Zermina is the Head of Communications and Press Secretary to C40 Chair London Mayor Sadiq Khan and is part of the Political Strategy and Leadership team. She works closely with the Communications and Events team and is based in London, UK.
Zermina is a key connection point between C40 and the London Mayor’s Office, where she leads on developing and executing the Chair’s communications strategy. She leads on opportunities to further the reach and influence of the C40 Chair, raising his profile as a climate leader locally, nationally, and globally, showcasing the positive impact of his work as Chair and as Mayor of London.
Prior to joining C40, Zermina led environment communications on the Economic Development, Housing, Land and Environment team at London’s City Hall. Here, amongst other things, she led the communications strategy for the expansion of the world’s first 24 hour Ultra Low Emission Zone, the Mayor’s presence at COP26 and the launch of the Mayor’s climate campaign.
Prior to City Hall, Zermina worked in the communications team at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Zermina holds an undergraduate degree in Law from City University London.
Zoe works on the Zero Emission Vehicles network and grant funded projects, working closely with the ZEV Programme Manager and the rest of the Transport and Urban Planning team. This involves managing webinars and workshops for the network, working with cities to identify priorities and challenges in terms of ZEVs, and developing grant-funded projects to assist cities on specific barriers.
Previously, Zoe managed communications and events for London-based refugee charity Breadwinners and ran a local non-profit sharing cheap, local vegetable boxes with the student community. She also holds a MA in Conflict, Security and Development, specialising in sustainable development and environmental migration, and a BA in English, both from the University of Exeter, UK.
Zoë Chafe serves as Technical Lead for Air Quality at C40. In this role, Zoe provides technical guidance on air quality across C40 and leads C40’s air quality technical assistance program. Zoë has deep experience at the intersections of air quality, climate change, and human health. She served as Chapter Scientist for the Human Health chapter of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report, and as a lead author of the Global Energy Assessment. As a consultant for the World Health Organization, she led a report on the air quality and health impacts of home heating with wood and coal. At the City of Oakland, California, she evaluated potential health and safety risks associated with the proposed handling of coal at a bulk commodities terminal. She also served on the research and communications staff of the Worldwatch Institute in Washington, DC.
Zoë holds a PhD (Energy and Resources) and MPH (Master of Public Health) from the University of California, Berkeley, as well as a bachelor’s degree in human biology from Stanford University. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, the Young Scientists Summer Program at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), and the Atkinson Postdoctoral Fellowship in Sustainability at Cornell University.
Zöe is based in London and serves as the Senior Manager for Business Engagement, where she leads on supporting cities to develop their City-Business Climate Alliance (CBCA). The CBCA provides the most ambitious city and business leaders with a platform to convene, set joint commitments, co-create, and implement projects that help cities deliver on their Climate Action Plans in line with the Paris Agreement.
Before joining C40, Zöe managed a capacity building programme for the UK Government, providing technical support to national and local governments across 16 middle-income countries, raising climate ambition and reducing emissions. Prior to this, she led on climate for the Urban Systems team at Innovate UK, bringing innovative businesses together with cities. She also worked on research and innovation policy for UKRI USA at the British Embassy in Washington DC. Zöe holds a BSc in Physical Geography from King’s College London and also studied at the University of Chapel Hill in North Carolina.