Elizabeth is an experienced urban professional with extensive experience managing and financing medium-large scale urban development projects and programs in the private and public sectors. Her most recent experience was at the Nairobi County Council, where she provided technical assistance on program management of the restoration of public spaces within Nairobi CBD. Prior to that, she worked at KPMG, where she provided technical assistance to support municipalities under the investment attraction for sustainable economic development program to develop and implement investment promotion strategies that draw in investment from the public and private sectors. In this role, she played an instrumental part in leading a team to set up bankable climate-resilient value chains.
Elizabeth is currently undertaking an Executive Master’s degree in cities at the London School of Economics and Political Science and recently participated in a fellowship for Sustainable Infrastructure and Development Finance- at Schulich Business School. In her spare time, she also loves to hike and cook.
Ellie is the Students Reinventing Cities Project Officer at C40 Cities, part of the Urban Planning and Design Team in the Department of Climate Solutions and Networks.
Ellie works with 12 world-leading cities, as well as students and academia across the globe, to manage the C40’s Students Reinventing Cities competition. This initiative invites young people to reimagine urban spaces and share their vision for green and thriving neighbourhoods, helping make the 15-minute city a reality.
Ellie joined C40 in 2022 as C40-Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards Intern, working in the Executive Office. She coordinated the 2022 Awards Celebration and Opening Reception, which celebrated the best examples of city-led climate action, at the C40 World Mayors Summit in Buenos Aires. At the Summit, she also supported C40’s International Youth Delegation.
Before joining C40, Ellie coordinated the European Union’s ERASMUS+ KA204 project, ‘Photovoice: A window on the sexual and emotional rights of migrant women’, in Valencia, Spain. Working with women’s NGO ‘Asociación Por Ti Mujer’, she also organised the project’s international Good Practice Exchange Week and photo exhibition.
Ellie is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Italian and holds a BA in Modern Languages from the University of Bristol, UK.
Elliott serves as the Programme Manager for the Climate Action Planning Programme in Europe and South & West Asia, within the Measurement and Planning Team. In this role, he is working directly with city officials across Europe, South and West Asia to help them develop Paris Agreement compliant climate action plans.
Elliott is currently seconded from Arup, where he works as a senior design engineer on projects across the built environment, working to develop innovative zero-carbon energy strategies for buildings, neighbourhoods and cities, as well as integrating the SDGs and circular economy principles into designs. Recent projects include working with Stockholm Royal Seaport on seasonal energy storage, developing metrics to measure the sustainability of new neighbourhoods for By & Havn, and the zero-carbon design for the UN17 Village in Copenhagen.
Elliott holds a first-class MEng degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Warwick, a Masters in Sustainable Development from the University of Cambridge, and a PhD from the University of Cambridge which examined how cognitive biases in workshops can limit rational decision making about the future.
Elyse Lawson is the Deputy Director for the Ports & Shipping Programme at C40 Cities, where she is responsible for working with cities and ports to promote decarbonisation across the maritime sector. She’s been with C40 since 2022.
Her work brings together her passion for strategic programme management and mainstreaming local climate action for the benefit of a cleaner, greener, more equitable future. She has previous experience working with both public and private stakeholders at the intersection of international collaboration, climate risk, and green shipping corridors.
Originally from the Midwest US, Elyse lives in Copenhagen, Denmark. She has a BA in Global Studies with a focus on peace, conflict, and human rights from Appalachian State University in North Carolina, and an MSc in Security Risk Management and Environmental Governance from the University of Copenhagen.
Elzahn is the Senior Financial Manager of Finance Operations at C40. This role, within Corporate Services, oversees the day-to-day accounting, including the purchase-to-pay process, management of credit cards and expense claims.
Elzahn spent 5 years (3 years in Cape Town and 2 years in London) at Dentsu, an international advertising and public relations company listed on the Tokyo Stock exchange. Before that, Elzahn worked at KPMG for 3 years, where she undertook various roles and also gained her chartered accounting qualification through SAICA in Cape Town.
Elzahn is based in Cape Town and is a South African citizen. In her spare time, Elzahn likes to run, read and travel.
Emilie Hvidtfeldt serves as the Director of Government Partnerships & Programmes within the Regions & Mayoral Engagement department at C40. The GP&P team oversees relationships with C40’s government funders, as well as the development, setup, and management of major government-supported initiatives. A key example is the Resilient Urban Futures Programme, which is supported by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Currently based in South Africa, Emilie previously led the C40 Copenhagen office. She has been with C40 since 2016, holding various roles, including Director of Climate Action Engagement in the Climate Solutions & Networks, Head of the C40 World Mayors Summit 2019 and positions in the Executive Directors team. Before joining C40, Emilie’s career focused on cities and climate action in the City of Copenhagen, Danish ministries, and the Danish green think tank Monday Morning. She holds an MSc in Political Science from the University of Copenhagen and an MA in Urban Geography from Kings College London.
Emily is C40’s Senior Manager of Strategic Communications, Partnerships & Insights. In this role, she is responsible for developing and executing priority communications campaigns, growing C40’s partner portfolio, supporting the development of data-driven communications, and building the brand with a global audience.
Prior to joining C40, Emily worked at George Washington University, where she managed creative projects for university-wide initiatives and events. Before joining GW, Emily was the Marketing Manager at American Forests, a longstanding conservation organization that creates healthy and resilient forests across the U.S. In this role, she managed communications across various digital channels and worked with internal and external partners to build support for American Forests’ work.
Emily holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Strategic Communication from Ohio University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration with a focus on Nonprofit Management from George Washington University.
Emily serves as the Climate Solutions & Networks Team Officer where she manages the overall Climate Solutions & Networks team coordination. In this role, she supports and tracks communication and knowledge materials for the team. Before this position, Emily worked as the Communications & Events Intern for C40 where she has provided logistical and administrative support for the Global Youth and Mayors Forum, collected and organized content for the new c40.org, and collaborated on technical working groups.
Prior to joining the C40 team, Emily earned her Master’s degree at Columbia University in the Climate and Society program studying the intersection of climate science and communication. As a graduate research assistant, she worked for the Columbia World Projects, ACToday Senegal, to research the effects of climate variability and change on food security. Before graduate school, she worked in Angers, France with the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) and spent two summers interning with the United States Forest Service. Emily has a BA in Global and International Studies with a focus in human rights and a BS in French and Francophone Studies.
Emily is an experienced programme manager with extensive international experience managing diverse projects, compiling research, organising events, building partnerships and communicating complex ideas to various audiences. During her career, she has advised political, business and non-profit leaders from over 20 countries and has delivered over 30 online and in-person events.
Emily is currently the Senior Manager of C40’s City-Business Climate Alliance (CBCA) programme. In this role, she facilitates the delivery of local and global city-business partnerships by organising peer-learning events, developing tools and offering tailored guidance to cities. Before this, Emily managed business engagement activities for the UrbanShift programme and supported the Climate Action Planning Programme with internal coordination and communication. She also supported the C40 City Solutions Platform programme as an intern in the Business and Innovation team.
Before joining C40, she worked as an Explainer at the Science Museum in London and completed an international climate entrepreneurship course with EIT Climate-KIC. Emily has an MSc in Climate Change: Environment, Science and Policy from King’s College London, and previously completed a Bachelor in Natural Sciences at Nottingham University.
Emily-Jayne is Global Stakeholder Engagement Manager for CHAMP within the joint program between C40 Cities and the Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM). In this role, she supports both organisations in delivering support for CHAMP, with a specific focus on their advocacy strategy. Emily-Jayne is responsible for managing strategic relationships and ways of working with the wider CHAMP partners.
Emily-Jayne has been part of C40 since 2021, serving in project management roles within both the Global Events and Governance teams. She has a degree in Earth & Environmental Science from Lancaster University, with a year spent at the University of Kentucky to focus on natural resources.
Emma serves as Senior Business Manager within the Inclusive Climate Action Team. In this role, she is responsible for the ongoing development, expansion and implementation of C40’s Inclusive Climate Action (ICA) Programme and its grants. This involves leading the management and implementation of the new ICA Cities Fund, leading the programme’s monitoring and evaluation, fundraising and funder relationship and budget management, and supporting the C40-wide priority of ICA mainstreaming.
Prior to the ICA team, Emma was part of the Measurement and Planning team, facilitating the delivery of the Climate Action Planning Programme, supporting communication and reporting to funders, procurement of consultancy services and general team coordination.
Prior to joining C40, Emma worked in science policy at the Royal Society where she supported the secretariat for several standing committees and the coordination of educational policy programmes and has gained experience within the environmental conservation and sustainability field from past internships, including a project development internship for Frontier – the Society for Environmental Exploration. Emma holds a first-class Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Exeter.
Emma believes urban planning is vital for creating green, resilient and thriving cities. In her current role as Senior Manager for Land Use Planning and former role as Manager for Urban Planning and Adaptation Integration, Emma works across C40’s Urban Planning and Design and Resilience teams to provide integrated technical support to C40 cities. Emma is responsible for working with cities and across C40 teams and programmes to mainstream climate adaptation through urban planning.
Before joining C40, Emma spent three and a half years at built environment consultancy Arup. There, she developed her technical expertise in urban planning for adaptation (and mitigation) through projects working for municipal authorities and international development institutions in the United Kingdom and abroad. She is experienced in advising local governments on how to translate local climate objectives and global best practices into ambitious planning policies.
Emma is a Chartered Town Planner (MRTPI) and holds First-Class degrees from the London School of Economics (MSc Environment and Development) and the University of Oxford (BA Geography).
Erin MacDermott is the Writer and Editorial Manager for C40’s Knowledge Hub, where C40 captures and disseminates many of its key learnings, best practices, and unique insights into the political economy of climate change in cities.
Prior to joining C40, Erin worked at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) on research communications, media and policy, generating wider external engagement with research on inclusive trade, climate adaptation and digital inclusion in cities.
Previously Erin was based in Madrid, and worked at CrowdFarming, a start-up initiative supporting farmers to switch to more sustainable practices. She holds an MSc in Climate Change, Development and Policy from IDS, and a BSc in Economics and Politics from Bristol University.
Esther is C40’s Priority Initiatives & Events Officer and supports the coordination and delivery of high-profile global initiatives and milestone events across C40 and GCoM. She has a background in event delivery, project coordination, and stakeholder engagement, with experience working across diverse teams and global partners. Esther holds a BA in International Studies from Leiden University and has lived in several countries, shaping her global outlook.
As Adaptation Research Manager, Euan is responsible for establishing the evidence base for adaptation and resilience in cities, helping them identify, target and respond to specific challenges and unlock action to existing and emerging climate risks.
Euan is an experienced international development and urban professional. He previously worked as a consultant on urban resilience projects in East Africa and Southeast Asia for organisations including the FCDO, UCLG and Mercy Corps. He was also involved in supporting country-level and regional urban programmes and projects at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic while working for UN-Habitat in the Asia-Pacific region.
He is passionate about the role of youth and local government in advancing the SDGs and climate justice, having been a Cities Working Group Representative for YOUNGO, the youth constituency of the UNFCCC.
Euan holds a Master’s Degree in Cities and Global Development from the University of Sheffield, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Geography from Lancaster University.
Fadhil is part of the Breathe Cities Regional Team, which advises and supports the city of Jakarta in implementing Breathe Cities on the ground and delivering ambitious priority air quality actions to meet clean air goals.
Fadhil is deeply passionate about promoting cleaner and healthier urban air quality. He earned his Master of Science in Air Pollution Management and Control from the University of Birmingham, UK. Before joining C40, Fadhil worked at World Resources Institute (WRI) Indonesia as a Senior Air Quality Research Analyst, and he was involved in the USAID’s Clean Air Catalyst programme and WRI’s own Southeast Asia Air Quality Community of Practice Projects, as well as was responsible within science workstream as well as regional engagement. Before that, he also served as the Chief Representative Officer for Indonesia in the Asia Pacific Air Quality Group (APAQ Group), where he was assigned to analyse project leads, identify business opportunities, and provide technical consultation and support to clients, involved in various projects on Air Quality Monitoring Station devices, from US-EPA reference method to indicative low-cost sensor instruments.
Fadhil lives in Jakarta with his wife and two adorable children. In his free time, he enjoys watching movies, playing badminton, and actively participating in scholarship alumni communities. On weekends, he cherishes spending quality time with family, either by taking walks or enjoying outings to the mall.
Fantu is C40 City Advisor for Addis Ababa, based in Addis Ababa.
Prior to joining C40, Fantu worked as Climate Change mainstreaming Team Leader and Senior Ecosystem/Biodiversity Researcher, Environmental pollution researcher and Project Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at Addis Ababa Environmental Protection Authority. In these roles, she coordinated the mainstreaming activities of climate change adaptation and mitigation actions into the city sector’s action plan, and delivered training for city officials in different departments and sectors.
Fantu is a focal person for C40’s air quality technical assistance programme, performing different researches on biodiversity and Environmental pollution. She has published research on the assessment of heavy metal accumulation capacity of selected plant species for phytoremediation along the little Akaki River, case of Addis Ababa. Fantu has worked on additional research to be published on impacts of climate variability on vegetable production nexus climate-smart agricultural technologies long the little Akaki river of Addis Ababa.
Fantu also served as Reform Officer at Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute and as a high school teacher in a private school in Addis Ababa. Fantu holds an MSc in Environmental and Climate Change Management from Civil Service University, a BSc in Biology from Addis Ababa University and a Diploma from Kotebe College of Teachers Education.
Fatmata Mary Kanyako serves as C40’s Administrative Assistant at the Freetown Co-Chairs office, in Freetown, Sierra Leone. She worked as Human Resource Manager in the hospitality industry and was later employed by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change to support the Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr for the past 6 years as Executive Assistant.
Fatmata is an experienced administrative professional with over a decade of experience supporting leaders in the climate service sector. She has a proactive and results-driven approach to her work, backed by an acute knowledge of office systems and procedures. She has excellent organizational and communications skills, ranging from updating and managing information materials to handling official correspondences in an increasingly technology-focused workforce.
Fatmata is dedicated and passionate about her work and is very supportive in achieving Mayor Aki-Sawyerr’s goal to Transform Freetown – Transforming Lives.
Fernanda serves as Programme Manager for the Climate Action Implementation team. In this role, she supports the design and delivery of the Accelerated Implementation strategy and facilitates internal coordination across global and regional teams. Previously, Fernanda acted as Programme Manager for the Climate Action Planning Programme in Latin America, supporting the 9 cities of the region in delivering Paris Agreement-compliant plans. Prior to joining C40, Fernanda worked as National Coordinator to the Governors’ Task Force for Climate and Forest in Brazil, supporting the nine states of the Brazilian Amazon in the international and national climate agenda. She also worked as Executive Secretary to the Conservation Finance Alliance. Fernanda holds a BA in International Relations from PUC-Rio and an MSc inDevelopment Studies from the London School of Economics.
Francesco is C40’s Senior Ecological and Wellbeing Economist, providing evidence and analysis for a progressive economic and policy narrative that supports the transformational change needed to achieve 1.5°C, equitable and resilient cities.
Prior to joining C40, Francesco worked as an economist for Homes England, the UK Government agency responsible for housing and urban regeneration, for PwC, a consultancy, and for the Mayor of London.
Outside of work, Francesco is a steering group member of the Finsbury Park and Stroud Green Neighbourhood Forum, helping to develop a design code and a Neighbourhood Plan for the local community.
Francesco has a MSc in Urban Economic Development from University College London and a BSc in European Economics from the University of Rome Tor Vergata.