APCEL-CNCS Executive Course on Singapore’s Legal and Regulatory Issues on Climate Change

On 3 April 2025, Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions (CNCS) and the Asia Pacific Centre for Environmental Law (APCEL) organised a one-day executive programme titled “Legal and Regulatory Issues on Climate Change in Singapore”.

The executive programme was attended by 28 lawyers, in-house counsel, government officials, academics and sustainability professionals, who learnt about environment- and climate-related laws in Singapore. The programme was well received by the participants, who found it provided a good overview of Singapore’s climate legal developments.

Singapore has set a target to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, in accordance with the Paris Agreement’s strive for long-term, low-emission development strategies. To achieve this objective, the country is enhancing its capacity and creating pathways to transition to a low-carbon economy, including ambitions to establish itself as a hub for carbon trading and services in the region. Globally, the importance of climate issues is being increasingly integrated into business strategies and regulatory requirements.

Given these developments, businesses in Singapore must skillfully navigate the shifting legal and regulatory landscape to maintain their competitiveness.There is an increasing emphasis on directors’ obligations to factor in climate change impacts when making business decisions, as well as on regulatory efforts to curb greenwashing to protect consumers.

Condensed from last year’s two-day rendition, this one-day programme is designed to offer a quick, yet thorough exploration of the latest trends in the rapidly evolving regulatory context, equipping participants to effectively advise their stakeholders on the relevant regulations.

The programme encompassed four expert speakers across a mix of lawyers and academics.

First Row from left to right: Melissa Low, Research Fellow, NUS-CNCS, Peter Zaman, Partner, HFW.
Second Row from left to right: Joseph Chun, Partner, Shook Lin & Bok LLP, Ernest Lim, Vice Dean (Faculty Development), Professor, NUS Law

Participants were introduced to international and domestic laws relating to climate change governance and the low-carbon transition. They explored: –

1. The UN Climate Framework, Paris Agreement and Nationally Determined Contributions, including the state of play in international climate targets and their implications on Singapore’s approach – from Ms Melissa Low, Research Fellow from CNCS;
2. Challenges to building successful carbon markets and lessons learnt from what has worked and what has not in the design of policy mechanisms within the European Union and China Emissions Trading Schemes – with Mr Peter Zaman, Partner, HFW.
3. The Role of Contracts in the Transition to a Sustainable Economy, covering the motivations for private entities to care about contracts in the form of green loans, green procurement and green leases – from Dr Joseph Chun, Partner, ESG Practice, Shook Lin & Bok LLP and Adjunct Associate Professor, NUS Law;
4. Directors’ Duties and Disclosure Obligations, including international corporate sustainability directives and climate litigation trends that company directors should take note of – by Ernest Lim, Vice Dean (Faculty Development), Professor, NUS Law

Navigating through the diverse topics covered, participants were actively engaged in evaluating the effectiveness of current laws and regulations in curbing the risks and impacts of climate change. During the reflections, participants shared that the course tapped on a diverse range of expertise amongst the speakers, with high quality case studies and in-depth, nuanced insights shared.

If you are interested in joining us for a similar programme in the future, please write in to join our CNCS CET mailing list and APCEL’s mailing list and look out for updates.