Oral reply to PQs on Sustainability Efforts for F1 and MICE Industry

Questions

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether an update can be provided on the sustainability audit carried out from last year's Singapore Grand Prix; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider ensuring that the sustainability audit for the Singapore Grand Prix and the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions sector being developed this year includes timelines for (i) measurement of scope 3 emissions that are indirect emissions occurring in the value chain of the reporting company and (ii) requirements to set interim emissions targets for 2030.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry whether the Ministry is considering any mechanisms to be put in place to ensure a substantive portion of emission reductions from the Singapore Grand Prix and other Meeting, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions sector events are driven from actual emission cuts within their direct control and value chain, rather than carbon-offset driven.

Oral Answer (to be attributed to Second Minister for Trade and Industry Dr Tan See Leng)

1. Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to answer PQ 5316 and PQ 5317 on today’s Order Paper together? Both questions relate to the sustainability efforts for Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix and the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry.

2. The Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix’s carbon footprint was measured for the first time in 2022. Energy use made up the majority of emissions at 96.1%, while the remaining 3.9% were Scope 3 emissions from transport, waste and water. The findings were published in the Environmental, Social and Governance report by the race promoter, Singapore GP Pte Ltd (SGP) on 8 September 2023. A similar audit will be conducted for the race this year.

3. More than 60% of the energy used by SGP is supplied by on-site generators. The remainder is drawn from our electricity grid. SGP aims to halve the energy emissions from the race by 2028. This will be done through reducing energy consumption, increasing the use of renewable energy and powering the on-site generators with alternative fuels that have lower carbon emissions. The race promoter has also switched to energy-efficient LED track lightings which reduces electricity use by at least 30% compared to the previous metal-halide bulbs. Renewable Energy Certificates are then used to offset the electricity that still needs to be drawn from the grid.

4. For the MICE industry, the Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS) are working with event organisers to start tracking the industry’s waste and carbon emissions from this year. This is one of the targets that we have set under the MICE Sustainability Roadmap that was launched last year. The roadmap also sets out strategies that prioritise industry capability building in sustainability, through driving standards and innovations that are primarily targeted at emissions reductions.

5. We will continue to finetune our plans to manage carbon emissions for the Singapore Grand Prix and the MICE industry in the coming years.