Building on the success of last year’s “Green Cities are GREAT” conference, the British Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce (BBCC), in collaboration with the British Embassy and under the patronage of Sofia Municipality, is proud to present the 2025 edition of this impactful event. The conference serves as a high-level platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and cross-border collaboration on sustainable urban development.

In response to increasing global urgency around environmental challenges and climate resilience, Green Cities are GREAT 2025 will focus on urban sustainability, clean technology, and green infrastructure, connecting policy-makers, innovators, business leaders, and urban planners from Bulgaria and the UK.

When: 26 November, 13:00-19:00

Where: Hilton Sofia

Special Features this Year

  • Afternoon Conference Format: Compact and focused afternoon sessions featuring expert panels, keynote presentations, and interactive discussions.
  • Networking Reception: Immediately following the main conference, a networking reception will offer a relaxed environment for deepening connections, forging partnerships, and sparking new collaborations.
  • UK Trade Delegation: A targeted UK delegation will join the event, creating new business opportunities and fostering trade and investment between the UK and Bulgaria in the green sector.
  • Special Guests: Leading public figures and green experts from the UK.

About our keynote speakers:

Sam Evans
Head of Natural Environment, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)

Sam is Head of Natural Environment at GMCA, leading the Combined Authority’s work to improve the city region’s natural environment through developing strategy and policy, delivering key projects and working with a range of partners. This includes developing and delivering on the Greater Manchester Local Nature Recovery Strategy and Integrated Water Management Plan.

Sam joined GMCA in October 2018 on secondment from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs where most recently he was Head of Strategic Coordination. Before that, Sam held various roles in the civil service across several UK government departments.  

Karsten Weineich,
Head of Customer Operations of Ubitricity

Karsten Weineich is the Head of Customer Operations at ubitricity, the UK’s largest public EV charging operator, with over 14,000 charge points across the UK, Netherlands, Germany, and France, being part of the Shell Group since 2021. Since joining ubitricity in 2021, Karsten has led the customer service function, ensuring a seamless experience for EV drivers and fostering long-term loyalty to the brand.

With more than 10 years of experience in the automotive industry and over 4 years in EV charging infrastructure, Karsten brings deep sector knowledge and operational expertise. He also serves as Head of Operations for ubitricity UK, where he focuses on the smooth rollout of public charge points, supporting the UK’s transition to sustainable mobility.

Karsten’s leadership is driven by a commitment to customer satisfaction, operational excellence, and accelerating the adoption of clean transport solutions.

George Marinov,

Founder and CEO of EasyPay, ePay.bg, EPAYGO and Infonotary

George Marinov is the Founder and CEO of EasyPay, ePay.bg, EPAYGO and Infonotary. In the early 1990s, he founded Datamax – a company for development of banking software. He participated in the development of numerous software products and the first Bulgarian Internet bank branch in 1998. In 1999, he founded the digital payment system ePay.bg. In 2004 he launched the EasyPay cash register network – a BNB-licensed institution for providing payment services. He graduated Medical Academy – Sofia.

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