The 14th Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Joint Steering Council (JSC) meeting on 1 Nov
Rapid population and business growth, alongside new low-carbon partnerships, could support demand for homes and commercial space while encouraging larger-scale sustainable development.
The 30 km2 Tianjin Eco-City had grown from 20,000 people in 2014 to over 130,000, with more than 23,000 registered companies by 2022.
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NEW PARTNERSHIPS TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEIZE GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES
The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City has catalysed partnerships to address climate change and unlock opportunities in low-carbon development, and continues to be an important bilateral cooperation platform on sustainability.
At the 14th Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Joint Steering Council (JSC) Meeting held on 1 November 2022, the Civil Service College (CSC) Singapore and Tianjin Eco-City Administrative Committee (ECAC) of China signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Training and Collaborations in Developing a Resilient and Safe City. Under the MOU, both sides will organise regular exchanges for officials on topics such as emergency and disaster management, through seminars, forums or study visits.
Minister for National Development and Minister-in-Charge of Social Services Integration Desmond Lee said: “Fourteen years ago, Singapore and China set out to transform a barren wasteland into a liveable city. Today, the Tianjin Eco-City is a frontrunner and model for sustainable urban development. The experience that we have mutually gained from working on this project is ever more salient today, as we grapple with the global challenge of climate change. And the MOU that the CSC and ECAC have just signed is an example of how we continue to enhance our bilateral cooperation on the Eco-City project through knowledge sharing and exchanges, which can help to strengthen our resilience against climate change.”
The Eco-City project has also brought Singapore and Chinese companies together to seize new economic opportunities from low-carbon development. The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd. (SSTEC), as the master developer for the Eco-City, has kicked off a new series of Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Economic Forums and Business Seminars to foster partnerships between Singapore and Chinese companies, and to encourage them to capitalise on new growth opportunities in the Eco-City. The inaugural Economic Forum held on 29 June this year was well-attended by about 500 participants from both countries.
Looking ahead, the Eco-City will continue to be a thriving ‘living lab’ that attracts companies and talent from both countries and beyond to create and pilot innovative low-carbon solutions. The development of the Eco-City’s future city centre, as well as Keppel Land’s upcoming development of a carbon-neutral smart precinct in the Eco-City’s Northern District, offer the potential for smart and sustainable solutions to be deployed on a larger scale. An MOU on Strategic Cooperation with Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) in the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City signed by ECAC, SSETC and SUTD will also open up new opportunities for the joint development of such sustainable solutions.
The Eco-City continues to serve as a useful springboard for Singapore companies to deploy their sustainable living solutions overseas, in support of both countries’ shared vision of low-carbon living. At the JSC Meeting, Minister Desmond Lee shared that Seasons City, a smart and low-carbon mall which Keppel Land opened in the Eco-City last year, had been awarded the Tianjin Climate Exchange Carbon Neutrality certification in May this year. This recognises the mall’s achievement of ultra-low energy consumption through the use of renewable energy, energy-efficient lighting designs, chillers and ventilation systems, as well as an advanced smart energy management and control platform.
Minister Desmond Lee added: “With both China and Singapore committed to ambitious carbon goals, there is a lot of scope for us to work together on this front. As we mark the Eco-City’s 15th anniversary next year, I look forward to strengthening our bilateral cooperation on the Eco-City project so that we can unlock more benefits that low-carbon development can bring to our people.”
More information on the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City project and the two MOUs can be found in Annex A, B and C respectively.
Annex A
Background information on the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City
The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City is a bilateral collaboration project between Singapore and China to develop an economically vibrant, socially harmonious, environmentally-friendly and resource-efficient city in Tianjin. It provides a platform for both countries to explore new collaborations, pilot new ideas and share best practices in sustainable development. The Eco-City aims to be a model for sustainable development for other cities in China and the rest of the world.
As the second flagship project between Singapore and China, the Eco-City helps to further broaden and deepen the bilateral partnership, and provides a new platform for engagement between the leaders, officials and businesses of both countries.
The Eco-City project spans 30 km2. When the project broke ground in 2008, it was a site comprising mainly saltpans, barren land and polluted waterbodies. Through the joint efforts of Singaporean and Chinese stakeholders, the Eco-City has made significant progress in the areas of environmental rehabilitation, green buildings, renewable energy, water management, and environmental protection. These include rehabilitating its 2.6 km2 wastewater pond, conducting research in green development, developing green building standards and constructing green buildings, tapping renewable energy sources (wind, solar and geothermal energies), encouraging residents to lead environmentally-friendly lifestyles, and promoting green transport.
Development status of the Tianjin Eco-City
The number of people living or working in the Eco-City has grown from 20,000 in 2014 to over 130,000 today, and there are currently more than 23,000 registered companies in the Eco-City. A range of residential developments, community and recreational spaces, schools as well as workplaces have been completed to make the Eco-City an attractive and liveable home. Residents can easily meet their daily needs at amenities like community centres1, schools and commercial developments. Public parks and leisure areas, like the National Maritime Museum of China and the Fantawild Adventure Theme Park, offer ample space for recreation and community bonding. Business spaces and industry parks2 in the Eco-City also provide a variety of job opportunities.
The Eco-City’s development commenced with the 8 km2 start-up area located in the south of the Eco-City. The development of the Eco-City has progressed to the central district. A vibrant city centre of around 1 km2 will be the focus of the central district. When completed, the city centre will be the heart of commercial, leisure and recreational activities and support the future growth of the Eco-City.
1 The Community Centre is a commercial-cum-community centre that provides a comprehensive range of social services and amenities. For example, the No. 3 Community Centre includes a polyclinic, a wet market and facilities for community activities. It has adapted elements of Singapore’s Community Clubs.
2 The four industrial parks in the Eco-City are National Animation Industry Park, Eco-Business Park, Eco-Industrial Park, and Eco-Information Park.
Pushing boundaries of sustainable solutions
Over the years, Singapore and China have pushed the boundaries of sustainable solutions through the Eco-City project. In the early days of the project, when there had been no precedents or established standards for the management of polluted water bodies in China, a former wastewater pond in the Eco-City was rehabilitated. Since then, “blue-green” networks of inter-connected water and greenery systems have taken shape in the Eco-City. To bring nature even closer to the Eco-City’s residents and visitors, the National Parks Board (NParks) of Singapore and the Tianjin Eco-City Administrative Committee (ECAC) of China signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2021 on a collaboration to enhance the Eco-City into a “Garden City”. Under the MOU, both sides jointly plan, design and develop features such as a Green Belt, a park connector network connecting the city’s green spaces, and pocket parks at street corners in the central area of the Eco-City.
The Eco-City has strengthened efforts to be a smart city. Besides having a Smart City Operations Centre (SCOC)3, the Eco-City has been piloting smart solutions, such as autonomous public buses and smart carparks. In May 2021, the Seasons Smart Vibrant Precinct was launched, comprising four residential developments (Seasons Heights, Seasons Garden, Seasons Park and Seasons Residences) and a commercial development (Seasons City). The Precinct leverages technologies such as 5G, Artificial Internet of Things, big data and Augmented Reality, to enhance public amenities and urban living experience.
Notably, Seasons City is one of the latest highlights in the Eco-City which demonstrates how a sustainable city can be highly liveable too. Opened on 30 September 2021, Seasons City comprises a five-storey retail mall and three office towers. The retail mall is a well-curated lifestyle haven that is home to gourmet dining establishments, high fashion brands, total wellness and experiential entertainment catering to all ages.
In 2022, Seasons City’s retail mall received the Tianjin Climate Exchange Carbon Neutrality certification in recognition of the mall’s ultra-low energy consumption. As the first Building and Construction Authority (BCA) of Singapore Green Mark Platinum (provisional) mixed development in China, Seasons City adopts energy-efficient lighting designs, chillers and ventilation systems. It also taps on non-potable water for landscape irrigation and other uses, and is installed with photovoltaics and a solar hot water system. The total cost saving that can be achieved from the water and energy saving features at Seasons City (Phase 1), comprising the retail mall and a 10-storey office tower, is estimated to be over RMB 9 million (approximately S$1.8 million) a year. In addition, Seasons City has achieved the WELL Health-Safety Rating by the International WELL Building Institute for its robust health and safety management. Seasons City also features a range of smart applications, such as smart parking system and a cloud-based service platform which offers personalised and convenient shopping experiences. The mall also boasts an iconic 26m tall artificial tree strategically located in the central atrium, part of an interactive and immersive multimedia experience that promotes eco-living.
3 Constructed in 2018, the Smart City Operations Centre (SCOC) is the flagship smart city project in the Eco-City. The SCOC aims to serve as a one-stop location to centrally monitor all public utilities infrastructure, and to be a one-stop command centre for all municipal services and emergency management.
Contributing to international cooperation on sustainable development
In line with its vision to be a model for sustainable cities, the Eco-City has contributed to international cooperation on sustainable development by sharing the Eco-City’s development experience worldwide. The Eco-City’s experience in water rehabilitation has been replicated in Xiong’An New Area’s Baiyangdian Lake Basin; Hunan Province Zhuzhou City’s Qingshuitang; and Zhejiang Province’s Yuhuan City. In 2017, the Eco-City became a pilot programme for the International Standards Organisation (ISO) standards for the management and implementation of sustainable cities and communities. In 2021, the Eco-City’s experience was shared with international audience at the Roundtable on Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Green Development and the BRI International Green Development Coalition Policy Studies Release 2021, World Cities Summit, and the 5th World Intelligence Congress in Tianjin.
Annex B
Memorandum of Understanding on Training and Collaborations in Developing a Resilient and Safe City
The Tianjin Eco-City Administrative Committee (ECAC) of the People’s Republic of China and Civil Service College (CSC) Singapore have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Training and Collaborations in Developing a Resilient and Safe City.
Under this MOU, both sides will commit to holding regular exchanges and discussions for officials on topics such as ‘Developing a Resilient and Safe City’ and ‘Emergency and Disaster Management’ through seminars, forums, or study visits. Participants will also be able to apply their learnings through the implementation of action plan and standards for Developing a Resilient and Safe City.
The signing of the MOU reaffirms the close working relationship between ECAC and CSC and demonstrates the strong commitment to strengthening our people-to-people exchange and capability-building in developing a resilient and safe city.
Annex C
Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Cooperation with SUTD in the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Strategic Cooperation with SUTD in the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City was signed between the Tianjin Eco-City Administrative Committee (ECAC) of the People’s Republic of China, Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd. (SSTEC) and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) on 29 June 2022. The signatories are ECAC Vice Chairman Mu Xihua, SSTEC CEO Teo Eng Cheong, and SUTD President Prof Chong Tow Chong.
Under this MOU, ECAC, SSTEC and SUTD will undertake strategic cooperation to develop and apply smart technologies and solutions for sustainability, to support the Eco-City’s growth into a smart and low-carbon city; nurture education, research and entrepreneurial talents; and promote people-to-people exchanges between Singapore and Tianjin.
The MOU is a testament to the close partnerships which the Eco-City project fosters amongst officials, businesses and Institutes of Higher Learning from Singapore and Tianjin in co-creating innovative solutions to support sustainable development.