The Slovak Green Building Council (SGBC) will mark World Green Building Week under the slogan of "Greener Buildings, Better Places, Healthier People" during September 16-20, SGBC chairman Pavol Kukura said on Tuesday.

The week will start with an opening event on September 16 that will be attended by representatives of governments, embassies, as well as the chief architect of Bratislava, Ingrid Konrad.

Kukura said the conditions for constructing green buildings in Slovakia are gradually improving. The increased level of interest in sustainable construction and the certification of new buildings prove this.

"The more sustainable a building is, the better is its energy efficiency," he said.

Slovakia's interest in this area extends beyond the theoretical level and into the practical realm, as the number of new building with sustainability certificates is increasing.

Frantisek Palko, Slovak State Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Construction and Regional Development, said the ministry has created a legislative framework to help financially with subsidies to stimulate the construction and reconstruction of energy-efficient building.

One important measure was the introduction of energy performance certificates in January 2013. This obliges all building owners to provide the certificate to potential buyers, who will thereby gain a better idea of future energy costs.

Source: globaltimes.cn