YTL’s Wessex Water wins Queen’s Award for Enterprise

YTL’s Wessex Water wins Queen’s Award for Enterprise



United Kingdom, April 21, 2008

The company first committed to becoming a sustainable operation in 1997 with the publishing of their first sustainability report. Wessex Water then developed its ‘Sustainability Vision’ which sets out its sustainability goals and the mechanisms to achieve them into five key areas; the environment; outside interests (including customers and communities); employees; infrastructure and finances.



Julian Dennis, director of compliance and sustainability, Wessex Water said: “For Wessex Water, sustainability is not an added extra – it applies to all that we do. Our sustainability vision has been embedded thoroughly within our core business and we have received this prestigious award for our ongoing work. We’re delighted to have the commitment to our sustainability work recognised in this way.”



Wessex Water receives the award for continuous achievement in sustainable operations and an impressive commitment to effect positive change, often establishing new benchmarks in the process. Wessex Water’s key areas of success include:



Increasing its generation of renewable energy as part of its carbon management plan


Implementing ‘Assist’; an innovative, lower tariff to help customers on low incomes


Building an operations centre that is amongst the most sustainable offices in the UK


Its work with farmers to help them reduce the use of nitrates and pesticides, improving the environment and protecting water sources


YTL Group Managing Director said, “ I am indeed very proud that our Wessex Water in UK has won this most coveted award. This award is a further inspiration to all in The YTL Group globally, further enhancing our ‘green’ DNA. I am very proud of all of them”



Work with the Ministry of Justice, National Offender Management Service and Probation and Prison service to develop a scheme that trains offenders, prior to release, to fill roles within Wessex Water


An ongoing education programme; providing primary and secondary education packs to aid the teaching of the water cycle and water conservation within the national curriculum. Wessex Water also provides education advisors who visit schools and staff nine education centres in the region


Managing a thorough programme of communications with ‘stakeholders’ – the people who have an interest in the company, including customers, local communities, employees, regulators, investors and interest groups.


Julian Dennis continues: “We are working with the rest of the water industry on projects to deal with the big issues that the sector faces. We’re taking a lead in promoting best practice. Winning a Queen’s Award for Enterprise is testament to this commitment and our achievements so far.”



The Awards were inaugurated in 1966 as The Queen’s Award to Industry but are these days renamed as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise divided into International Trade, Innovation and Sustainable Development.