Hong Kong Pollution Sends Expats to Singapore

Hong Kong Pollution proves the deciding point for some expat professionals. Where do they go? Singapore.

Todd Prado blames Hong Kong's air pollution for his decision to move to Singapore at the end of the year. He keeps his job as head of Asian trading for Janus Capital Management and his children, aged nine months and three years, keep their health.

"I like Hong Kong - it's a great city, very dynamic," said Prado, 38, who was recruited from Fidelity Investments in Tokyo six years ago. "But the fact that my kids and I have to strap on a gas mask every time we go outside is appalling." ...

Hong Kong's air contains almost three times more particles of soot and other pollutants than air in New York and Paris, and more than double the amount in London, according to Hong Kong University.

In Los Angeles, the most polluted US city, people breathe in 29 percent fewer such particles.

Residing in Hong Kong is worse than living at a Formula One race track, said Anthony Hedley, a doctor and professor of community medicine at the university. ...

ECA International, a London-based human resources consultant, recommends that companies pay a 10 percent hardship allowance to lure expatriates, partly because of air quality, said Lee Quane, its general manager in Hong Kong.

CLSA commissioned a report on Hong Kong's pollution in 2004 because the environment affects investment decisions, Morrison said. Foul air may depress the long-term value of residential property as well as having an impact on public health and the economy, the report found.

For cities which depend on maintaining a large base of expatriate professionals in order to succeed, quality of life should be pretty high on their list of priorities. Too bad Hong Kong can only fix the problem by going through the authorities in Beijing, since most of the pollution comes from mainland factories.

Comments

[truthteller]

Not true about China. Most of Hong Kong's pollution comes from the oligarchs who run the city's coal-powered electricity plants. Even the government admits it, though they're careful not to dispel the illusion that they can't do anything about it by not giving percentage figures. Big business still rules Hong Kong.

[stefan]

Most factories in Guangdong are owned by people from Hong Kong. There's a lot Hong Kong could be doing to improve air quality, unfortunately neither the government nor any of Hong Kong's largest companies are showing any leadership. Surprise surprise...

[man]

HK tycoons own majority of those factories in China. However, it's still tru that HK gov't can't do much about it w/o Beijing support. By Chinese standards, HK pollution if not that bad. HK tycoons have just found a loophole to produce cheap manufacturing at cost of pollution. it's a free economy - they'll exploit it until authorities get it together.

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[PG]

Well if people go to Singapore , then its shows their lack of knowledge or observation . I can tell you it is very heavily polluted , not just the air , but waterways also. Look at the average building or flat surfaces around buildings after rain , ther will be black streaks almost impossible to remove . This is pollution washed out of the air by the rain , that people breath in during good weather . It looks and feels like comign from Diesel engines , the number of old design diesel engines is a problem with no governemtn control. Add to that industrial Pollution , and Singapore is not better if not worse than any other modern city in the world . Clean and Green Singapore is government publicity hype . If you don't think so come and live here , AND OBSERVE

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A study in 2007, using data from 2006, found that regional sources were "the primary influence on Hong Kong's air" for just 36% of the time (132 days a year) whilst local sources were responsible 56% of the time.

[Nike Shox Rivalry]

"Proud" two word I doubted. Every little bit of energy, the ability, he always believe in yourself, it's own man. More assertive person, more confident. This is not bad. There's something really proud, if put appropriate post, he would be modest, otherwise he will not go.

[supra foot]

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