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SINGAPORE - Even though some governments in other countries are scaling back on their climate ambitions, retreating from action is not an option for Singapore, which will continue to do its part, not only to address climate risks, but also to secure its long-term resilience and competitiveness, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Feb 12.

“While Singapore will continue to contribute responsibly to climate action, we recognise that our actions alone cannot determine global outcomes,” he said.

Singapore will calibrate its moves cautiously – doing its part to reduce carbon emissions as a global citizen – while taking into account development in other countries, so that it does not put itself at a competitive disadvantage, he added.

The country’s carbon tax in 2026 and 2027 stands at $45 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions, but if global climate momentum continues to weaken, the tax rate by 2030 could be on the lower end of the $50 to $80 range per tonne, the Prime Minister said in his Budget speech.

PM Wong noted that the Republic already has the highest carbon tax in the whole of Asia, but the country is assessing tax trajectory carefully in light of international developments.

“Unfortunately, global momentum on climate action has slowed,” said PM Wong, highlighting how countries were unable to agree on concrete decarbonisation roadmaps at the 2025 UN climate change summit in Brazil.

He also noted that the International Maritime Organization in 2025 delayed adopting its net zero framework as member states could not reach consensus.

The carbon tax is a key decarbonisation strategy for Singapore as it puts a price on pollution. There are about 50 carbon tax-paying facilities in Singapore, mainly in the manufacturing, power, waste and wate...