January 22, 2019

Associate Professor Alberto Salvo from the NUS Department of Economics writes about the impact of climate change in TODAY’s Opinion section. He highlights his study that found that a 1°C increase in daily temperature raises household electricity use in Shanghai by a staggering 15%. Similarly, a study he authored on Singaporeans’ water and electricity bills discovered that higher-income households in Singapore tend to use electricity (i.e. air-conditioning) to seek relief from the heat, while those with lower incomes rely on water by showering more often and for longer periods. These findings corroborate an online survey he conducted on heat relief behaviour in Singapore, which found that washing one’s face and clothes is another common water-based cooling measure.

A/P Salvo emphasizes that if energy and water-based cooling patterns in Singapore are predictive of heat-relief behaviours elsewhere in the urbanizing tropics, heat may increase water consumption in less-developed cities, where most households have yet to adopt air conditioning. This is a problem because precipitation patterns are shifting due to climate change, with some regions set to experience low rainfall and reduced availability of water. A policymaker in a water-stressed region may prefer that households turn to electricity instead of water-based cooling measures to cope with hot and dry days, resulting in higher greenhouse gas emissions.

Thus, A/P Salvo asserts that we ought to take note of the statement made by the Meteorological Service Singapore last week (15 January), which not only highlighted that December 2018 was the second warmest December since 1929, while the past decade has been the warmest on record, but underlined these as signs of a long-term warming trend in Singapore. He stresses that increasing household consumption of utilities will only lead to greater warming, unless societies can move towards renewable types of energy. A better understanding of the consequences of climate change may allow for policies that mitigate carbon emissions and shift the economy away from fossil fuels.

Read the full article here.