Committee of Supply 2022 debate, Day 4: Grace Fu on resource, climate and public health resilience

Pause and think if you really need that supermarket disposable carrier bag before reaching for it. That is the rationale for charging shoppers at larger supermarkets at least five cents for each disposable carrier bag from the middle of next year. This is to "nudge" consumers to consider what they really need instead of taking bags freely, said Sustainability and the Environment Minister Grace Fu. Addressing concerns of profiteering, she urged supermarket operators to channel the proceeds from the bag charge to environmental or social causes, and consider initiatives to support lower-income families. Outlining her ministry's priorities and plans in Parliament on Monday (Mar 7), she said more will be done to strengthen Singapore's coastal defences against floods. Studies will be conducted to shore up coastal protection at Jurong Island and Singapore's northwest. Ms Fu warned that should there be a confluence of extreme high tides and storm surges, some projections suggest that sea levels could be as high as four to five metres. This is high enough to potentially flood one-third of Singapore, she said. Ms Fu stressed the importance of resource resilience, climate resilience and public health resilience to face climate change, the "defining crisis of our generation".