The Ministry of Environment and Water organized a meeting with students from the Faculty of Geology and Geography, Department of Geospatial Systems and Technologies of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", majoring in Climate Change and Management. The main focus of the event, which was held for the second consecutive year, was on policies to address climate change and the role of young people in this process.

Deputy Minister of Environment and Water Mihaela Krumova, who opened the meeting that took place end of last week, emphasized the importance of partnership between scientific communities and institutions for effectively overcoming global climate challenges, as well as actively participating in the exchange of ideas with students. Mihaela Krumova expressed hope to see the students as future interns, and then employees at the ministry and other institutions involved in Bulgaria's climate policies.

The Director of the Directorate General for Climate Change Policy Milya Dimitrova, Ivona Grozeva, Head of the Climate Change Adaptation Department, and Detelina Petrova, Head of the Climate Change Mitigation Department, presented information on international negotiations, efforts to mitigate climate change, the need for adaptation, and held a discussion with the students.

Climate skepticism was also discussed as a factor in the process of informing and engaging stakeholders in climate policies. Iliya Lingorski from the Department of Economics at Sofia University participated in the discussion on the economic aspects of climate change. Maria Vasileva, Junior Expert in the Climate Change Adaptation Department, spoke about her work at the Ministry of Environment and Water since the summer of last year.

The meeting is part of the Ministry of Environment and Water’s efforts for cooperation between scientific institutions and the state administration in the field of climate, as well as creating conditions for building future leaders in climate policy.