Grace Fu on transboundary haze

Replying to MPs’ questions on transboundary haze, Sustainability and the Environment Minister Grace Fu highlighted in parliament on Tuesday (Nov 3) that Singapore is working with ASEAN member states to establish the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control in Indonesia, with Singapore set to ratify the establishment agreement shortly. Ms Fu noted that Singapore already hosts the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre, which monitors regional hotspots and raised alert levels to their highest tier in August amidst close coordination with regional neighbours. While Singapore proactively offered civilian and cloud-seeding assistance to Indonesia under their bilateral environmental pact, Indonesia maintained on Oct 19 that it could manage the fires independently. Looking ahead, she emphasised collaborating across ASEAN sectoral pillars to address root causes like unsustainable land management and crop-burning practices, while reiterating Singapore’s commitment to taking legal action against commercial entities responsible for the haze.