saneamento basico

A política sustentável da água de Cingapura oferece um modelo útil para o desenvolvimento sustentável

In January ​2016, the ​Singapore ​Exchange (SGX) ​announced that ​it would ​introduce ​sustainability ​reporting on a ​“comply ​or explain”​ basis for ​companies ​listed on the ​SGX.

Sustainability ​reporting is a ​complement to ​financial ​reporting, and ​considers ​environmental, ​social and ​governance ​aspects of ​business and ​strategy.

It ​provides ​investors with ​a better ​understanding ​of the ​companies, and ​increases trust ​and transparency.​

According to ​the SGX ​Sustainability ​Reporting Guide,​ reporting will ​be on a “​comply or ​explain” ​basis. This ​means that ​listed ​companies ​should either ​produce the ​report or ​explain the ​reasons for not ​doing so.

The ​Guide is quite ​comprehensive ​and requires ​reporting on ​material ​environmental, ​social and ​governance ​factors in the ​context of the ​value chain of ​the business; ​policies, ​practices and ​performance ​issues that ​should be ​implemented; ​targets for the ​forthcoming ​year; selection ​of a reporting ​framework to ​guide reporting ​and disclosure; ​and a statement ​of the Board in ​the sense that ​sustainability ​issues are part ​of the strategy ​of the company, ​that material ​environmental, ​social and ​environmental ​governance ​factors have ​been determined,​ and that ​management and ​monitoring are ​being overseen. ​The first ​sustainability ​reports should ​be issued by ​December 31, ​2018. ​

This move can ​be considered ​as part of a ​global trend ​through which ​companies all ​over the world ​are expected to ​become more ​responsible ​from the ​environmental, ​social and ​governance ​viewpoints. One ​of the most ​important ​international ​initiatives is ​the Global ​Compact of the ​United Nations. ​

To date, 9,531 ​companies in ​162 countries ​have committed ​to improving ​their ​environmental, ​social and ​governance ​performance. ​They have ​produced 47,121 ​reports where ​they aim to ​show the ​impacts of ​their ​operations and ​of their ​actions for ​improvement. ​

The final goal ​is for ​companies to ​move from ​compliance to ​stewardship. ​

As an example, ​let’s ​look at ​Singapore’​s sustainability ​efforts with a ​focus on water ​resources. ​

In most ​countries, ​water use ​proportions are ​conventionally ​divided among ​domestic, ​industrial or ​commercial, and ​agriculture ​sectors.

In ​general, ​agriculture ​uses the most ​water, followed ​by industries ​and then ​households in a ​7:2:1 ​proportion. In ​Singapore, ​however, ​agriculture ​output is not ​large enough to ​be listed as ​its own ​category for ​GDP by industry ​sectors.

Most ​agriculture in ​Singapore is ​high-tech agri-​businesses and ​therefore its ​water use can ​be considered ​industrial as ​well. With ​agriculture ​being almost ​non-existent, ​industry water ​use accounts ​for a ​significantly ​higher ​percentage of ​total water use.​

Singapore’​s current water ​demand ​proportion ​stands at 45 ​percent for ​domestic and 55 ​percent for non-​domestic ​purposes, and ​is projected to ​go towards 40 ​percent and 60 ​percent in 2030 ​and 30 percent ​and 70 percent ​in 2060, ​respectively. ​By volume, ​demand stands ​at 430 million ​gallons per day ​(mgd) today ​with an ​anticipate ​increase by 25 ​percent for ​2030 and more ​than double ​current demand ​by 2060. ​

If we do a ​rough ​translation of ​the official ​figures, it ​means that ​domestic water ​consumption is ​expected to ​increase from ​193.5 mgd today ​to 215 mgd in ​2030, and more ​than 258 mgd in ​2060. Non-​domestic water ​use is ​estimated to ​increase from ​236.5 to 322.5 ​and more than ​602 for the ​same period.

As ​can be seen, ​non-domestic ​water use is ​set to increase ​faster than for ​household use, ​and should more ​than double in ​this simple ​illustration of ​future ​projections. ​

PUB, The ​National Water ​Agency, is well ​on track to ​meet infrastructural ​targets for ​continued ​supply ​capabilities, ​with local ​catchment ​expanding from ​two-thirds to a ​projected 90 ​percent of the ​land surface ​area; five ​recycling ​plants and two ​desalination ​plants in ​operation, two ​desalination ​plants being ​built at this ​time and one in ​the planning ​stage. ​Nevertheless, ​it is important ​to reduce water ​consumption not ​only in the ​domestic sector ​but also in the ​non-domestic ​one.

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Towards this ​end, water ​policies have ​since 2009 been ​in line with ​the Sustainable ​Singapore ​Blueprint, a ​map for ​sustainable ​development at ​the national ​level.

On the ​domestic front, ​demand ​management to ​reduce per ​capita ​consumption per ​day includes ​educational ​programs, and ​mandatory water ​appliances and ​fittings to ​improve ​efficiency ​through the ​Water ​Efficiency ​Labelling ​Scheme. ​

According to ​this scheme, ​water fittings ​and appliances ​have to meet ​minimum water ​efficiency ​standards and ​are graded by ​ticks. ​

This June, PUB,​ National Water ​Agency, ​announced the ​Water Closet ​Replacement ​Project. ​

Existing 9-​liter water ​closets are to ​be replaced ​with more ​efficient 4.5-​liter models ​free-of-charge ​at eligible low-​income ​households, ​such as those ​residing in HDB ​flats built ​between 1986 ​and 1992 and ​currently on ​community ​assistance ​schemes. ​

Conservation ​efforts for ​domestic ​consumption, ​while essential,​ are not enough.​ As demonstrated ​from the ​projections, ​industrial use ​will form the ​majority of ​future water ​demand. For the ​industrial ​sector, there ​are stringent ​measures in ​place but more ​needs to be ​done. ​

Initiatives ​underway ​include the ​Water ​Efficiency ​Management Plan,​ which is ​mandatory for ​large water ​users with ​consumption of ​at least 60,000 ​cubic meters in ​the previous ​year.

These ​users are ​required to ​install, ​monitor and ​track private ​water meters, ​and submit the ​data to PUB for ​at least three ​consecutive ​years. ​

Water ​Efficient ​Building ​certification ​meanwhile ​encourages the ​adoption water ​efficient ​measures on ​private ​commercial and ​industrial ​premises. ​

These measures ​are complimented ​by a national ​standard on ​water ​efficiency ​management ​systems (​Singapore ​Standard 577:​2012), which ​functions as a ​guide for best ​practices.

And ​with the Water ​Efficiency Fund,​ eligible ​projects may be ​proposed to ​offset part of ​the costs for ​compliance or ​voluntary ​certifications. ​

In addition, ​the voluntary ​Active, ​Beautiful, ​Clean (ABC) ​Waters ​certification ​scheme for ​private ​properties, as ​well as the ​water ​efficiency ​criteria within ​Building ​Construction ​Authority (BCA)​’s ​mandatory Green ​Mark certification,​ map out a ​comprehensive ​plan for ​implementing ​water saving ​measures. ​

These policies ​are progressive ​and rely on ​both top-down ​regulations and ​bottom-up ​initiatives. ​This is, a ​hybrid “​carrot-with-​stick” ​approach to ​encourage ​businesses to ​go in the right ​direction. ​

It is ​important, ​however, to ​remember that ​firms are ​rational, ​profit-seeking ​entities. ​Therefore, ​since voluntary ​sustainability ​efforts are ​optimal only ​under ideal, ​optimistic ​conditions, ​they have to be ​made an ​intrinsic part ​of the business ​plan of ​companies and ​be incorporated ​in a coherent ​manner into day-​to-day ​operations. ​

Most firms ​follow the lead ​of the larger ​industry ​players and ​react to policy ​and enforcement ​measures in the ​face of ​immediate ​business ​concerns.

That ​said, there are ​industry ​leaders in each ​sector that are ​willing and ​have indeed ​rolled out ​voluntary ​sustainable ​efforts within ​their own ​processes, ​above and ​beyond ​mandatory ​requirements. ​They have shown ​that sustainability ​measures ​contribute to a ​thriving, ​competitive ​business ​environment. ​

As we move ​towards ​integrating ​sustainability ​in all aspects ​of development, ​SGX’s ​“comply ​or explain”​ requirement is ​a step in the ​right direction,​ and should ​contribute to ​the advancement ​of an ​environmental, ​social and ​governance-​oriented ​corporate ​culture in the ​city-state. ​

Additionally, a ​detailed ​documentation ​of the best ​practices from ​the top ​sustainability ​corporate ​leaders in ​their ​respective ​fields may also ​be able to do ​the same by ​better ​informing the ​current hybrid ​carrot-and-​stick model. ​

This will be an ​exemplar of how,​ in search of ​better working ​processes, ​policy measures ​may learn from ​the best of the ​private sector ​in a two-way ​flow. In this ​case, ​sustainable ​water policy as ​part of a ​larger roadmap ​for sustainable ​development in ​the effort to ​create a more ​livable city. ​

Cecilia Tortajada is Senior ​Research Fellow ​at the ​Institute of ​Water Policy, ​Lee Kuan Yew ​School of ​Public Policy, ​National ​University of ​Singapore. ​ Tommy Kevin Lee is ​Research ​Assistant at ​the same ​Institute. ​

Fonte: The Water Network.

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