Dec. 2, 2011
http://www.upiu.com/business/2011/12/02/Air-pollution-clouds-view-of-new-businesses-in-Hong-Kong/UPIU-9241322839788/
Chinese University of Hong Kong (MA course)
Genre: Special Report
View of the city from Victoria Peak, Hong Kong / Photo by Emily Liang
HONG KONG, Dec. 2 — A recent survey by the office space management provider Regus revealed a majority of businesses in Hong Kong believe air pollution may be directly to blame for the loss of its competitive edge as the top Asian financial center.
The survey, which included more than 200 international and local companies currently operating in Hong Kong, found 75 percent of Hong Kong business owners and employees feel low air quality is stifling current businesses practices and keeping new foreign companies from transplanting to the area.
“I have been working in Hong Kong for seven years,” said Claudio Gastiglia, an Italian architect working in Hong Kong. “Compared with the time when I first arrived in Hong Kong, I can really feel that the air quality has been reduced a lot.”
Although Gastiglia feels some action is being taken by the government, he said it is not enough.
“I think for the health of the people who live here, either citizen or foreign workers, still a lot could be done,” he said.
The survey indicated that potential companies take environmental issues into strong consideration when choosing locations, and they are more apt to look for friendly and stable conditions in which to conduct their business.
As a result, more enterprises are moving to Singapore, where their employees can breathe easier because of their higher air quality standards.
Gastiglia said it is well-known for being “one of the cleanest cities in the world.”
“If only talking about environment, (Singapore) could be a better choice at least for now,” he said.
England resident Jane Chan, a financial Analyst at Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) in Hong Kong, said the poor air quality in Hong Kong needs to be reduced in the short term and solved in the long run if it wants to attract foreigners and well-qualified workers to the area.
“Nowadays, people not only long for money but also a healthy life,” she said.
Christian Masset, a French businessman who moved to Hong Kong more than two decades ago, the co-director of Motorwave, a specialized sustainable energy technology, and a chair member of the environmental non-governmental organization, “Clear the Air in Hong Kong,” agreed that Singapore is a better place to move in comparison to Hong Kong.
According to a recent ranking from the World Bank Report, “Doing Business 2012,” Singapore is currently ranked as the number one top Asian location for doing business, with Hong Kong trailing in second place.
Masset said the two regions share their tax friendly policies, easy company incorporation procedures and excellent infrastructure to lure foreign investors and expatriates to live there.
And, when everything seems to be similar regarding the ease of doing business, he said the issue of poor air quality in one of the locations might be a significant factor when it comes to making the final decision.
“We know what a healthy environment means,” Masset said. “We all have families living in the countryside, where the air is better than cities.”
Some professionals have already felt suffocated by Hong Kong’s pollution and moved away.
European expatriate, Simon Morliere, worked in Hong Kong for nearly five years before moving to Singapore, a decision he has not regretted.
Morliere said the benefits of living and working in Singapore include comfort, stability, safety, and most importantly, cleaner air quality.
Emily Liang and Stephanie Xu also contributed to this story.
Tags: business, expatriates, Hong Kong, pollution