In the context of the global trend towards achieving low or zero levels of greenhouse gases, Singapore is working to involve all its citizens in reducing carbon dioxide levels, The Carbon Footprint Calculator was recently launched through a smart application that helps residents understand the impact of their daily activities on the environment and guides them to the best options to protect it.
Faced with such imminent danger as climate change, The nations of the world have found themselves in a race against time to rebalance the environment and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Because reducing carbon emissions to zero is an important condition for stopping climate change, Governments, the private sector, companies and institutions had to join forces to shift to clean energy and smart infrastructure. Consumers can modify their lifestyles.
In Singapore, A large percentage of the population is willing to change their daily habits and make more sustainable purchases in order to preserve the environment. However, most people do not have sufficient knowledge and experience with the appropriate means to achieve this. According to a study by Accenture and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). As a leading country in integrating the latest technologies in all areas of government work, The Singapore government can leverage technological applications and smartphones to enable Singaporeans to improve their performance in terms of preserving the environment and tackling climate change.
To achieve this goal, SP Group Energy Services has launched an enhanced calculator called “My Carbon Footprint” and added it to the SP Services app. In an updated version programmed according to local emission factors, This includes, for example, Singapore’s comprehensive rapid transit system, which represents the best public transport network for a densely populated country. Which is very different from the public transport systems of other countries that rely on railways or subways.
The reason why the Singapore government is interested in influencing the energy consumption patterns of the population is due to the high levels of energy consumption in households in general. Whereas, during the hottest months of the year, Electricity consumption is increasing in Singapore, The average household typically records 7% more consumption between April and August. This is often attributed to the use of air conditioners for longer hours. The lockdown measures associated with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic have also increased electricity and water consumption. Averagely, A single consumer produces more than 8 tons of carbon per year, In order for the environment to absorb this effect, It needs more than 400 flowering trees from one of the local tree species known as the rain tree, At a rate of 90 trees per house of 4 rooms, A housing unit of this size produces about 18.3 tons of carbon dioxide per year. Because this reality is too big for a single entity to deal with as a governmental body, It calls for the participation of all segments of society.
The first version of the calculator, when released, allowed users to know the carbon dioxide emissions resulting from their electricity consumption. As for the improved and recently released version, It enables them to monitor emissions from their water and gas consumption as well. The calculator provides users with information on the total amount of carbon produced by their daily activities. This is based on a profile specific to each home or family, which includes the means of transportation they use, the duration and frequency of trips, holiday activities, spending habits, food consumption and waste production. In addition, The app will provide users with tips on the best clean energy options. It rewards them when they adopt environmentally friendly behaviors, It also supports green transportation by helping electric vehicle drivers find charging stations within the SP Group’s network across the country. Especially since these cars travel between 250 and 300 kilometers before they run out of cargo in a country where the average citizen travels an average of 45 kilometers a day. This makes electric cars an ideal choice along with walking, cycling and using public transport.
Once the user has created their profile, The app guides it step-by-step to adopt environmentally sound habits. The developers have made the application available for everyone to download and use regardless of the electricity supply of their region or the type of meter used. Families who have installed advanced electric meters can follow consumption readings every half hour through the app. This is to monitor any sudden rise in electricity consumption. This application also provides an option that allows matching the desired percentages of monthly consumption with clean energy, It allows users to purchase “green credits” to compensate for their electricity consumption by producing an equivalent amount of clean energy.
Working at the level of individuals and families may seem futile in the face of a global issue of the magnitude of climate change. But the team behind My Carbon Footprint has ambitious hopes for the impact such initiatives have on the behaviour of communities. To deepen this impact, Two-thirds of Singaporeans receive incentives such as reward points and tax breaks for buying sustainable products or donating excess food to charity, for example. By monitoring electricity meters, users can manage their consumption more efficiently. As for the “green balances”, It makes it easy for them to support clean energy comfortably, safely and at the lowest cost.
More broadly, The app creates a deeper awareness of the environmental impacts of their daily activities in residents and encourages them to rethink their lifestyle and adopt energy-saving and cost-effective behaviors to reduce carbon emissions with simple actions. Thus, Every citizen can take real and impactful steps to achieve energy efficiency, To contribute to adopting an environmentally friendly lifestyle and ensuring a clean and healthy future for Singapore.
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