Media Release – 2 September 2007
Attn: News / Business Editors

Hong Kong. Air pollution is a growing labor recruitment problem in Hong Kong, according to AmCham's second annual Environment Survey.

Fifty-one per cent of executives who responded to the survey said they have had difficulty recruiting professionals to come and work in Hong Kong. Seventy per cent personally know professionals who have refused work here, and eighty-three per cent know professionals here who are thinking of leaving the SAR because of the environment.

AmCham's member companies employ some 250,000 people in Hong Kong. The full results of the study, conducted by The Nielsen Company, will be published in the September issue of the Chamber's magazine, AmCham, to be released September 10.

"Our Environment Survey is an effort to get beyond the anecdotes about expatriate departures and those declining to come here," said AmCham Chairman Gary Clinton, "and to put objective numbers on the impact that Hong Kong's air quality is having and will continue to have on business. Comparing this year's findings against last year, people continue to be concerned about the state of the natural environment in Hong Kong."

Results show that, of AmCham members who responded to the survey, 84% regard air pollution as the most important factor in overall environmental quality in Hong Kong, and that traffic is a growing concern (60% this year vs. 49% in 2006).

Respondents see Hong Kong's attractiveness to foreign investors as likely to gradually decline due to pollution (78%) and think that their own companies are likely to invest more elsewhere over time (57%).

"It's not that the Hong Kong government has been standing still," said AmCham president Jack Maisano. "It's that international executives do not see a bold and clearly articulated prescription for progress. The pace of improvement seems slow in the context of the speed people in Hong Kong's business world are accustomed to."

On a positive note, said Chairman Clinton, "We are seeing an increased awareness of the environmental issue in Hong Kong and are encouraged that it is one of the top priorities of the new Administration."

"This survey reinforces the reality that business executives do not like to breathe polluted air any more than the average person does," said Alan Seigrist, chairman of AmCham's Environment Committee. "It's a fallacy to think that executives are ambivalent about pollution. What the survey shows is that most executives in Hong Kong want to see progress in this critical quality of life issue."

Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department data show that the goals announced in late 1999 – that particulate emissions from vehicles would be reduced by 80% and nitrogen oxides by 30% by the end of 2005 – have not been met. As of 2006, particulates and nitrogen oxides levels at roadside had dropped 13% and 19%, respectively, since 1999, according to government figures.

Chairman Clinton said, "AmCham supports efforts to improve air quality in Hong Kong, as a signatory to the Clear Air Charter and through the numerous events organized by its Environment Committee. AmCham will be releasing a brochure on energy efficiency later this month, and is prepared to partner with the government in environmental clean-up efforts."

"With leadership and a public-private partnership," said Seigrist, "we can make a positive difference."

Methodology
This report contains the research findings of the 2007 Environmental Survey, carried out by The Nielsen Company on behalf of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. A survey consisting of an online self-administered questionnaire was sent out to 628 AmCham member representatives in Hong Kong. A total of 89 completed questionnaires were collected between June 15 and July 12, 2007, giving a response rate of 14%. The margin of error for data is ±5.3%.

About The Nielsen Company
The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions and recognized brands in marketing information (ACNielsen), media information including mobile media (Nielsen Media Research), business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek), trade shows and online information. The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands and New York, USA. For more information, please visit: www.nielsen.com

For the full 2007 AmCham Environment Survey, please click here

While AmCham is responsible for compiling the report, the views expressed therein are those of the participants in the study and do not necessarily represent the views of AmCham Hong Kong.

For inquiries, please contact AmCham's Press Affairs Manager, Ms Cecilia Szeto, on 2530-6915, or by email: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it Mon – Fri during office hours.

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About AmCham
The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong is a non-partisan, non-profit business organization. Established in 1969, its mission is to foster commerce among the United States of America, Hong Kong and mainland China and to enhance Hong Kong's stature as an international business center. The chamber, with more than 2,000 corporate and individual members, espouses core values such as private enterprise, free trade, rule of law, ethical and responsible business practices, business and government transparency and the free flow of information.
For more information about the AmCham, please visit our Web site at
www.amcham.org.hk