The international conference Sustainability Forum Sofia – More Than Green gathered more than 170 participants in Sofia, to discuss important topics of sustainable development in Bulgaria. The event is part of a global initiative celebrating World Green Building Week under the auspices of the World Green Building Council situated in Toronto, Canada.

The Forum was inaugurated on the 29^th of September at the Hilton Hotel, Sofia by the President of the Bulgarian Green Building Council, arch. Georgi Kolarov. The President stressed the necessity of a faster transition to a “green” economy and also the need of urban planning following established parameters of sustainable development. Arch. Kolarov emphasized that sustainability means more than preserving the environment, namely – applying the practices oriented to achieve balance between ecological, economic and social conditions.

Johannes Kreissig, board member of the World Green Building Council, gave a speech outlining the current tendencies in the world in the field of sustainable development. He described the role of the World Green Building Council for stimulating of the transition to a sustainable urban environment.

Kristalina Georgieva, EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, put an emphasis in her presentation on the need of a fast transition towards a sustainable and green economy. She accentuated that it is essential for Bulgaria to focus on the investments in innovations. According to Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva the state should encourage the process of retrofitting of old buildings with tax incentives.

Tomislav Donchev, Minister of EU funds management, announced that Bulgaria would receive between 100 and 800 million from the European Union for the retrofitting of buildings after 2013. The exact amount would be determined considering the possibility of Bulgaria to negotiate a larger budget for the accomplishment of the activities in the operational program “Regional development” in the program period 2014 – 2020.

Tzvetelina Borislavova, vice-president of the Bulgarian Green Building Council, discussed the role of banking instruments as an incentive for the establishment of a sustainable economy. Borislavova made a review of banking instruments in different countries oriented towards the construction sector and also towards consumers of eco-products, purchase of electric vehicles and other green trends.

In his presentation, Evgeni Angelov, Deputy Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism, presented the priorities, which had been prescribed by the government in the planning for the period 2014-2020. He focused the attention of participants on the project for the construction of a technological park, which will be partially financed from the European Union with the operational program “Competitiveness”. The technological park will provide the possibility for the development of futuristic technologies in favour of business.

Internationally recognized lectors from Germany, Poland, Romania and Denmark took part in the specialized panels “Buildings and Urban Development”, “Facility Management” and “Sustainable Technology”. They examined various topics of urban planning and sustainable development. The participants exchanged ideas in lively discussions within the framework of the different panels.

The conference Sustainability Forum Sofia – More Than Green will be part of the presentation of The World Green Building Council during the International UN Conference for Sustainable Development RIO + 20 in 2013.