Ljubljana - An initiative in which the company Knauf Insulation and its partners Riko and Sophia Academy focus on a comprehensive approach to sustainable development and living will be launched in Dubai in January as part of Slovenia's Expo showcase under an agreement signed on Thursday.

"It's not enough to think about what we'll do for the environment, but we must see what we do for people," Saša Bavec, a member of the management board of Knauf Insulation, said as he signed the agreement with Tomaž Kostanjevec, director of the SPIRIT Slovenija agency for the promotion of entrepreneurship and investment.

"Sustainable development requires a sustainable approach. People should be placed in the centre and actively involved so that social sustainable development goes hand in hand with the environmental and economic aspects. The Slovenian Expo pavilion is an optimal venue to communicate this philosophy," said Bavec about the Living with a Green Heart initiative.

Knauf Insulation has already created the attractive green wall of the Slovenian pavilion. "Most our materials and production processes aim to reduce our impact on the environment and the buildings the materials are built in," said Bavec.

The company's Urbanscape programme offers solutions for urban infrastructure such as green walls, green roofs and landscaping systems. "The area hosting the Expo is where these solutions are needed the most," said Bavec, listing the need for greenery and solutions for more efficient consumption of water in the Middle East and the broader region.

The company Riko builds homes where people feel well, based on its philosophy of green homes, wooden and prefabricated houses as a technology of the future. Meanwhile, Sophia Academy stands for the idea of well-being as the basis for true sustainable living.

The three partners will set out the philosophy of their initiative on a broader scale at a large event in Dubai in January and early February. Aimed mainly at the business community, the events will address topics such employee well-being, sustainable construction and green solutions.

Events in the evening will allow the guests to feel Slovenia, the advantages of living in a green and kind environment and the importance of well-being.

"SPIRIT is actively included in our story and I hope we will continue with this beyond Expo," said Bavec.

SPIRIT director Kostanjevec noted the opportunities offered by Expo to establish links with the Asian and African markets. "There is a lot of untapped potential there, in particular for innovative Slovenian companies."

Even after the Expo is over the venue in Dubai will be a place for innovative companies to network and link. "There is potential for Slovenian companies to find their investors there," Kostanjevec said.

He was happy about the better than expected turnout at the Expo and said surveys showed visitors to the Slovenian pavilion were happy with the experience.

"The green story is not only a trend, it is an opportunity to give an extra impetuous to Slovenian companies that offer innovative solutions," he said, pointing to further opportunities in the recovery and resilience plan.