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Extracted from the Sustainability South West web site at:

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Private Sector Representative Heads Up Sustainability Agenda in the South West

Julian Dennis, Director of Compliance and Sustainability at Wessex Water - one of the South West’s major utility companies – has been appointed Chair of Sustainability South West, the region’s independent champion of sustainable development. Julian is the first SSW chair from a predominantly private sector background which he hopes will help SSW to harness cross sector support for positive change in the region.

He succeeds Liz McGrath of Learning South West who represented Learning & Skills and the voluntary sector and before her Richard Cresswell, South West Regional Director of the Environment Agency representing the public and environmental sectors. SSW's original Chair was leading environmentalist and advocate of sustainable development Jonathon Porritt who remains president of the organisation.

Julian commented on his appointment: "Sustainable development is not the preserve of individuals, charities, government, utilities or business - it is a collective challenge for which we all have to take some responsibility in every area of our lives. Sustainability South West is a uniquely influential group, bringing together a wide range of sectors and backgrounds with the common goal of accelerating change towards a more prosperous, socially just and environmentally responsible South West.

"The government's national sustainable development strategy, Securing the Future and the region's new economic strategy have shown us the way forward - economic success and social progress need to be delivered within limits of our precious environment. With the added threat of climate change this priority is now more urgent than ever.

"I'm honoured to have been nominated as Chair of SSW and indebted to my predecessors. I hope now to be able to drive the agenda forward and harness the influential power of SSW to deliver change in the region."

Sustainability South West's next meeting will take place in June where the group will be debating the region’s sustainability priorities as part of their first Regional Sustainability Summit. The outcomes of this debate will also be made public.

© 2012 Sustainability South West - UK registered charity, no. 1106125 - info@sustainabilitysouthwest.org.uk.