Ref No. 013/06 - Clean Air Charter

Your Chamber has taken the lead in pressing the community at large and the business community in particular to act now with regard to the quality of air in our environment. I believe you will have seen or at least heard about the event held in Hong Kong on 27 November, when the Chief Executive the Hon Donald Tsang signed the Clean Air Charter on behalf of the HKSAR Government at the “Business for Clean Air” Conference organized by the Chamber and the Business Coalition on the Environment. At the same Conference, the Chief Executive also witnessed the launch of the Clean Air Charter Business Guidebook, which provides comprehensive and user-friendly guidelines on implementing the commitments of the Clean Air Charter. Charter signatories can use the Guidebook to help them understand the issues, identify relevant emissions, and take real steps to reduce air pollution. As the Guidebook shows, the commitments are not onerous. Some businesses may be able to do more, some less, but every small effort counts. A clear consensus emerged from the Conference, namely, that air pollution is an issue that has gone well past the stage of discussion and debate; what is needed now is concrete action from every member of the community. Subsequent comments from the public, the media, and the legislators have all arrived at the same conclusions. The business community has an opportunity, and a social responsibility, to contribute to the well-being of the society in which we live. Through this circular I ask you once again to demonstrate your positive support by signing up to the Clean Air Charter commitments. Do so now, and encourage your business associates to sign. Your support is crucial to the future of Hong Kong. I will report on the progress we have made, at the Chamber's Annual Summit to be held on 14 December. I hope it will be a positive story. The Charter and the Guidebook can both be downloaded from the Chamber's clean-air website at www.cleanair.hk, or if you prefer, hardcopies can be obtained from the Chamber secretariat (contact: Ms Looby Ho, 2823-1228). Yours sincerely, David Eldon Chairman