South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)

Awards for best practice in Sustainable Development - balancing growth with enhancing the environment and meeting the community's social needs - have been won by two Berkshire based businesses.

In the second annual Sustainable Business Awards, organised and sponsored by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), the Renaissance Reading Hotel and Thatcham based Matsushita Mobile Communications have both scooped awards.

Matsushita, which employs 350 people in the design and development of Panasonic mobile phone handsets, batteries, chargers and accessories, won the trophy for best Large Company, in recognition of its "concern for the environment." The company was singled out by the SEEDA judging panel for ensuring "that all its activities are carried out in such a way as to foster a positive commitment in all employees to reduce the impact on the environment to the practicable minimum by working together in pursuit of continual improvement."

Renaissance Reading Hotel, part of the Marriott Hotel Group, was praised for its "wide range of innovative measures to reduce waste, conserve resources and serve the local community," in particular its commitment to energy efficiency, recycling, pollution control and sustainable transport.

Matsushita and the Renaissance Reading Hotel were chosen for these awards from among businesses throughout the South East.

At the Sustainable Business Awards ceremony at Sandown Park, the Minister for e-Commerce and Competitiveness, Stephen Timms MP, presented the awards to the two Berkshire companies in front of an audience of more than 300 business and community leaders from across the South East of England.

The Minister said: "It's great to see businesses exploring how economic, environmental and social goals can support each other. Effective corporate engagement with the big social and environmental challenges we face is key to achieving the Government's aims on those fronts, and is also good for UK competitiveness. I am happy to be involved in recognising the achievements of the South East companies receiving awards today."

SEEDA Board Member with responsibility for Sustainable Development, Kit Oliver OBE DL, said: "All of the companies honoured by these awards are to be congratulated. It is clear that they recognise the value of the Sustainable Development Agenda - the integration of the economic environment, the physical environment and the social environment. I am delighted that they demonstrate a marked growth in the application of best principles, and it is clear that legislation such as the climate change levy is beginning to have an effect."

She added: "The performance of these companies ties in well with the thrust of the 2002 review of the Regional Economic Strategy which has sustainable development at its core."

SEEDA also announced its Sustainable Business Awards Competition for 2003 and encouraged guests to look to their own activities as suitable entries. For details about how to enter SEEDA's 2003 Sustainable Business Awards, please contact Tanya Mennie on 01483 484278, email: tanyamennie@seeda.co.uk.