Reflecting the evolving global and European landscape of corporate responsibility and regulatory compliance, the AmCham ESG Committee has officially changed its name to the Sustainability Committee. This decision, proposed by the Committee Co-Chairs and approved by the AmCham Bulgaria Board of Directors, came into effect in March 2025.

The change aligns with shifting priorities in both the European Commission’s ESG approach and the U.S. administration’s evolving stance on sustainability-related topics. By renaming the committee, AmCham Bulgaria is ensuring that its structure and initiatives remain relevant and aligned with broader regulatory and business developments.

“The ESG Committee was originally formed as a member-driven initiative in response to the growing need to share up-to-date information and best practices related to the increasing EU regulations. It started as a working group and then evolved into a full committee, with its peak moment being the international conference ‘ESG in Practice: Governance for Sustainable Growth’ in fall 2025,” explained Ivan Mihaylov, CEO of AmCham Bulgaria.

“Given the shift in the European Commission’s philosophy, along with the new U.S. administration’s approach to ESG, we must adapt our discussion topics and bring our structures and projects in line with these major changes.”

The Co-Chairs of the newly renamed Sustainability Committee, Boyan Rashev, Managing Partner at EY denkstatt Bulgaria, and Marina Kobakova, Country Manager for ING Bank in Bulgaria, also emphasized the continued relevance of the committee’s work:

“Our commitment remains strong—to provide timely, accurate, and high-quality information on existing and proposed EU regulations. This mission will continue to be the foundation of the Sustainability Committee’s work and its value for AmCham members. We are pleased to see the topic of corporate responsibility evolving in this way. One of AmCham’s long-standing messages has been the need to balance regulation with the need to preserve and enhance Europe’s, and specifically Bulgaria’s, competitiveness.”