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UTILITY WEEK | 21sT - 27Th March 2014 | 15 Policy & Regulation and organisations, including Siemens, BSI Group, and the Energy Institute. Iwex highlights The key event for water and wastewater management, Iwex will be having a spe- cial event to mark the 25th anniversary of the water sector. A speaker panel session entitled "25 Years of Water Privatisation" featuring Dan Rogerson, parliamentary undersecretary of state at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), will be the highlight of the event. The panel session will also include exclusive insights from Lord Moynihan, former parliamentary undersecretary of state responsible for water privatisation, Defra; Jonson Cox, chairman of Ofwat; Sir Ian Byatt, former UK water regu- lator and Colin Skellett, executive chairman of Wessex Water. The session also marks the publication of a landmark report looking at the sector's performance in the 25 years since privatisation. The Water Efficiency for Business session at Iwex will be chaired by Tuval Rockman, environmental resources manager at Sains- bury's. The supermarket has become one of the first organisations to achieve the Carbon Trust Water Standard, which awards organi- sations that measure, manage and reduce water use year on year. Sainsbury's achieved its water reduction target in a number of ways, such as eradicating underground leaks, which has saved its stores hundreds of thousands of pounds, and fitting equip- ment such as pre-rinse spray taps and low- flush toilets across all of its stores. It has also invested in rainwater harvesting for all new stores as standard, as well as retrofitting these units in existing stores. Awards Taking place alongside Sustainability Live this year are the Environment and Energy Awards and the Water Industry Achievement Awards. The Water Industry Achievement Awards takes place on 1 April at the Hilton Birming- ham Metropole and celebrates and rewards outstanding innovation in the UK water industry. The Environment and Energy Awards take place on 2 April at the National Motorcycle Museum and is widely regarded as one of the highest accolades for sustainability in the corporate sector. It recognises excellence and innovation in sustainable business practices. Talking points Ellen Bennett, editor A spy in the audience at Water UK's City conference a few weeks ago informs me that several speakers name-checked Utility Week's upcoming discus- sion, "25 Years of Water Privatisation," scheduled for the Keynote Stage at Sustainability Live. Ofwat chairman Jonson Cox and Wessex Water executive chairman Colin Skellett are clearly looking forward to sharing a stage in Birmingham in two weeks' time! Up there with them will be Ian Byatt, the legendary first regulator of the water sector, Lord Moynihan, the Conservative minister who steered through the bill privatising the companies, and the current water minister Dan Rogerson. I've had the pleasure of interviewing all of these industry leaders recently for a special publication we're pro- ducing to mark the anniversary of privatisation, which will be launched aer the panel ses- sion at Sustainability Live. I've been privileged to hear from the very people who conceived and implemented privatisation about what their aims where, and to what extent they believe they succeeded – not to mention their thoughts (sometimes complimentary, sometimes otherwise) on the state of the sector today. I can't wait to chair the session, though I do wonder if l will have to intervene if sparks start to fly. Energy's on the agenda at Sustainability Live too. I've also been preparing for our opening session, "What will it takes to keep the lights on?" Shadow energy minister Tom Greatrex should have some ideas, and I'm keen to hear what Gaynor Hartnell has to say about Electricity Market Reform now that she's officially le the Renew- able Energy Association. I'll be asking Energy UK's Law- rence Slade and Scottish and Southern Electric's Keith MacLean if the industry is ready for a capacity crunch, and just how tight it might get. As if that wasn't enough controversy for one week, I'll also be chairing a session on fracking in the UK. Will it transform the energy sector, and indeed the economy, or is it just a pipe dream? And even if there is a world- changing amount of gas down there, can we get at it? Guests including UKOOG's Ken Cronin, representing the operators, and Greenpeace's policy director Doug Parr are bound to have some different views. I hope to see you there. Utility Week will chairing some lively sessions, and launching a report marking 25 years of water privatisation. "Will fracking transform energy sector, and indeed the economy, or is it just a pipe dream?" Sir Ian Byatt Water minister Dan Rogerson Wessex boss Colin Skellett Ofwat chair Jonson Cox Sustainability Live 2014 free to attend and takes place at Birmingham's NEC exhibition centre on 1-3 April. To find out more, or to register, visit www.sustainabilitylive.com