Zermina is the Director of Strategic Communications, Media and Partnerships at C40 Cities, based in London, UK.
In this role, she sets the strategic direction for C40’s communications and media efforts and high-impact partnerships. She is responsible for shaping and executing communications strategies around C40’s milestones and global events.
Zermina also serves as C40 Co-Chair and Mayor Sadiq Khan’s Press Secretary, leading efforts to amplify his leadership on climate action and demonstrate the tangible outcomes of his work as co-chair on the world stage.
Before joining C40, Zermina held positions across local and national government, where she built and led teams delivering high-profile public campaigns and policy communications. She holds a degree in Law and is fluent in four languages.
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, PhD, MPH is Head of Air Quality and Health Technical Programmes at C40, where she leads C40’s Clean Air Network, the Air Quality Data & Analytics team, and technical working groups. From 2019 to 2022, Zoe led C40’s CAP-AQ project, which created tools to integrate air quality management with climate planning. Zoë works with governments, organisations, and individuals to build an equitable, safe, and healthy future by identifying opportunities to improve air quality.
Zoë has two decades of experience working at the intersection of climate change, air quality, and public health, with a focus on household energy. Her previous work includes contributions to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report, the Global Energy Assessment, and World Health Organization reports on energy use’s air quality, health, and climate impacts.
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. She is a recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and Cornell University’s Atkinson Center Postdoctoral Fellowship.
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.