Building on the event that started back in 2021, The British Bulgarian Business Association is pleased to announce our unique conference for the fourth consecutive year – Green Business is GREAT, to celebrate successful green initiatives by British and Bulgarian companies. Тhe event will be under the patronage of the Mayor of Sofia Vassil Terziev and the Sofia Municipality. We’ll also have the pleasure to welcome as a guest speaker Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor of London. Representatives of the municipalities of Stara Zagora and Gabrovo will attend the event, as well as experts from leading municipalities in the UK who will share their knowledge.
This year the event will focus on Green Cities and the transition to do so. The event will cover the following topics:
– Interaction with government, municipalities and local agencies
– Sharing know-how from UK cities
– How can the business help in this transition (sharing best practices)
Key-note speakers from Baringa, Shell and MTK will deliver insights and share best practices for the green transformation from the UK and globally, as well as a keynote presentation by Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor of London. Leading experts in the field from the UK will be joining the event.
An official coffee reception will follow, presenting a perfect networking opportunity. Event will be free of charge to all registered participants.
When: 19 November
Where: Hilton Sofia
What time: 9:00- 13:00
Format: live conference in English and Bulgarian
Agenda:
| 9:00 – 9:30 | Registration and welcome coffee |
| 9:30 – 9:35 | Welcome note from BBBA Chair Miroslava Kostadinova |
| 9:35 – 9:40 | Welcome note from Peter Dimitrov, Minister of Environment and Water |
| 9:40 – 9:50 | Welcome note from Nathaniel Copsey, British Ambassador to Bulgaria |
| 9:50- 10:00 | Welcome note from Vassil Terziev, Mayor of Sofia |
| 10:00 – 10:20 | Keynote Presentation by Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor of London: ”The largest clean air zone in the world: lessons from London” followed by Q&A |
| 10:20 – 10:40 | Keynote Presentation by Rebecca Teasdale:” Greening Our Cities: The Importance of Collaboration and Partnerships in the Decarbonisation Journey”, Baringa followed by Q&A |
| 10:40- 11:00 | Keynote Presentation by Thomas Akkerhuis: ‘‘Shell’s Energy Security Scenarios with focus on green cities in Bulgaria ‘‘, Shell followed by Q&A |
| 11:00- 11:20 | Keynote Presentation by Teodor Iliev, ”Тhe Hydrogen Transition in Urban Transport” by MTK followed by Q&A |
| 11:20- 11:40 | Coffee and networking break |
| 11:40 – 12:10 | Panel discussion – Urban Planning Moderator: Alex Daw, Bulgarian Green Buildings Council – Nadezhda Bobcheva, Deputy Mayor of Green Systems and Ecology of Sofia – Tanya Hristova, Mayor of Gabrovo – Anna-Marie Vilamovska, Business Development Manager, Hewlett Packard Enterprise operated by Selectium – Chris Halligan, Norse Group – Pru Ashby, Head of Sustainability, London and Partners |
| 12:10- 12:40 | Panel Discussion – Digitalization Moderator: Tim Buisseret, British Embassy Sofia – Daniela Alexieva, Manager, Innovation Systems Bourgas – Dimitar Atanasov, Principal Software Engineer, Athlon – Ian Thompson, Commercial Director, 3DEO -video message |
| 12:40- 13:10 | Panel Discussion – Clean Cities and Educated Citizens Moderator: Liliya Goranova, SeeNext – Hristo Popov, CBO, Theoremus – Mihaela Robu, Business Development Manager at ACCA Southern Europe – Radostin Tanev, Deputy Mayor of Stara Zagora – Galia Chausheva, Net Zero Neighbourhoods Lead, London Borough of Hounslow |
| 13:10 | Final remarks and wrap up |
Guest keynote speaker Seb Dance:
As Deputy Mayor for Transport and Deputy Chair of Transport for London, Seb is responsible for delivering the Mayor’s transport strategy, ensuring 80% of all journeys in London are on foot, by cycle or public transport by 2041.
He works to deliver measures to tackle air pollution and carbon emissions, in line with the Mayor’s priorities. This includes measures such as the implementation of the London-wide Ultra Low Emission Zone, the world’s largest clean air zone.
Before joining the Mayor of London’s team, Seb served as a Member of the European Parliament for London from 2014 to 2020, during which time he was Vice Chair of the Environment Committee, Co-ordinator for the Socialists and Democrats Group on vehicle emissions, and spokesperson for the Socialists and Democrats Group on air quality. He was also Deputy Leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party.
Prior to being elected to the European Parliament, Seb worked for the charity ActionAid UK, before which he was Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Keynote speaker, Baringa:
Rebecca Teasdale is a highly experienced professional with a 20-year career in consultancy and the energy industry. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a strong track record of collaborating with diverse stakeholders, driving impactful change, and delivering innovative solutions in the decarbonisation ecosystem. Her unwavering commitment to the green transition has been a driving force in her career, as she is deeply passionate about improving homes to make them warmer and better for our health and wellbeing. Having worked across the market with energy clients, financial services, and other sectors, Rebecca continues to be a driving force in reshaping how we heat and power our homes and cities. Her extensive experience and expertise have been instrumental in her role in building the Green Homes and Cities team from scratch, where she has gained a deep understanding of the importance of building for the future.
Keynote speaker, Shell:
Thomas Akkerhuis is an Energy Analyst in Shell’s Scenarios team, helping to build scenarios since 2017. He is passionate about finding ways to make scenarios quantifications useful for decision makers, inside and outside Shell. This could be through improving quantifications for different regions, sectors or products – or through finding new ways to convey the insights that are hidden within the data.
Keynote speaker, MTK:
Teodor Iliev is an entrepreneur with extensive experience in political science and international relations. He studied in Bulgaria, Italy, and Spain, further enhancing his leadership skills with a specialisation course at Harvard University.
Teodor began his career at the Bulgarian Consulate in Milan, gaining valuable diplomatic experience and insights. Upon his return to Bulgaria he partnered with a leading German company in individual vehicle approvals and homologation across Europe. Specialising in the renewable energy sector.
Demonstrating a strong commitment to social responsibility, Teodor led the initiative to create Europe’s first platform to assist Ukrainian refugees seeking asylum. Provided free of charge to the Bulgarian government in 2022, the platform continues to serve refugees to this day.
In early 2024, Mr Iliev assumed a managerial role at MTK and is currently responsible for overseeing the company’s transition to hydrogen transport. His appointment reflects an ongoing dedication to sustainable development and innovative energy solutions at MTK.
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