S2E11: Paying more for green travel: Are levies and carbon taxes enough?

Dec 16, 2025

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Which means of various green transportation can decarbonise the most?

Synopsis: Every 3rd Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times examines not just vehicle prices but wider transport issues and trends connected to public and private transport.

From October 2026, travellers departing Singapore will contribute to the purchase of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). But is this levy enough to tackle aviation’s carbon problem?

Hosted by ST senior transport correspondent Lee Nian Tjoe, the panel - comprising Mr Andrey Berdichevskiy, partner and associate director of Boston Consulting Group and Professor S. Viswanathan from Nanyang Business School - discusses the hard-to-abate aviation sector, the true cost of green flying, and whether we should rethink that long-haul trip to visit the northern lights.

Back on the ground, the conversation shifts to the return of the Robo-taxi. Are autonomous vehicles the solution to our “last mile” woes in estates like Punggol?

Plus, the experts share practical advice on the “Avoid, Shift, Improve” framework, from taking the train to KL, to swapping a steak for a salad in helping commuters to keep it “wheel and green”.

This episode was recorded and filmed on Dec 2 at SPH Media’s revamped auditorium, in front of a live audience of 60 ST readers. It was the sixth and final ST Podcast Live! Session for 2025, capping a special series celebrating The Straits Times’ 180th anniversary.

Highlights (click/tap above):

01:43 The cost of greening skies in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and for flights out of SG

04:45 Why increasing ticket prices doesn’t dampen travelling

12:09 A practical framework for greener mobility choices, from Zoom calls to high-speed rail

19:47 The return of autonomous vehicles like the Robo-taxi

31:38 From giving up the car to adopting a "flexitarian" diet - what else can individuals?

Read Lee Nian Tjoe's articles: https://str.sg/wt8G

Follow Lee Nian Tjoe on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/iqkJ

Read more COE articles: https://str.sg/iGKC

Host: Lee Nian Tjoe (niantjoel@sph.com.sg)

Produced & edited by: Eden Soh

Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong