UniCredit Bulbank received the award “Investor in environment” of the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum (BBLF). An authoritative jury chaired by Mrs. Yordanka Fandakova, Mayor of Sofia, determined the winners in the Annual Responsible Business Awards. The Bank earned the attention of the jury with its consistent National Green Programme. The award was bestowed on UniCredit Bulbank personally by the Minister of Environment and Waters Mrs. Nona Karadjova.

UniCredit Bulbank has been developing its National Green Programme since April 2008. Following the principles for sustainable development the bank gives priority to projects in the sphere of environmental protection, which it perceives as one of the key factors in this strategy. Under the National Green Programme reasonable and efficient initiatives with a long-term effect are selected. This programme is part of the commitments, which the bank implements as a full member of the UN Social Responsibility and Environmental Protection Global Contract initiative since 2002.

Among the initiatives of the National Green Programme there may be listed:

• A project under the bank’s National Green Programme, which ended with investments worth more than BGN 100 thousand in 40 hectares newly planted forests of acacia, cedar, spruce, beech, white fir and fir-trees in Bulgaria, mainly in the region of Stara Zagora (a region that is often affected by forest fires) and Sofia.

• UniCredit Bulbank has also realized a unique green project, which involved the renovation of two main tourist routes in the mountain– from the Aleko hut to the village of Bistritsa along the Yanchovska and Bistrishka rivers. In this way, more than 30 km of tourist routes were turned into a pleasant and safe place for recreation and walks. The Green Project was realized in cooperation with the Vitosha Nature Park Department. The renovation of the tourist routes in Vitosha included overall repair and refurbishment of bridges, placing grids over damp areas, clearing up the route from fallen trees in result of windthrow, repair and construction of drainage gutters, restoring route signage and putting new information boards, renovation of architectural items (shelters, benches, tables, fountains).

• UniCredit Bulbank is also the first bank in Bulgaria providing specialized loans in the field of photovoltaic systems. The Bank also disburses loans related to renewable energy under the programme of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). In accordance with the modern tendency for a growth in the generation of electricity from renewable energy sources (RES), the bank offers to the companies in Bulgaria its credit product – an investment loan for construction of a solar photovoltaic power plant. By offering specialized financial support, the bank aims at further prompting the investors’ interest in the field of generating electricity from RES. Renewable energy has several ecological and economic advantages. An important benefit of this loan is that emerging companies are also eligible to apply.

• Participation in the symbolic event „Earth day”: on 28 March 2009, the head offices of UniCredit throughout Europe, including Bulgaria, took part in the global initiative of the international conservation organization WWF – Earth Hour 2009. The lighting in the bank’s Head Office was switched off for one hour as a sign that it is time to take action with regard to climate change.

• Restoration of an eco-trail from the village of Borino, Smolyan municipality, to the phenomenal rock formation “the Devil’s Bridge”. The eco-trail connecting the village of Borino with the natural landmark “Devil’s Bridge” is a preferred tourist route and it is now a safer and more pleasant place for walks. The river bed was cleared up and the bridge passing over it, which marks the starting point of the route, was renovated. The broken benches were replaced with new ones. All this was done by volunteers, including many children from the village of Borino, and the mountain was cleaned up.

For contacts and further information:

UniCredit Bulbank, PR and Corporate Identity

Viktoria Blajeva, Phone No: 02/9264 993, wjlj/ebwjepwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch

Ekaterina Ancheva, Phone No: 02/9264 963, flbufsjob/bodifwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch