Zermina is the Director of Strategic Communications and Media. She is based in London, UK.
As part of her role, she oversees the strategic communications and media team. She also leads communications strategies for C40’s key milestones and events.
Zermina is a key connection point between C40 and the London Mayor’s Office. She leads on opportunities to further the reach and influence of the C40 Chair, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, raising his profile as a climate leader and showcasing the positive impact of his work as Chair.
Prior to joining C40, Zermina led communications teams in local and national government. She is fluent in four languages and holds an undergraduate degree in Law.
Zoe leads C40’s Zero Emission Vehicle Network, which supports 20+ cities to accelerate the transition to zero-emission vehicles and roll out charging infrastructure, whilst still creating cities that prioritise walking, cycling and public transport. She also works closely with colleagues to deliver C40’s Zero Emission Area programme and support cities to achieve their commitments under the Green and Healthy Streets Accelerator.
Before C40, Zoe has held roles in a variety of local non-profits, working on issues from healthy food provision, to refugee action, to domestic abuse support. She holds an 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 leads the City-Business Engagement team, supporting C40 Cities to engage with businesses at a local, regional, and global level to support the implementation of their climate action plans. The City-Business Engagement team leads the City-Business Climate Alliance programme and supports efforts to develop public-private collaboration.
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 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.