SINGAPORE, Nov 3 — Singapore will enforce the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP) when it assumes bloc chairmanship in 2027, said Sustainability and Environment Minister Grace Fu.
She said the republic will work towards establishing the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACCTHPC) in Indonesia to strengthen cooperation and coordination in managing land and forest fires and transboundary haze.
“This will only come into force after six ASEAN member states have ratified the establishment agreement of the ACCTHPC.
“Singapore will submit our instrument of ratification for the establishment agreement in the next few days, and we will strongly encourage other ASEAN member states to do so,” she said during a question-and-answer session in Parliament today.
She was responding to questions from several MPs on how the government intends to address transboundary haze at the regional level.
According to her, Singapore will also work with ASEAN members on bloc initiatives that tackle the root causes of transboundary haze, including by advocating for sustainable land and peatland management and establishing guidelines on crop burning.
“Some ASEAN member states have indicated that they will raise the transboundary haze issue at the upcoming ASEAN meetings.
“Singapore will support these discussions and share how we intend to act against companies responsible for the haze,” Fu added.
