On the 31 May, the Bulgarian Green Building Council brought together representatives of the green construction business in Bulgaria at an elegant reception, kindly hosted by H. Amb. Rob Dixon, UK Ambassador to Bulgaria and Ms. Adina Welsh - Chairperson of our organisation. At the event, aimed at revitalizing the activities of the our council, a special guest was Mr. Rosen Hristov, Minister of Energy, who expressed his support for the future initiatives of the council. We were pleased to have also the Chief Executive Officer of the World Green Building Council/WGBC, Ms. Christina Gamboa, who got connected online. The reception took place at the beautiful British residence and welcomed over 70 guests from business and politics.

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The event was opened by Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Bulgaria Dr Rob Dixon, and you can read a part of his welcoming address here:

 “I welcome the initiative to align the Bulgarian Green Building Council with the World Green Building Council Global Agenda and encourage its members, partners and industry stakeholders such as developers, architects, engineers, and policymakers to prioritise sustainability in their projects and policies. The adoption of environmentally friendly construction practices, energy-efficient building designs, and the incorporation of renewable energy systems has the potential to help transform Bulgaria's building environment.”

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Minister Rosen Hristov welcomed the re-launch of the Bulgarian Green Building Council, underlined the importance of our initiative and concluded his address by saying, "We are among the leaders in the energy sector in Europe and we need to make progress in green building. Together we can make Bulgaria a green place to live."

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Ms. Gamboa drew serious attention to the importance of the activities of the network of green building councils around the world: "We are leading systemic change to tackle carbon emissions in the building sector (generated by materials, construction and building operations), enabling sustainability and a healthy environment for both people and nature so that both can thrive."

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Various statistics show that the construction and operation of buildings produces 40% of all CO2 emissions, while building materials account for half of the solid waste generated globally each year. "International companies have long embraced their green programmes, but public administration is still lagging behind. We are here to bridge this gap and act as a vector of change. The Bulgarian Green Building Council is the link between the local business community and the public administration," said Adina Welsh.

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The Bulgarian Green Building Council will step into its role as a catalyst for change in energy efficiency policies for buildings, and our ultimate goal is to contribute to real, practical and tangible, positive social impact in the environment in which we live and work. The World Green Building Council should be seen as an information hub, accessible to business and policy makers, especially now following the recent formation of our Advisory Board.

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We are attracting more and more Bulgarian companies participating in the circular economy. This means efficient use of natural resources with the goal of zero waste to landfill, which is one of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development's NET ZERO targets for 2030.

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"The road to NET ZERO starts with step ZERO,"  Adina Welsh concluded.