It is the long-held view of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (“HKGCC”) that Hong Kong should tackle the air quality issue as a matter of urgency. We are glad to note that the Government has finally stepped forward to benchmark the World Health Organization’s targets in setting our own Air Quality Objectives (“AQOs”).
According to the HKGCC’s recent Annual Business Survey conducted in late 2011, air pollution remains the top environmental concern of the business community, with 87.6% of 313 respondents rating 6 or below to current air quality on a 10-point scale. Apart from the health hazard, we are also concerned that poor air quality is affecting our reputation as an international business and tourism centre, which is becoming a threat to our competitiveness.
Locally, some of the solutions for reducing emissions require long-term investments. Chamber Chairman Anthony Wu said, "Businesses, therefore, expect a clear timetable from the Government for achieving the new AQOs and implementing the proposed emissions control measures in full, so that they may plan for their investments and other required changes to their operations.”
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