Barbara Barros serves as the Global Head of Adaptation Finance at C40. In this role, she oversees the organisation’s strategy and programmes for supporting cities to access finance for vital adaptation and resilience projects. Previously, she worked as Senior Adaptation Finance Manager, where she supported cities to develop robust project pipelines and prepare bankable adaptation and resilient projects, engaging closely with financial institutions and promoting tailored technical assistance.
Before this, Barbara served as a C40 City Advisor to the City of Rio de Janeiro through the C40 Climate Action Planning Program. There, she played a key role in developing the city’s Sustainable Development and Climate Action Plan—the first plan of its kind to target net-zero emissions and climate resilience, aligned with the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She also supported the integration of climate considerations into Rio’s Master Plan and Municipal Strategic Plan. Before that, she led the Adaptation and Resilience Division for the City of Recife, where she oversaw the city’s Climate Change Adaptation Plan and spearheaded low-carbon urban development initiatives.
Barbara is a trained architect and urban planner, holding a master’s degree in Urban Engineering from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and a specialization in adaptation finance from the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.