We are pleased to welcome Ms. Svetlana Zhekova as the latest member of the BEF Advisory Board.
Svetlana Zhekova is an international climate and environmental policy expert with over 25 years of experience supporting green transition, climate resilience, and sustainable economic development at national, EU, and multilateral levels, with a strong focus on Southeast Europe.
She served as Bulgaria’s Environmental Attaché to the European Union in Brussels (2004–2014), and Minister of Environment and Water (2014), shaping environmental priorities and leading national negotiations on the EU green agenda, including the Climate and Energy Packages. She later served as Deputy Director General of the Operational Programme Environment (2014–2016), overseeing EU-funded programming and grant contracting. In Bulgaria Svetlana also contributed to the National Action Plan on Climate Change 2013-2020 and co-authored the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2030 within a World Bank–led team.
Since 2016, as an independent high-level advisor, she has supported green transition programmes of the European Commission, World Bank, UNDP, and OECD, working with governments across the Eastern Partnership and Western Balkans. She served as EU High Level Adviser in Moldova (2016–2020) and currently leads an international team supporting Serbia’s EU accession negotiations in environment and climate change.
With a background in international economic relations, Svetlana has built an extensive experience in global environment and climate diplomacy, including more than a decade as deputy head of the Bulgarian delegation to UNFCCC COPs. Elected Vice-President of the UNFCCC Bureau at COP 28 (Dubai, 2023), she co-chaired the Eastern European Group until COP 29 (Baku, 2024), fostering strengthened regional climate cooperation.
Since 2022 Svetlana is member of the Advisory Board to the EU Mission for Adaptation to Climate Change, contributing to strategic guidance on resilience, innovation, and investment pathways for European regions and cities. She is also a member of the Strategic Foresight Committee of the Green Transition Forum based in Bulgaria, where she supports long-term strategic thinking on competitiveness, green growth, and systemic transformation in Eastern Europe.
