A very good afternoon to all of you! I am very delighted to be here today. It gives me a unique opportunity to address issues which are of utmost impor tance to NUS – creating a sustainable environment and combating global warming and climate change.

With the release of the Fourth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) last year, the scientific consensus on climate change is firm and clear. The Earth’s climate is changing as a result of greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. Climate change, if unmitigated, poses serious implications on human growth and development.

Climate change issues are fast gaining impor tance on the global and local government agenda, given that a high level Inter-Ministerial Committee on Sustainable Development was set up in early February to formulate a clear national framework and strategy for Singapore’s sustainable development in the context of emerging domestic and global challenges. This initiative augments Singapore’s National Climate Change Committee, which is chaired by Dr Amy Khor. The National Climate Change Committee is tasked to address the various aspects of climate change, which includes vulnerability, adaptation and mitigation.

I understand that at the Green Carnival last October, Mr Joseph Mullinix, Deputy President for Administration, launched the setting of air-conditioning temperatures in NUS to 25 °C together with Dr Khor and Mr Lee. Stickers with energy conservation messages were also distributed to NUS offices and departments to serve as a reminder.

In early February this year, our NUS Students’ Union launched their Environmental Charter, with the help of Professor Tan Eng Chye, our Provost and Deputy President for Academic Affairs. By seeking to promote environmental stewardship, resource conservation and education in their union activities, events and services, we hope to groom our student leaders as role models in NUS and beyond.

In conjunction with the launch of the Environmental Charter, SAVE, together with CSC, NUS COOP and Office of Estate and Development, launched the Rebate2Earth initiative to reduce plastic bags in NUS COOP bookstores, fruit and drink stalls in our canteens. This initiative, which requires customers to pay 10 cents for every plastic bag used, saw plastic bag consumption decrease by more than 80% in participating outlets.

In April, as part of Zer0waste project, CSC engaged all the halls and residences to promote paper recycling at the end of the academic semester. To further promote recycling, surveys were also undertaken by student interns under the guidance of CSC to look into issues relating to the recycling habits, appropriate use of recycling bins, and location of these bins on campus.

I am very proud that our student leaders, from SAVE, together with CSC, have taken the bold step to engage other stakeholders of the university. They have taken the initiative to lead the community to address the issues and challenges of climate change through the Green Carnival and the comprehensive range of projects that will be launched and renewed today – Zer0Waste, 1Degree Up, Rebate2Earth, SAVE3s, Food4Thought and Sustainable Office Programme. I commend their laudable effort to engage our community. I would like to encourage all our faculty members, staff, and students to support these noble and meaningful environmental projects as well as to initiate new environmental programmes on campus.

At this juncture, I would like to express my thanks to the student leaders in SAVE and CSC for organizing the Green Carnival 2008 and for bravely taking on the six campus-wide environmental projects in the coming year. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all sponsors, NEA, City Developments Limited, Nokia, TES-AMM, Sembawang Shipyard and Senoko Power, for your generosity in supporting this meaningful event.

Last but not least, allow me to quote the ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle: “All who have mediated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth.” At NUS, we are committed to help our youth, the leaders of tomorrow, achieve their greatest potential.

I call upon my fellow colleagues and our student leaders to come together and take a proactive lead in a concerted effort to meet the global climate challenge. Yes, I believe we need and want to do our part for our planet. We cannot afford to wait.