4.03.2007 - 02:45pm ET

(CSRwire) WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 3, 2007 - The World Environment Center (WEC), a global non-profit, non-advocacy organization dedicated to advancing sustainable development business practices, today announced the appointment of four sustainability leaders to its Board of Directors. These individuals represent the fields of academia, senior corporate management and venture capital and will join WEC's current fourteen Board members in creating new initiatives in partnership with government agencies, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and the university community.

The new Board members are:

F. Henry "Hank" Habicht II, Managing Partner of SAIL Venture Partners, a leading venture capital fund investing in cutting-edge clean energy, water and related technologies. Mr. Habicht previously served as Chief Executive Officer of the Global Environment & Technology Foundation and as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Jane Nelson, Director, Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Ms. Nelson has worked in the office of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan preparing a report for the United Nations General Assembly on UN-private sector cooperation which supported the first UN resolution on this topic, and has authored numerous publications on public-private partnerships.

Paul R. Portney, Dean, Eller College of Management, The University of Arizona. Dr. Portney is the former President and CEO of Resources for the Future, an independent and non-partisan think tank specializing in energy and environmental research and policy analysis, and he served as Chief Economist for the White House Council on Environmental Quality from 1979-1980.

Peter Schnurrenberger, Head of Corporate Safety, Health and Environmental Protection, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. Dr. Schnurrenberger obtained his PhD in natural sciences from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. His previous responsibilities have included chemical production and global chemicals logistics, including purchasing, production planning and supply chain management.

"The World Environment Center is extremely pleased that these global leaders will join an already distinguished Board and will actively participate to advance sustainable development initiatives around the world," stated Elizabeth A. Lowery, Vice President of Environment, Energy & Safety Policy at the General Motors Corporation and WEC Board Chair. "WEC is unique in its approach to value creation for business and society and will generate an even greater positive impact through the involvement of these new Board members."

About the World Environment Center

Working with the private sector, international organizations, government agencies, academia and non-government organizations, WEC advances sustainable development around the world through direct, on-the-ground initiatives and projects that improve environment, health, safety, the efficient use of natural resources and societal development in business operations. WEC currently includes a membership of global companies in twelve different business sectors and has partnerships with a number of government agencies and academic institutions. For more information, see www.wec.org.

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