- Melbourne Lord Mayor will succeed London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan from 1 January 2027
- He will serve alongside Global South co-chair Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr of Freetown
C40 Cities today announced Lord Mayor of Melbourne Nick Reece as its incoming Global North Co-Chair, succeeding Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan from 1 January 2027.
Lord Mayor Reece will serve alongside Mayor of Freetown Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, continuing C40’s model of shared Global North and Global South leadership. The co-chairs lead C40’s network of mayors from nearly 100 of the world’s leading cities and chair the C40 Steering Committee, working to deliver the urgent action needed to confront the climate crisis.
As a C40 Vice Chair and a member of its Steering Committee, Lord Mayor Reece has championed innovative, practical city action to improve people’s lives while cutting emissions, with Melbourne leading work on electrification, sustainable buildings and sustainable data centre development. Lord Mayor Reece also represents Oceania on the Board of Mayors and Leaders of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCOM).
This year, Lord Mayor Reece helped launch C40’s Global Urban Data Centres Pact, bringing nearly 50 cities together to support the growth of AI and digital infrastructure while protecting energy and water resources and ensuring communities share in the benefits.
As Co-Chair, Lord Mayor Reece will continue this work alongside leading C40’s work in helping residents and building owners electrify, creating good green jobs, and expanding opportunities for young people to shape climate action.
Sir Sadiq Khan will conclude his co-chair term on December 31st 2026. He was elected Chair of C40 Cities in 2021 before going on to create the co-chair model of leadership. He then became Global North Co-Chair alongside Global South Co-Chair Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr of Freetown in 2023. Two-thirds of C40’s budget is now spent supporting cities in the Global South. Under his mayoralty, London has established the largest clean air zone in Europe, and Mayor Khan has inspired dozens of cities around the world to learn from London’s clean air success. He became the first UK mayor to address the UN in 2023, referring to cities as ‘climate titans’ tackling the climate crisis and accelerating the green transition.
Lord Mayor of Melbourne and C40 Co-Chair Elect, Nick Reece, said: “It is a great honour to be appointed as C40’s next Global North Co-Chair and to represent Melbourne on the world stage.
“Melbourne has a proud history of climate leadership, and this is a wonderful opportunity to share our city’s experience and learn from some of the world’s most innovative mayors.
“I want to thank Mayor Khan for his outstanding leadership of C40 over the last five years, and I look forward to working alongside Mayor Aki-Sawyerr to build on their success. In these challenging times, C40’s work has never been more vital, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Mayor of Freetown and C40 Co-Chair Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr said: “I am delighted to welcome Nick Reece as my incoming Co-Chair. Melbourne has long been an important and active member of the C40 family, and Lord Mayor Reece brings fresh energy, experience and a real commitment to improving people’s lives.
“I have greatly valued working alongside Sadiq Khan, whose leadership has strengthened our network and championed the voices of cities around the world.
“I look forward to building a strong partnership with Lord Mayor Reece, bringing together the experience and perspectives of cities across the Global North and South.”
Antha Williams, who leads the Environment Program at Bloomberg Philanthropies, said: “Lord Mayor Nick Reece’s leadership in Melbourne exemplifies the kind of practical climate action that is possible when local leaders turn ambition into results.
“As C40’s incoming Global North Co-Chair, he will bring that experience to help cities around the world accelerate solutions that deliver real benefits for residents.
“Mayor Sadiq Khan has played a key role in making C40 a powerful voice for cities over the past five years, and his continued leadership on the global stage will be important to building on that progress in the years ahead.”