On the road in Bulgaria

One of the greatest potentials for energy conservation lies in construction of energy efficient homes and buildings. A huge boom in construction is currently taking place in Bulgaria, especially in major cities like Sofia and in beach and mountain resorts.

by Konstantin Ivanov, Communications Coordinator, Danube-Carpathian Programme (Bulgaria)

Yet few if any buildings are being built with an eye for limiting energy consumption, let alone taking into account climate change impacts, including higher temperatures and more severe weather events.

Get on the climate truck

The WWF climate change tour travelled through Bulgaria in September, promoting awareness among the general public and opportunities to conserve energy.

The mobile exhibit included a colourful blow up tent and a truck with solar powered appliances which stopped in major cities including Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Bourgas. Kids spent some time drawing polar bears, while their parents tested their production of electricity on a specially developed version of a gym bike.

Taking action in the home

The tour underlined the many practical actions that Bulgarians and others can take to save energy, from changing light bulbs to purchasing energy efficient appliances. Turning off stand-by functions on appliances can save as much as 40% of energy used.

Supported by...

The main sponsor for the climate tour is the Toyota Europe Foundation. The tour included opportunities to see and test drive Toyota's hybrid technology. Other sponsors provided energy saving light bulbs or demonstrated solar panels and energy saving appliances.The WWF climate tour was preceded by an advertising campaign developed pro bono for WWF by Ogilvy & Mather, including a TV spot as well as print, outdoor and internet ads.

Next stops

The WWF climate change tour is covering many countries of Central and Eastern Europe, including Hungary, the Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine.

Watch the Bulgarian TV ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdSRHghzlbg

Watch the Romanian TV ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQzGigqeG1w