The Earth is out of radiative energy balance. There is more energy coming into the Earth’s atmosphere than is being radiated back to space. The reason for this is the excess of greenhouse gases (GHGs), primarily as carbon dioxide (CO2), that are being emitted to the atmosphere from our combustion of fuels (coal, oil and natural gas). If this energy imbalance is not addressed then the world will continue to warm with dire consequences for humanity and wildlife.

The Earth’s energy imbalance is now being quantified accurately by a global array of Argo floats - a flotilla of over 3,000 remote sensing devices distributed throughout the world’s oceans that are constantly monitoring its heat content. Over time, the Argo floats have measured a large and growing global energy imbalance. In the period from 2005 to 2016 the increase in ocean heat content measured by the Argo floats was equivalent to a planetary energy gain equal to the detonation of over 500,000 Hiroshima-sized nuclear weapons - every day. This level of energy gain in the Earth’s climate system has become the key driver for the observed increase in extreme weather events around the world, the disintegration of the planet’s ice-sheets and a threat to the stability of global ecosystems.
Levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are now at 413 ppm, up from a pre-industrial level of 280 ppm. As a result, global warming is both accelerating and intensifying, where the radiative forcing from GHG emissions is 40% higher since 1990. The month of July 2019 was the warmest month ever to be recorded since records began in 1850, where the warmest 20 years have all occurred in the last 22 years. The last 4 years have been the warmest of all. Overall, average global surface temperatures have now risen by about 1oC since the start of the industrial revolution about 250 years ago.

Satellite measurements have confirmed that the Greenland and Western-Antarctic Ice-sheets are now losing ice-mass at an accelerating rate. In turn, this is driving non-linear changes in the climate system and a faster rate of sea-level rise. Paleoclimate evidence, from the Earth’s climate history, shows that during the Eemian interglacial period (about 120,000 years ago) that sea levels, at thermal equilibrium, were up to 9 metres higher than today. For a predicted level of global warming of over 30C by the year 2100, then the world will resemble the climate of the midPliocene (3-5 million years ago) where sea levels, at thermal equilibrium, were between 15 and 25 metres higher than today. These ancient changes in the radiative heat balance of the planet were caused by slow and steady changes in the Earth’s orbit and spin axis operating over a time scale of hundreds of thousands of years. In contrast, the rate of global now taking place is much more rapid and completely unprecedented in the paleoclimate record.

In October 2018, the United Nations issued a stark warning to the world. We have just 12 years to avoid a committed mean global temperature rise of 1.5oC, or risk triggering catastrophic climate change. According to the UN, keeping to the 1.5oC target under the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement will require “rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society” to avoid what the UN refers has previously referred to as “dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system”.

The intricate relationships that exist between global ecosystems and biodiversity play a vital role in controlling the fluxes of GHGs and regulating climate stability. Coupled with the climate crisis, the world is also facing an equality dire ecological crisis which has been caused by the rapid and extensive degradation of the planet’s ecosystems, including its oceans, forests, and wetlands.

As a result, the Earth has now entered its sixth-mass extinction event, where the rate of species loss has risen to between 100 and 1000 times higher than natural background levels. In the last 50 years alone, the world is estimated to have lost over 60% of its wildlife, and about 75% of the planet’s land area is now degraded as a result of modern agricultural practices and rapid urbanisation.

Nothing short of massive, strong and global coordinated global action is now required to prevent a climate catastrophe and ecological breakdown, and their associated risks to humanity. A return to the climate of the current Holocene interglacial period, in which human civilisation developed, requires that the Earth’s radiative energy imbalance be corrected via rapid GHG reductions and the restoration of global ecosystems.

Singapore faces unique threats and opportunities in the face of a rapidly changing climate system and
the global ecological crisis. As a small, tropical island state nation, Singapore is increasingly vulnerable to both rising sea levels and warmer temperatures. The nation also faces indirect threats from a disruption of the global food supply chain as a result of changing weather patterns. In the face of these threats, Singapore is nonetheless well-placed to increase its resilience to climate change by developing appropriate adaptation and mitigation strategies. By leveraging its economic strength, its robust urban planning system, and its advanced research capabilities, Singapore has a unique opportunity to rise to the challenges of a changing climate. Furthermore, as a leader in the ASEAN region, Singapore also can develop advanced technologies to address sustainability challenges and lead the way for the rapidly growing nations of Southeast Asia.

by

Prof. Jeff Obbard

Living Planet Pte Ltd has been recently established in Singapore by Professor Jeff Obbard, an environmental scientist and ecologist who has spent the last 25 years living and working in Singapore, and around the world. Jeff spent over 17 years working at the National University of Singapore (NUS), in the Faculty of Engineering. He was also the Research Director at the Tropical Marine Science Institute, and was also as Director of its Sustainable Development & Water Alliance. During his time at NUS, Jeff served as the Principal Scientist for Bioenergy at the Agency of Science & Technology, and as Vice President for Science & Technology on a Royal Dutch Shell Petroleum project to develop low-carbon, renewable biofuels in Hawaii, USA. He has also served as an Expert Reviewer to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and led a team from NUS to win the United Nations Mondialogo Award for Sustainable Development. Jeff is also as a Visiting Professor to the School of Water, Energy & Environment at Cranfield University in the UK - one of the UK’s leading postgraduate engineering universities

By establishing Living Planet in Singapore, Prof Jeff will provide strategic advice to government and industry on matters relating to sustainable development, climate science and natural resource management. Prof Jeff is also a Board Member and Advisor to GreenIn-Future. “Living Planet looks forward to working in close partnership with Green-in-Future to provide expert advice and solutions to our clients on their sustainable development challenges”, he said.

You can contact Prof Jeff Obbard via his Linked-In profile at www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-obbard-phd, or via his email at obbardjeff@gmail.com.

Keeping cool is a priority in the tropical island state known for its high consumption of airconditioning. On a per capita basis in ASEAN, Singapore has the highest consumption of electricity as well as the highest installed rate of Air conditioning. By 2040, the consumption of electricity could account for up to 40 per cent of ASEAN’s electricity demand, up from 25 per cent currently.
While there are around 1.2 billion room airconditioning units around the world, they operate at around 14 per cent of the maximum theoretical efficiency as compared to products like LED lights that run at up to 89 per cent efficiency.
Such inefficiencies are taking a toll on the planet. Air-conditioning currently consumes 2,000 Twhs of electricity annually, contributing 12 per cent or 4 billion tons of CO2 into the environment. Electricity consumption is expected to triple to

6,000 TWhs by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency.
While air-conditioning is the go-to solution to beating the heat, it isn’t the only one. Windows are the first line of defence to combat the heat and glare. However, are the current ‘face’ of windows ‘smart’ enough to protect occupants from the fluctuating weather conditions and optimise air-conditioning efficiency? With the majority of solar heat gain derived from windows, glazed doors and skylights, current solutions like blinds, curtains and secondskins around buildings offer partial respite but lack the realtime dynamism to curb heat before it enters the building.
This is where next generation electrochromic technology or smart-tinting glass can help. It transforms windows to respond to light conditions, time of day, and seasonal patterns to precisely control the tint of glass panels in the building’s façade - from clear to its darkest tint within 3 minutes.

How does it work? Through a stable and patented electrochemical reaction between two glass panes, users can change the optical characteristics of the glass when a low-voltage electrical charge is applied; ions move between materials to darken or clear the glass; see Image 1.
As electricity is only needed during the transition, Halio smart-tinting glass can be set to ‘clear’ or achieve various levels of tint for aesthetic or comfort reasons and does not require power to maintain the desired tint level.
While electrochromic technology has been around for decades, newer technologies such as those used by Halio smart-tinting glass have not only tackled the drawbacks of earlier versions on the market in terms of tint colour, uniformity and speed. Halio also enables window automation in connection to its cloud system with bank encrypted security.
Halio Cloud can monitor facades in real-time with solar irradiance sensors and can be integrated with a building management system (BMS) to respond dynamically to external weather conditions and internal factors like the number of occupants, space, position of lighting, office or room layout.
This means that air-conditioning no longer needs to be manually adjusted to coincide with the weather

patterns. Controlled through the building management system, glass facades and air-conditioning can adapt to changing climate conditions throughout the day, making it more intuitive, environmentally sustainable and efficient.
For instance, the windows facing East can be programmed to a darker tint at 7:30 am, while the other windows remain clear and air-conditioning adjusted to a cooler setting in preparation for people to start their workday. As the sun path moves throughout the day, the real-time data collected by the solar irradiance sensor will be interpreted by the Halio algorithm to adjust the tint according to the sky conditions on each façade orientation.
From a design perspective, the key issue on hand is how to integrate and optimise the use of such smart glass technology. Why?
With a responsive living glass façade, automated electrochromic glazing will bring benefits in greater energy efficiency and savings without having to compromise on the views.
While air-conditioning is not going away anytime soon, smart-tinting windows coupled with building automation can provide occupants relief from glare, optimise daylight, while reaping the rewards of energy savings and sustainability.

SINGAPORE – Last weekend, Young Sustainable Impact Southeast Asia (YSI SEA) completed the second run of its Innovation Programme which culminated in a Demo-Day, where Southeast Asian youth shared their impact start-up ideas with prospective investors for potential incubation and funding. Eight teams, comprised of 24 youth from the ASEAN region, had the opportunity to pitch their impact start-up ideas to a crowd of over 50 venture capitalists, impact and angel investors, academics and other stakeholders. This included organisations like Temasek Foundation, Facebook and Sembcorp. The solutions proposed by the teams tackled various issues in key ASEAN markets, addressing one or more Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as set out by the United Nations (UN). The start-up ideas this year addressed topics such as mental
health in youths, educational skills gap in Southeast Asia, and upcycling resources for sustainable packaging. One of the teams, Farmability, clinched the ‘Most Dynamic Start-Up Award’ along with a SGD1000 cash prize, sponsored by Utoocentral. Their start-up hopes to tackle poverty in Eastern Visayas, Philippines, by upcycling Agri-wastes such as coconut husks into sustainable eco-products. Another start-up team, eBenta, also won the ‘Audience Choice Award’. At the end of the event, the audiences virtually invested and were asked to split their imaginary ‘investment’ to the groups that impressed them the most. With the aim of reducing economic hardships faced by vulnerable sectors in society, eBenta creates alternative income-generating opportunities through eCommerce and livelihood training.

Sai Surya, CEO of YSI SEA said, “What YSI SEA does is important because we empower youth in Southeast Asia who are passionate about sustainability to come up with innovative solutions for pressing issues in the world, and we bring these impact ideas to stakeholders in the ecosystem for potential funding and mentorship, bringing their ideas to fruition.” “One thing that drives the YSI SEA team is that we lie safe in the knowledge no one truly understands what sustainability means. Here at YSI SEA, we’re trying to collectively find an answer for that as well,” said Irsyad Ramthan, COO of YSI SEA. “What we need is a generation that cares and works towards sustainability by collaborating and learning from one another. Only then can we develop our capacity, knowledge and skills to come up with feasible solutions for measurable impact.” The Demo-Day, which took place at Marina Bay Sands on 27th July 2019, is a culmination of a fully funded 5-month long Innovation Programme, with Temasek Foundation as the Principal Partner. 

The Innovation Programme is a hallmark of YSI SEA, where youths from across Southeast Asia are brought together to create potential impact start-ups. Heng Li Lang, Senior Director of Temasek Foundation and Guest-of-Honour for Demo Day said, “Temasek Foundation sees YSI SEA as a conduit for gathering youths from different universities, not only in Singapore, but also from around Southeast Asia. Besides just being aware, young people need to take action and be an advocate to their peers, families and friends. But more than that, we need solutions – and this brings us to YSI SEA.” The 8 impact start-ups teams also showcased their ideas to the public during the YSI SEA Showcase – Sustainabiltiy: Hype or Hope? – which took place later that afternoon. Over 500 public visitors turned up at the showcase, which was graced by Minister Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources. The event also saw speakers from IKEA, S&P Global, The Fashion Pulpit and Edible Garden City. Moving forward, these eight teams will continue to receive support from YSI SEA in the form of mentorship, grants for solution-testing and networks to ensure their continuity and success. Koh Ghee Kian, a team member of Lega S.E.A., said, “The most important thing is to not be afraid of trying. We are very lucky to have found YSI SEA and this programme to groom our impact start-up. Searching for any opportunity and going after them is the most important thing to do. Any idea can be a good idea, but you have to believe in it first.” Allen Glen Gil and Huyen Cam Le from Farmability said, “The greatest takeaway from this programme has been meeting people from all over Southeast Asia with the same passion, interest and drive. To the youth who want to be part of the impact space: Observe everything you are interested in, and spot opportunities.” Please refer to Annex A for more details on the eight impact start-up teams. For more information, please visit https://www. ysisea.com/