On the 27 September 2023. H.E. The UK Ambassador Dr. Rob Dixon hosted a Business Breakfast with the Bulgarian Green Building Council and investors under the auspices of the UK Embassy. The purpose of the event was to promote best practices in green building and the British BREEAM building certification system. The official opening was attended by Deputy minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ms. Angelina Boneva, Head of the Cabinet of the Minister of Tourism Ms. Mariana Cordova and the President of the Bulgarian Green Building Ms. Adina Welsh. The keynote speaker was Arch Chris Halligan, Senior Chartered Technologist, NPS Leeds, member of the Climate Change Working Group, CIAT.

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H.E. Dr. Rob Dixon focused on the importance of green constriction and how it is accepted and understood by governments, industry and business. The sustainable construction practices, smart building design and renewable energy sources implementation are not only improving the buildings energy consumption and the buildings energy performance, but also are a prerequisite for expanding businesses and opening new jobs, he stressed. Ambassador Dixon noted that the exchange of expertise and good practices between Bulgaria and the United Kingdom can contribute significantly to the development of the sector.

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Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ms. Angelina Boneva emphasized the three aspects of sustainable construction in relation to the Green Transition - the combination of energy and ecology, the scalability of application of green practices in construction and renovation and their replication, as well as the improvement of human capital skills and the creation of new jobs in the sector of construction innovations.

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Ms Mariana Cordova informed the audience that the date of our event coincides with the International Tourism Day, which this year is under the motto "Tourism and Green Investments". According to the data presented by her, in the last few years there has been a steady growth of tourism in the country and the Ministry of Tourism is striving to develop the sector to be more and more environmentally friendly.

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With the support of the British Embassy in Bulgaria, our special guest arch. Chris Halligan, shared his experience in and gave guidance on the UK's BREEAM green building system and the use of sustainable building materials and innovative green solutions in the sector. The reuse of different materials in construction materials production and the use of natural materials in construction was of particular interest to the audience.

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