Mayors Speak 2025: In Search of Sustainable Solutions
What is behind the delayed processes in energy efficiency in our country and how can we turn them into sustainable results? On June 24 and 25 in Gabrovo, we will seek the answers together with representatives of local and national authorities, international partners, businesses and citizens.
The fourth edition of “Mayors Speak” brings together key participants in sustainable development and energy efficiency policies to discuss real steps towards better project management and the implementation of technological innovations for the benefit of municipalities. The program will begin with a presentation of the “Gabrovo 2030” vision by Mayor Tanya Hristova – strategic investments, systemic solutions and energy independence as a direction for development.
The topic will be expanded with the participation of Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev, who will outline the opportunities for municipalities and citizens in the context of the new national energy efficiency programs, both within the framework of national funding until 2030 and under the Social Climate Fund. Dora Yankova, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works with the portfolio of "Building Renovation", has also been invited to participate in the session, with the aim of providing practical guidance for the successful implementation of the current projects under the NEAP. A subsequent panel discussion with the participation of representatives of local authorities will also address the challenges and the need for support in the implementation of the programs, which are currently on the agenda in Bulgarian municipalities.
On the second day, the focus will be on the role of cities in the fight against climate change. Representatives of Gabrovo, Sofia Municipality, the Finnish city of Espoo, as well as business representatives will share their experience with practical presentations on building energy communities, photovoltaic systems, local geothermal energy solutions, energy management systems with the application of artificial intelligence, as well as road maps for building renovation.
The afternoon seminar sessions will show how we can move from strategies to real support for people through one-stop service centers, and the event will end with an open meeting with the citizens of Gabrovo on the topic "What are the benefits of energy efficiency, renewable and shared energy?". It will present the results of solar surveys in neighborhoods of the city, thermographic visualizations of heat losses, examples of local RES systems and models for own energy consumption in multi-family buildings, and will also discuss the role of citizens not as passive recipients of funding, but as initiators of change.