Svetlana Zhekova

With 20+ years in climate diplomacy, environmental policy and sustainability, Svetlana Zhekova is a recognized expert shaping green transition policies across Eastern Europe. A former Minister of Environment and Water in Bulgaria (2014), she has led key national and EU-level negotiations, including Bulgaria’s position on the Paris Agreement. As independent high-level advisor, since 2016 she has supported implementation of green transition programs and projects of the European Commission, World Bank, UNDP, and OECD, working with governments in the Eastern Partnership and Western Balkans countries (e.g. Moldova, Armenia, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia). She co-authored Bulgaria’s National Climate Adaptation Strategy and led the development of Moldova’s Climate Adaptation Programme to 2030. Since 2022, she has been part of the EU Mission’s Advisory Board for Climate Adaptation and Climate Diplomacy Advisor to Bulgaria’s environment minister. She led the national delegation to COP29, co-chaired the Eastern European Group, and served as Vice-President of the UNFCCC Bureau in 2024, bridging COP 28 and COP 29. Presently Svetlana leads an international team supporting Serbia’s EU accession negotiations in the green transition cluster of environment and climate change.