Speech by Senior Minister of State for Transport and Sustainability and the Environment, Dr Amy Khor at Green Horizon Day 2023 – Shaping A Sustainable Future

Mr Seah Moon Ming, Chairman, SMRT

Ms Judy Lee, Chairperson, EVCo 

Mr Ngien Hoon Ping, Group Chief Executive Officer, SMRT

Mr Fuji Foo, Chief Executive Officer, EVCo

Ms Zhang Haiying, Chief Executive Officer, DST

Distinguished guests

Good afternoon.

1.     I am delighted to join EVCo to celebrate your ‘coming of age’ milestone at the inaugural Green Horizon Day.  

2.     In October 2022, Singapore announced that we will target to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. With the land transport sector accounting for about 15% of carbon emissions in Singapore, we need to significantly decarbonise the sector. Electrification of our vehicle population is a major thrust in our decarbonisation efforts. Hence, I am encouraged by the work of companies such as EVCo. Please allow me to elaborate.

3.     At EVCo’s launch in April last year, EVCo announced that it will help businesses in Singapore and the region switch to a fully electric fleet of vehicles in a seamless manner, decarbonise mobility through digitalisation and data, and support businesses’ sustainability aspirations. Today, I am heartened to learn of the strides EVCo has made in the past one plus year. By providing end-to-end electric mobility services, ranging from electric vehicle (EV) leasing to charger management, EVCo has helped over 30 business, both large and small, across various industries – such as logistics, pest control, telecommunications and facilities management – to achieve their sustainability goals. I understand that this is achieved through EVCo’s integrated digital platform.

Electric vehicles key to land transport decarbonisation

4.     The Singapore government is fully committed to supporting EVCo and its like-minded customers and partners in their mission to adopt green mobility. Switching from Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles to EVs halves the carbon footprint, with further potential abatement as we decarbonise the power grid. Hence, EVs will be a crucial component of our vision for all vehicles in Singapore to run on cleaner energy by 2040. 

5.     To support businesses in adopting cleaner commercial vehicles, the Government has rolled out various initiatives. These range from financial incentives to bridge the gap between EVs and ICE vehicles, such as the Commercial Vehicle Emissions Scheme and the Early Turnover Scheme; to accelerating the deployment of charging infrastructure across our island. Specifically, we aim to have all 2,000 public housing carparks equipped with EV chargers by 2025 and a network of 60,000 chargers by 2030. In short, we want to take the anxiety out of range. So far, we have deployed charging points in around 300 HDB carparks, or 15% of all HDB carparks. We are on track to achieve our target for one-third of HDB carparks to have charging points by the end of this year.

Support for businesses to decarbonise 

6.     More broadly, as the world moves towards a carbon-constrained future, businesses need to build capabilities in sustainability to remain competitive. Government support is available, such as grant support for businesses to develop a sustainability strategy, and training for others looking to level up on their sustainability knowledge, under Enterprise Singapore’s Enterprise Sustainability Programme. I urge all businesses to make full use of the support available to decarbonise your operations and even contribute new green mobility solutions to the landscape.

7.     EVCo is an example of a company that has seized opportunities in the green economy, as a leading Electric-Mobility-as-a-Service (eMaas) solutions provider in Singapore. EVCo’s tech-led solutions help align fleet owners with the Singapore Green Plan and maintain their relevance in a greener, low carbon future. I would like to congratulate EVCo for your achievements in driving green mobility and digital innovations. I look forward to witnessing your continued contributions to Singapore’s green mobility landscape. Thank you.