Lisa Kim is the Senior Manager of Learning and Development at C40, where she works on strategising and building all initiatives tied to skill development, learning and career development for a workforce located across 32 different countries. She also leads on C40’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and action plan to further foster an inclusive and diverse work environment and learning culture.
Before joining C40, Lisa taught high school English literature and writing in New York City. In addition to teaching, Lisa managed office administration and event planning for the nonprofit arts organisation, OrigamiUSA, and assisted the President at the literary agency, Sterling Lord Literistic.
Lisa has an MA in English Education from Columbia University and a BA in Journalism & Mass Communications and Sociology from New York University.
Lu Sun is the Director of AI and Tools at C40. He leads the development of AI-driven solutions and digital tools designed to help cities tackle their most pressing climate challenges and accelerate climate actions. By bridging the gap between emerging technology and urban policy, Lu focuses on building scalable solutions in close partnership with technology and data partners.
Lu holds an academic background in urban planning and governance from Peking University and the University of Copenhagen, bringing a multidisciplinary perspective to the intersection of emerging technologies and sustainable urban development.
Lucy is responsible for C40’s Sustainable Investments Programme, including C40’s Divesting from Fossil Fuels, Investing in a Sustainable Future network and Accelerator: a group of global cities representing +US$500 billion of municipal and public pension fund assets committed to leveraging their climate leadership to divest money from fossil fuels and rapidly scale up investment in a greener, fairer future. The work also helps cities understand how they can attract private and institutional capital.
Previously Lucy led the Investment Leaders Group at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) – a network of asset managers and owners with +US$12 trillion AUM advocating for sustainable investment through applied research. Prior to CISL Lucy was Head of ESG for Savills Investment Management.
Lucy has an MSc from University College London in Environment and Sustainable Development. She has spent time in Freetown, Sierra Leone building capacity in local urban communities in response to flooding and intersecting climate crises.
Lucy Petty is a Climate Resilience Programme Officer in the Climate Solutions & Networks team at C40.
Before joining C40, Lucy worked as a Programme Management Associate at Chemonics International in London, where she supported a range of predominately UKAID-funded programmes in a project management capacity, including primary education in Syria, governance programmes in Mozambique and mobilising ESG finance in emerging markets.
Lucy joins us with a BA in Human Geography from Newcastle University, where she was awarded the Royal Geographical Society’s Developing Areas Research Group (DARG) prize for her dissertation exploring the viability of ‘Responsible Volunteering’ as a development solution in Zanzibar. She also holds an MSc in Development Studies from SOAS University, where she focussed on gendered vulnerabilities to the changing climate and adaptation solutions in small-holder farming communities across the ‘Dry Corridor’ region in Central America.
Outside of work, Lucy enjoys escaping London to the countryside, catching up with friends over a glass of wine and practising yoga.
Luis Sáenz serves as Head of Finance Advocacy and Policy for the C40-GCoM Joint Programme. Based in London, he coordinates the finance advocacy strategy across the Climate Finance, City Diplomacy and CHAMP global teams.
Luis is an architect and geographer and, for the past 15 years, has worked in urban planning and policy, mainly in Latin America and particularly in Colombia. He holds an MSc in Urban Development Planning (’17) and an MSc in Public Administration (’23) from UCL, the former after receiving the Chevening scholarship.
Before C40, he served as Senior Researcher for the Council on Urban Initiatives (UCL/LSE Cities), and worked as a Senior Advisor for the Mayor of Bogotá on international urban policy and sustainable development. Earlier, he was the Director of the ‘Como Vamos’ Cities Network in Colombia and worked for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as a Housing and Urban Development Specialist in Bogotá, Central America, and Washington D.C.
Luisa Miranda Morel is the Inclusive Climate Action Senior Manager for Breathe Cities, working across C40 Cities’ Inclusive Climate Action (ICA) and Air Quality teams. In this role, Luisa is responsible for driving the integration of ICA through the design and implementation of local actions at the nexus between air quality, health, and social justice, in cities in Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia and Latin America. Luisa has been with C40 since 2019. Before joining C40, Luisa worked with several civil society organisations including CARE International, The Philippine Alliance and TECHO Colombia. Luisa holds a Master’s in ‘Building and Urban Design for Development’ from the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UCL).
Luke Myburgh is Manager, Adaptation Finance within C40’s Climate Finance team. He supports the Resilient Urban Futures programme, helping to build a pipeline of bankable adaptation projects for African cities, leading financial matchmaking between cities, financial institutions and other prospective financiers, and supporting the delivery of capacity-building initiatives such as adaptation finance academies and investor roundtables.
Before joining C40, Luke served at Pegasys Consulting and the Nature for Water Facility, a collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, where he worked as an Engagement Manager and, before that, as a consultant for over three and a half years. There, he led and supported the design, feasibility and governance of watershed investment programmes and blended-finance mechanisms across Africa, South Asia and the Caribbean, including funding pathways for a national Nature-based Solutions Fund in Ghana, water funds in Malawi, Ghana, South Africa and Uganda, and Payments for Ecosystem Services Schemes in Namibia and Rwanda. During this time, Luke also developed funding proposals for various cross-cutting programmes, including the Barbados Blue-Green Bank and Pakistan’s Recharge Pakistan programme. He has a strong track record in economic and financial analysis and multi-stakeholder engagement.
Luke holds an MPhil in Environmental Policy from the University of Cambridge, where he was a Mandela Magdalene Cambridge Scholar, as well as a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics with Law from the University of Cape Town. Before moving into environmental economics and sustainable finance, he practised as an attorney in South Africa.
Lunga Motsa joined C40 Cities in June 2024 and currently serves as the City Advisor in Johannesburg for the Breathe Cities Programme. In this role, she leads the delivery of city-level sustainability initiatives and provides strategic and technical support across stakeholder partnerships, policy development processes, and implementation of technical assistance projects.
Lunga is an environmental and air quality specialist with over 18 years of experience leading environmental management, climate action, air quality, and sustainable urban development initiatives across the public, private, non-governmental, and international development sectors.
She brings extensive expertise in environmental governance, policy development, climate resilience, urban sustainability, air quality management, and stakeholder engagement within the South African context. Throughout her career, she has supported national and local government institutions in developing and implementing environmental strategies, regulatory frameworks, monitoring systems, and sustainability programmes that contribute to improved environmental and public health outcomes.
Lunga holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Wits Business School and a Master of Science (MSc) in Environmental Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand.
Lusanda is the Director of Implementation for the Africa Region at C40, overseeing the delivery of various programmes like Climate Action Implementation, Breathe Cities, Zero Emission Bus Acceleration (ZEBRA) and others. She was recently the global manager and coordinator of the Laneshift Zero Emission Freight project, working closely with regional teams in India and Latin America, and with Transport and Climate Action Implementation teams on project delivery oversight, partnerships and stakeholder engagement.
Lusanda is an urban and transportation Planner, with over two decades of experience in transport infrastructure development, transport policy and regulation, public transport planning and operations (bus and informal transport), and coordination and delivery of mega-event transport projects such as the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup, the 2011 African Cup of Nations, both held in South Africa, as well as for a number of Bus Rapid Transit and other infrastructure projects in different cities. Lusanda holds a BSc (Urban and Regional Planning) as well as a Master’s in Urban Management from Wits University, and followed an Executive Development Programme at the South African National School of Government.
Majka Wankiewicz is the Programme Officer in C40’s Ports & Shipping team, where she supports the overall coordination and delivery of the programme, internal and external reporting, stakeholder engagement activities, and preparation of communications outputs.
Majka joined C40 in 2023 as the Europe region’s intern – a role in which she supported the Regional Director and Deputy Regional Director in facilitating climate action efforts and engagement of C40’s European cities, as well as C40’s work on EU advocacy. She then served as interim Urban Planning and Design Officer, supporting the UPD team in team coordination and work planning.
Originally from Poland, Majka currently resides in London, UK. She has a BA in International Relations from King’s College London, where she specialised in international political economy and EU policy.
Mallika serves as a Fundraising Assistant, based in London, where she is responsible for due diligence/prospect research on funder prospects, identifying fundraising leads and opportunities, and reporting on the philanthropic landscape.
Prior to joining C40, Mallika was a Research and Engagement Assistant at Consumers International in their sustainable food systems team, where she worked on projects that aimed to improve the accessibility, affordability and availability of safe, sustainable and healthy food across the world.
Mallika holds an MSc in Development Studies at SOAS University of London, where she was particularly engaged in units in agricultural development, feminist politics and postcolonial studies. She also holds a BSc in Economics and Management from the University of Bristol.
Mankurwana Mahlase is the 24/7 Carbon Free Energy Manager within C40’s Energy and Buildings Programme. In this role, Mankurwana supports a pilot African city with technical assistance for developing a 24/7 carbon-free energy system.
Prior to joining C40, Mankurwana worked at the Palladium Group, where she was the South Africa-UK PACT portfolio manager. In this role, she provided support for a grant programme of over $10 million covering project management, programme reporting and stakeholder engagement. Mankurwana holds a Master’s degree in Environmental & Geographical Science from the University of Cape Town.
Mar serves as Head of Delivery for Laneshift, reducing pollution from heavy freight and logistics with The Climate Pledge and C40’s regional teams in Latin America and India. Previously, Mar led research on climate finance and climate adaptation for coastal communities in Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands on behalf of USAID-implementing partners.
Mar has 20 years of experience building partnerships for public policy change with philanthropies, corporate funders, and governments, primarily in Latin America and Southeast Asia. Mar led a team that engaged governments in data transparency through Global Fishing Watch. As Oceana’s Chief of Strategy, Mar helped drive rapid organisational growth with proposal development and startup support for in-country teams. Mar has consulted for Bloomberg Ocean Fund, Coral Triangle Initiative, U.S. Department of State, and earned a Master’s degree at the University of California San Diego.
Marcus serves as Climate Finance Pipeline Development Manager for the C40 x GCoM Joint Program. He has a strong background in climate finance, having gained over five years of experience across roles in research and consulting. Most recently, he worked at E Co., a small consultancy based in London focused on all elements of project design. He has led the design and proposal development of multiple projects now approved by the Green Climate Fund across a broad range of sectors and geographies. He has previously worked at the Climate Institute, where he was responsible for producing research papers and policy briefs.
Marcus loves playing and watching all sports and is a long-suffering Arsenal fan.
María Alejandra Palacio currently serves as Programme Manager for UCAP CAI Latin America at C40, supporting the delivery of the UCAP CAI 2.0 programme through cross-departmental coordination, programme management, and quality assurance across climate action workstreams.
Before joining C40, María Alejandra worked as a Project Analyst at ICLEI Colombia, supporting local governments across the Andean region in developing and implementing projects on climate change mitigation and adaptation, circular economy, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable urban development.
María Alejandra holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Sustainable Finance and Climate Change.
Cristina Argudo serves as C40’s Deputy Regional Director in Latin America, after having worked as Vice Chair Engagement Manager and City Adviser in Quito for the development of the city’s Climate Action Plan.
Before C40, Cristina was an environmental analyst in the climate change department of the Secretary of Environment in Quito where she worked very closely with sustainability and climate change city networks, tracking the city´s international commitments and facilitating access to technical assistance programs and finance for the implementation of climate action. Cristina has additional experience in project management and coordination working in international organizations such as the UNDP, and local NGOs.
Cristina holds an MSc in Environment and Development from the University of Edinburgh, a BSc in Biology and Environmental Sciences from Trent University in Canada and a graduate specialization degree in Cities, Climate Change and Leadership at FLACSO University in Ecuador.
Marian Urizar is the Government Partnerships & Programmes Manager, based in Mexico City. In this role, she contributes to delivering the organisation’s evolving government fundraising strategy and supports the delivery of government programmes within the directorate.
Marian was Programme Manager of the Urban Climate Action Programme, Climate Action Implementation (UCAP CAI) for the LATAM region from 2023 to 2025. She supported the implementation and coordination of the CAI programme across the region, in Bogotá, Guadalajara, Lima, Medellín and Mexico City.
Before joining C40, Marian spent several years working in international urban development and public policy. She coordinated the sustainable urban development portfolio and co-led the UK-Mexico Future Cities Programme of the Mexico Prosperity Fund for the British Embassy in Mexico City (UK FCDO).
In the private sector, Marian worked in the electric mobility and tech industry, where she conducted public policy and public affairs work, managed policy-led projects and supported the consolidation of a regional policy team. Marian has also worked as a consultant for clients, including the Inter-American Development Bank and UN-Habitat.
Marian holds an MSc in Cities and Global Development from the University of Sheffield (UK) and a BA in International Relations from Tecnológico de Monterrey (México). She also holds PRINCE2 certifications in project management.
Mariana serves as ZEBRA Project Officer and is responsible for the many knowledge sharing activities, publications and events of the ZEBRA Partnership, as well as updates of the E-Bus Radar.
Prior to joining C40, Mariana worked for the UK Government in Brazil, acting as the programme manager for the Bilateral Future Cities Programme, a programme by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). She also worked for the UK Department for International Trade supporting the Defence and Security Industry in Brazil.
Mariana holds a BA in International Relations from São Paulo State University (UNESP) and is currently finalising an MBA in Sustainable Cities from Rio de Janeiro Federal University (UFRJ). She can speak Portuguese, English, and Spanish.
Mariana (she/her) is the Reinventing Cities Project Manager at C40. An urban planner and architect from Brazil, she holds a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning, specialising in public policy.
With over seven years of experience working in the private sector, municipal government, and international organisations, Mariana has dedicated her career to promoting sustainable and equitable urban development. She has supported governments across Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean in developing policies and strategies focused on spatial inclusion, urban regeneration, climate resilience, and participatory planning.
Before joining C40, Mariana worked at UN-Habitat, where she developed urban plans, policies, and strategies to advance urban sustainability. She also contributed to global initiatives on urban regeneration and participatory planning, including the “Inclusive Communities – Thriving Cities” and “Our City Plans” programmes, while developing knowledge materials and supporting programme coordination.
Mariana’s experience includes roles in both the private sector and local government, where she contributed to low-income housing projects and climate-resilient urban planning.
Marie-Josée Houénou is the City Adviser for Abidjan.
Before joining C40, she worked as a senior legal consultant on the implementation of the Nationally-Determined Contribution (NDC) in Côte d’Ivoire focusing on the legal, institutional and financial climate change framework. Prior to that, she supported francophone negotiators during international negotiations – Conference of Parties (COP), related to climate change and biodiversity, in the Francophone Institute for Sustainable Development (IFDD), in Quebec. She has been involved in environmental projects with World Resources Institute as a fellow, with UNESCO, the Ivorian Ministry of Environment, and NGOs.
Passionate about development and empowering communities, she implemented environmental activities related to public sensitization, women and youth engagement, climate change and green initiatives in Africa and other global south countries. These include the Green Pepite Community and the LCOY, local conference of youth on climate change which was accredited by YOUNGO, the youth constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
She holds a Master’s degree in International and Comparative Environmental Law, a Master’s degree in Business Administration, and a Bachelor’s degree in business law from Universities of Limoges and Poitiers in France. Marie-Josee is a recipient of the Mandela Washington Fellowship in Public management in University of Madison, and a beneficiary of the international volunteer program of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.