Scientists and environmentalists: For independent climate science!

Sofia, September 12, 2025 – A working meeting of the Climate Coalition Bulgaria (CCB), bringing together leading organizations and experts engaged in the topic of climate change, was held in the Novator conference hall in Sofia.

The event brought together representatives of civil society organizations, the scientific community, and experts to discuss the current challenges facing national climate policy and the coordination of civil society efforts for a sustainable transition.

Among the key participants was Prof. Diana Urge-Forsatz, Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – the most authoritative international body in the field. She is the coordinating lead author of the IPCC's Fourth and Fifth Assessment Reports and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate (2007) as part of the panel's team. She teaches at Central European University and has extensive experience in research and policy on sustainable development and energy transition, actively advising governments and international institutions.

The discussions also included climatologist Antoaneta Yotova (CCB), Pavel Antonov, Ivan Kutsarov, and Nacho Strigulev (BlueLink), Lilia Boicheva (NIMH), Georgi Stefanov, and Borislav Sandov (CCB). Plamen Peev, legal advisor to BlueLink, Meglena Antonova, head of Greenpeace Bulgaria, and Radoslava Slavkova from Za Zemata participated online.

The current meeting continues the CCP's efforts to build common positions and ensure that climate policies in Bulgaria are based on the highest scientific standards and public engagement. On July 31, 2024, the Climate Coalition - Bulgaria, co-organized by BlueLink, Klimatеka, and Gorichka, held a satellite event during the 61st session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) entitled "Why is it important for climate advisory councils to operate according to the highest scientific standards of the IPCC?" The main goal of the event was to encourage the creation of a strong and independent climate advisory body in Bulgaria, following the example of existing councils in Europe and around the world, by presenting the different approaches to the formation and operation of such councils.

BlueLink is organizing this event with co-funding from European Climate Foundation.