RICS: China Rates Highest on Sustainability Awareness Amongst World Counterparts

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• USA - English

HONG KONG, March 22 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- The fourth quarter RICS Global Property Sustainability Survey shows that at a headline level, the vast majority of surveyors believe their clients place "some to considerable" importance on sustainability issues. According to agents, Chinese, South African and Japanese clients put particularly heavy importance on sustainability issues.

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56% of survey respondents in China rated sustainability as "Very Important" to their clients, whereas in Hong Kong, the same number of respondents rated sustainability as of average importance.

At a global level, business bottom line was once again the prime reason driving clients' sustainability agenda. 28% of respondents cited this factor in Q4, compared to 38% in Q3. The next two most important factors in Q4 were client demand (16%) and marketing purposes (14%). The majority of countries reflected that the least important considerations were the natural environment (8%) and ethical/moral (7%) as in the Q3 survey.

On average, energy efficiency was the most important sustainability issue for respondents' clients. 29% of surveyors cited this factor in Q4, which is unchanged from Q3. The figure in Hong Kong was 30%, slightly above average and respondents placed air/water pollution and transport issues together in second place. In the Mainland China, clients continue to see transport issues as the top most important sustainability issue.

Mr Ong See Lian, Vice President of RICS and Chairman of RICS Asia, said: "Sustainable development agenda will be a major focus among property developers and investors in the coming decades due to increased awareness on the impact of carbon emissions, global warming and climate change. It is no surprise that the survey has indicated that Asian countries such as Japan, China, Hong Kong and Singapore are among the top countries having awareness on sustainability issues. Governments of these countries have taken initiatives to invest in major projects in greening the environment, both the natural and built environment."

Mr Henry Li, Chairman of RICS China, said: "China places the greatest importance on sustainability according to the latest RICS Global Property Sustainability Survey, Q4 2009, with over half of the chartered surveyors in China responding that client demand, business bottom line and the natural environment were the top three prime reasons driving clients' sustainability agenda. Obviously the attempt to raise profits and environmental issues remain the key factors driving the interest on sustainability in China."

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About RICS & RICS Asia

RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) is the mark of property professionalism worldwide. It covers all aspects of property, construction and associated environmental issues. RICS has 140,000 members globally and represents, regulates and promotes the work of property professionals throughout 122 countries.

The RICS Asia supports a network of over 11,000 individual professionals across the Asia Pacific region with an objective to help develop the property and construction markets in these countries, by introducing professional standards, best practice and international experience. It promotes RICS and its members as the natural advisors on all property matters. It also ensures that services and career development opportunities are provided to members.

The RICS Asia region covers national associations and local groups locating in Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, The People's Republic of China and the SAR Hong Kong. It also has members working across the region such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Laos PDR, Macao, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, The Maldives, The Philippines, Timor East and Vietnam. For more information, please visit: http://www.ricsasia.org .

    Media enquiry, please contact:

     RICS Asia Public Relations Representative
     Ms Ava Lau / Ms Belinda Chan
     Tel:    +852-2372-0090
     Fax:    +852-2372-0490
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     Email:  [email protected] / [email protected]

SOURCE Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors