Why is it difficult to identify companies linked to fires? How can S’pore’s haze law be strengthened?
Enforcement is limited by the cross-border nature of investigations and difficulties in collecting evidence.
Singapore and environmental organizations are working to identify companies responsible for the severe haze crisis in Southeast Asia. Singapore has served legal notices to ten companies under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, requesting more information on their fire prevention and suppression strategies. However, the lack of action taken against errant firms has raised questions about the challenges in prosecuting these companies.
Senior Minister K. Shanmugam mentioned that Singapore will consider legal, regulatory, and economic measures to pressure companies linked to the haze, such as targeting their bottom lines, access to financing, and government grants. The main challenge in holding polluting firms accountable lies in the lack of access to up-to-date maps of plantation companies.
This information is crucial for identifying and verifying the locations where fires were started and monitoring if companies are taking measures to restore peatlands on their land. Additionally, not all companies disclose the boundaries of their suppliers, making it difficult to determine the origin of fires through satellite images alone.
Improving data transparency from both government and companies is essential to strengthen independent monitoring and accountability.
Written by urgent.news from Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
