UPDATE 1-Singapore to pledge 16 pct cut in emissions

* Singapore says target relies on legal global climate deal

* Aims to improve energy efficiency, public transport

* Energy intensive economy, rising population pose
challenge

By Neil Chatterjee

SINGAPORE, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Singapore, a Southeast Asian
city-state with high per-capita emissions, will head to global
climate talks next week with a pledge to cut carbon pollution
by 16 percent versus projected business-as-usual levels by
2020.
This "stretch target" is based on the level of greenhouse gas
emissions that Singapore would produce by 2020 if no proactive
measures to cut them were taken, but relies on a legal deal
being reached after the U.N. talks in Copenhagen, ministers
said.

"Ours is a substantial commitment that will require a major
effort, bearing in mind our severe constraints," the Business
Times quoted the government's Coordinating Minister for
National Security, S Jayakumar, as telling local media on
Wednesday.

Singapore aims to spur economic growth by increasing its
4.8 million population and attracting further manufacturing
investments will make cutting absolute emissions difficult, a
problem faced by many fast-growing developing nations.

China and other big developing nations rejected core
targets for a climate deal such as halving world greenhouse gas
emissions by 2050 just days before the Copenhagen talks start,
diplomats said on Wednesday. [ID:nGEE5B12CX]

The dispute underscores a rich-poor rift that has haunted
the two-year talks to agree a new global climate deal to
succeed the Kyoto Protocol in 2013 and dampens hopes of
rescuing the December 7-18 Copenhagen summit. [ID:nLL527527]

A legally binding target is already out of reach for the
U.N. talks, with only a political deal possible.

Wealthy Singapore, with one of the world's highest living
standards in terms of GDP per capita, has come under fire from
environmentalists who point to its energy-intensive economy.

"GOOD START"

Singapore, together with South Korea, is classed as a
developing country under Kyoto, and therefore has no targets to
cut emissions between 2008 and 2012.

But the U.N.'s climate panel has recommended that
developing nations reduce emissions by 15 to 30 percent below
business-as-usual trajectories by 2020.

"We think this is a good first start. I think Singapore can
do more," said Amy Ho, managing director for conservation group
WWF Singapore.

"We would ask Singapore to aim higher and move towards the
upper band, closer to 30 percent."

The president of neighbouring Indonesia said in September
that the government would work on policies to achieve a 26
percent reduction in emissions from business as usual by 2020,
and up to 41 percent with financing from rich nations.

Jayakumar said that other countries needed to put forward
significant targets to cut carbon emissions.

He said Singapore's emissions accounted for less than 0.2
percent of the world's total. However, as an oil refining and
manufacturing hub, its per-capita emissions are high, similar
to that of European nations.

The country, a low-lying group of islands at risk of rising
sea levels, seeks to cut emissions through increased use of
public transport, improved fuel efficiency, biofuels and
electric vehicles.

This could benefit local subway operator SMRT (SMRT.SI) and
bus operator ComfortDelGro (CMDG.SI). The government, together
with property developers such as Southeast Asia's biggest
CapitaLand (CATL.SI), are looking to design greener buildings.

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said that given
the country's small size and dense population, 16 percent was a
"stretch target" but achievable, the Straits Times newspaper
said. Mah said Singaporeans might need to change lifestyles.
(Additional reporting by David Fogarty; Editing by )
((neil.chatterjee@thomsonreuters.com, +65 6403 5677))
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