to know the true impact of heat if we are to commit resources and implement policies to tackle the issue.

We will continue raising awareness on this issue and speaking up for communities that are affected by extreme heat. If you feel passionate about this issue, join us, as we collectively push for greater climate action.

For a better world,
SG Climate Rally

Continuing our ‘New 3Rs’ series in collaboration with students from the NUS Communications and New Media (CNM) department, the students went around campus to get other students’ views on the climate crisis. The answers were admittedly not what we’d hope for, but that’s completely alright! We all have to start somewhere in our climate action journey. We also posted about the links between climate change and food security, and the students interviewed one of our 2023 rally speakers, Marlina, at her home, to get a sense of how the heat affects low-income communities in rental flats.

On Labour Day, we participated in the Labour Day Rally at Hong Lim Park, joining nearly 600 other workers to fight for greater labour rights, and a more just future. Check out our post on the intersections between labour and climate change

We also collaborated with our friends at FiTree to understand their faith-based approach to environmentalism, and how climate justice can be explored through Muslim perspectives. This is the second post in our series on religious-based approaches to climate justice, stay tuned for more in the coming months!

Finally, Singapore has a new Prime Minister! PM Lawrence Wong has now assumed office, but what are his views on climate change? What can we expect from his government? In this post, we called on PM Wong to hear the voices of our youth, workers, and other marginalised communities, and create a safe environment for genuine political engagement, to empower everybody in our journey towards net zero by 2050.

Global News

🌡️The world continues to bake under extreme heat. A recent report by the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, the World Weather Attribution scientific network and non-profit research organisation Climate Central found that over the past 12 months, the world experienced an average of 26 more days of extreme heat that would probably not have occurred without climate change. In total, 76 extreme heatwaves were registered in 90 different countries on every continent except Antarctica. Another study by World Weather Attribution found that the extreme heat across Asia and the Middle East in late April 2024 was made 45 times more likely in some parts due to human-caused climate change. The study also highlighted the disproportionate impact of extreme heat on vulnerable groups like the internally displaced, migrants, and those in refugee camps.

💸Green finance may sound promising, but new studies show the execution is lacking. A report found that the world's top 60 banks have provided nearly $7 trillion in funding to the fossil fuel industry since the Paris Agreement. This includes $3.3 trillion in financing for fossil fuel expansion projects, even in 2023 when many banks had made net-zero commitments. Another study, using European credit registry data to examine the impact of banks' voluntary net-zero commitments, found that net-zero banks did not reduce credit supply to targeted sectors or increase financing for renewables, and borrowers of net-zero banks were not more likely to set decarbonization targets or reduce emissions. The research suggests the limits of voluntary bank commitments in driving actual decarbonization, highlighting the need for stricter policy measures.

🧑‍⚖️The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) issued a landmark advisory opinion on 21 May stating that greenhouse gas emissions constitute pollution under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The opinion, though not legally binding, is considered authoritative and directs countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to fulfill their obligations to prevent, reduce and control pollution of the marine environment under UNCLOS. This is the first time an international judicial body has determined that man-made greenhouse gas emissions are considered a form of pollution. Previously, UNCLOS did not specifically mention greenhouse gases. Experts say the ITLOS ruling is a "game changer" as it directly links countries' obligations to reduce emissions with protecting the oceans, which have absorbed much of the excess heat and carbon from global warming. This could also influence ongoing and future climate cases at international and domestic courts.

Local News

🤔Our friends over in NTU, NTUDivest, are protesting against a S$60 million corporate laboratory for low-carbon solutions that NTU has launched in partnership with oil and gas giant ExxonMobil. They’ve labeled the lab a "greenwashing project" due to ExxonMobil's poor environmental track record, which includes walking away from a biofuels investment and blocking climate proposals. NTU, ExxonMobil and A*STAR have defended the partnership, stating it will develop solutions to lower carbon emissions and support sustainability. See their posts and the questions they’re raising here and here.

🛢️Shell has agreed to sell its energy and chemicals park on Pulau Bukom and Jurong Island in Singapore to a joint venture called CAPGC, comprising Indonesia's Chandra Asri Capital and global commodities trader Glencore. The sale includes Shell's 237,000 barrels-per-day refinery and a 1.1 million tonnes-a-year ethylene cracker on Pulau Bukom, as well as plants on Jurong Island that manufacture chemicals like ethylene oxide and propylene oxide. Shell said the sale is part of its efforts to "high-grade" its chemicals and products business and deliver "more value with less emissions." Questions remain over how much emissions the sale will truly reduce, or if it will just be BAU, and whether any workers will be affected by the sale (Shell has said that all workers “providing dedicated support” to the energy and chemicals park will retain their employment)

😯A nationwide survey found that only 15% of respondents were aware of Singapore's target of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. However, nearly two-thirds (65%) expressed strong interest to contribute when informed about the goal. Over 50% of respondents were already taking some climate-friendly actions, like setting air-conditioning to at least 25°C and reducing single-use plastics, but policies that had higher costs or required more personal effort, like phasing out petrol/diesel vehicles and increasing the carbon tax, received less support. See the full report here.

🇮🇩Those who live in Jakarta will know that the city floods often. However, the irony is that with all that water, large parts of the population have no access to clean drinking water. This has been attributed to the high cost of the piped water system, and pollution from floods due along the Ciliwung River. The government is trying to build dry dams upstream to mitigate the floods, but this would displace residents near the banks. It is a complex problem encompassing water security and climate justice. Watch here:

 ✈️One person died and several others were injured, some quite seriously, after a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore experienced severe turbulence in the air. In the wake of the incident, several analysts said it could have been ‘clear air turbulence’, which occurs without much warning, and is a phenomenon that is increasing in frequency due to warmer air changing wind speeds in jet streams. Read more on the BBC, Financial Times, and Eco-Business.