Business Planning, Measurement & Innovation

Yerim serves as Inclusive Climate Action (ICA) Programme Assistant at C40. In this role, she is supporting the ICA team with programme coordination, monitoring, evaluation and reporting, as well as supporting ICA mainstreaming, communication and research needs across various projects. Prior to this, Yerim was an ICA intern at C40.

Before joining C40, Yerim served as an External Relations Representative at the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA), supporting their UN environment assembly forum, inter-Korean peace-building projects and managing press relations.

Yerim holds a Master’s degree in Urban Development Planning from the Bartlett Development Planning Unit at the University College London. As a development researcher, Yerim has gained experience in project management, loss and damage and gender mainstreaming through her research projects, including the water adaptation project in Yogyakarta and the Greater London Authority’s new London Plan social impact assessment project.

Aida (they/she) is the Senior Manager for the Thriving Cities Initiative at C40. In this role, they support Barcelona’s and Glasgow’s efforts to foster new models that reduce harmful consumption while focusing on well-being and equity.

Aida has over a decade of experience working across sectors, cities and disciplines to address barriers that prevent people and communities from thriving. They have worked as an urban planner, community organizer, researcher and facilitator focusing on how cities can proactively address housing insecurity, unsustainable consumption, and barriers to transportation. They hold a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies (Urban Planning) and Ecological Economics, and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics.

Aida is of Persian and Kurdish ancestry on their mother’s side, and of Iberian ancestry (primarily Catalan) on their father’s side. They enjoy travelling by train and bike, growing food, getting lost in dystopian sci-fi, and learning about places, people, languages and traditions.

As C40’s Women4Climate Programme Manager, Nina supports cities in launching mentorship programmes for emerging female leaders developing climate solutions and projects. She works with the Inclusive Climate Action team to ensure that a gender perspective is integrated throughout C40 work and programmes.

Prior to C40, Nina was a Schwarzman Academy Fellow at Chatham House, where she provided analysis on climate change policies and governance with a focus on social and gender equality. She researched pathways to support gender-inclusive climate action in China, and international climate politics, including loss and damage.

Nina has previously worked on the intersection of climate change, human rights and gender equality at UN Women, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and grassroots organisations.

She received a BA (Hons) in Human, Social and Political Sciences from the University of Cambridge as a Girdlers’ Scholar, and an MSc in Global Affairs from Tsinghua University, Beijing, as a Schwarzman Scholar.

Kirsty serves as the Senior Technical Manager focusing on climate adaptation planning at C40. She is responsible for providing expert guidance and support to cities across the climate action planning process, with a particular focus on adaptation planning.

Drawing on just over a decade’s worth of experience in the climate change sector, Kirsty has a strong technical background in climate change adaptation. Her particular expertise focuses on supporting cities to plan and respond to climate change through the development and review of Climate Risk Assessments as well as Climate Action Plans. Kirsty has also written and reviewed several resources, guidelines and training modules to support cities in responding to the impacts of climate change.

Kirsty has a Master’s in Climate Change and Sustainability as well as an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science and Politics.

Akshatha serves as the C40 Inclusive Climate Action City Advisor for Bengaluru. She is an architect and a landscape architect by training, a designer at heart, and enjoys solving problems with a social lens.

Akshatha is passionate about building inclusive partnerships between communities, donors, and not-for-profit organisations to achieve long-term social impact. Over the last eight years, as a development sector professional, Akshatha has successfully developed and implemented community programs and mobilised funding for organisations that work across sectors such as women empowerment, healthcare, education, and the environment. Her core competencies are partnership development, program development and management, strategic planning, impact monitoring and evaluation, and community engagement.

Akshatha enjoys practising simple yoga, reading, and gardening every day. She is fascinated by butterflies and elephants. Akshatha enjoys travelling, and as an ardent foodie, desserts are her go-to meal.

Nicole Dixon serves as a Data Analyst in Monitoring and Evaluation in the Business Planning and Reporting Team. In this role, she is responsible for supporting data collection, storage, analysis and reporting across C40 in relation to our newly developed set of Key Performance Indicators to track the progress and impact of the C40 2021-2024 Business Plan.

Prior to joining C40, Nicole worked on various consultancy projects with European businesses and non-profits to incorporate the circular economy, shared value and sustainability strategies into their business models. She also worked and volunteered in rural South Korea to coordinate and teach English programmes to adults and school children.

Nicole holds an MSc in Sustainability Management from ESCP Business School and a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cape Town.

Sisekelo is the Business Planning & Reporting Team Assistant in the Business Planning, Measurement & Innovation Department. In this role, she is responsible for producing robust and compelling data and visualisations for C40 decision-makers as well as C40 member cities.

Before joining C40, Sisekelo worked as an analyst for a developmental management consultancy. She has been involved in several transport industry development and green energy projects in various regions of South Africa.

Sisekelo completed her studies in Social Sciences at the University of Cape Town, with majors in Environmental Science and Anthropology. She further went on to study Business Management, also at the University of Cape Town.

Eloise is C40’s Senior Fundraising Manager, managing key existing partnerships and leading fundraising efforts to cultivate impactful partnerships for program delivery. Before joining C40, Eloise was a Senior Advisor in MSI Reproductive Choices’ global fundraising team, and has previous experience building partnerships with ActionAid UK, Resonate, a social enterprise offering leadership training for women and girls in Rwanda, and CIVICUS, the global alliance for civil society in South Africa.

Outside of work, Eloise is a Trustee of Climate Emergency UK, which supports local authorities to deliver climate action across the UK, and volunteers as an advocacy coordinator for Extinction Rebellion in London.

Eloise has a Masters in International Relations and Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Italy and the US, and a BA in History from the University of Oxford in the UK.

As C40’s Women4Climate Project Officer, Ariane supports cities in launching mentorship programmes for emerging female climate leaders who are driving the charge for urban climate action. She is part of the Inclusive Climate Action team, which ensures that inclusivity and equity are integrated into C40 work streams and cities’ climate programmes. Ariane is passionate about advocating for the wider benefits of intersectional feminist principles for climate action. She has experience in organising and coordinating online events, communications campaigns, and monitoring and evaluating the impacts of Women4Climate activities.

Prior to joining C40, Ariane interned at Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF), supporting their advocacy on gender and climate for COP26, which she attended as a member of the Women & Gender Constituency. She also contributed to the 6th Gender Just Climate Solution Award, recognising outstanding local climate actions focusing on inclusion and promoting gender equality. She has worked with various civil society organisations in France and internationally to promote climate justice at different institutional levels.

Ariane received a BA (Hons) and an MA (Hons) in International Affairs from Sciences Po Paris, France, where she focused on feminist and people-centred approaches to global affairs. She was awarded the Advanced Certification in Gender Studies as a recognition of her academic work.

Janki Rajpura is the Head of Programme Management Office at C40. She ensures robust project management practices and sufficient staff capacity across the organisation, including planning, reporting and risk management.

Before joining C40, Janki was a Senior Project Manager for international development research and evaluation projects across various thematic areas, including investment in cities, girls’ education, economic growth, livelihoods and violence against women and girls.

She is a PRINCE2 Practitioner, with an MSc in International Development (Conflict, Security and Development) and a BSc in International Business and Modern Languages (French).

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.

Andrea serves as Monitoring and Evaluation Manager to the UKAID Climate Action Implementation Programme. She works across teams to balance and respond to funder requirements, cities’ priorities, and C40’s existing KPIs. In doing so, her objective is to demonstrate the impact of C40 and its cities’ work while enabling meaningful comparison and learning across programmes.

Prior to joining C40, Andrea worked as a Knowledge Transfer Manager on a UKAID programme that aimed to strengthen innovation networks between the UK, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa. Before this, she gained progressive M&E experience consulting for UN-Habitat and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

She holds an MSc in Environment and Sustainable Development from University College London and a BASc in Sustainability, Science and Society from McGill University.

As Head of the Chair’s Office, Silvia works with the Chair of C40, Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, her team in Paris, and the C40 Executive Director team to set the Chair’s strategic vision, implement the Chair’s priorities and coordinate Steering Committee engagement. Silvia manages Chair-level external communications and leads the Women4Climate initiative, designed to advance and support the emergence of the next generation of female climate leaders in C40 Cities.

The former director of green Think Tank Fondation de l’Ecologie Politique-FEP (France), Silvia has worked for several years at the French WWF office as the Institutional Relations Manager, responsible for the National Energy Transition Bill. Silvia graduated in International Relations from the University of Trieste (Italy), and holds a Masters degree in Urban Sociology from the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences/EHESS-Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (Paris, France).

Siya Sauka has more than 10 years of experience in the fields of climate change, natural (and water) resource management and environmental sustainability. She has focused on research, analysis and advisory in both the public and private sector, and has also worked closely with national governments, research institutions, multinational corporations, and international development finance institutions.
Prior to C40, Siya worked as an Engagement Manager at Pegasys (a development focused management consultancy), and as a Climate Researcher at the South African Institute of International affairs (an international affairs think tank). She has worked extensively on climate research and climate resilience. Her expertise also includes disaster risk assessment and reduction, carbon and water accounting, renewable energy, and promoting a green, inclusive and circular economy. Recently, she developed an interest and focus on the integration and use of data and information for effective decision-making in climate adaptation, particularly in developing countries.
Siya holds an MSc in Geography from the University of the Witwatersrand (dissertation focused on a Flood risk assessment for the Crocodile River, Mpumalanga), and is in the process of finalising her PhD application (focused on Analytical Approaches for Climate Adaptation and Decision-Making in the Face of Uncertainty).

Stephen joined C40 as the City of Cape Town’s climate change adviser in March 2018. He has been working on clean energy and climate change for more than 10 years In between working as an independent consultant, coach and facilitator, Stephen most recently worked with Pegasys Strategy & Development on projects related to resilience, clean energy, and climate change mitigation, specialising in low-carbon urban development. Stephen also worked with ICLEI Africa where he provided technical and strategic support to the Urban Low Emission Development Strategies project. Stephen has assisted numerous cities and local governments in South Africa, Rwanda, Mozambique and Comoros with GHG emissions modelling, reporting and target setting, as well as capacity building, and with developing, monitoring, reporting and evaluating climate change strategies and action plans. He has designed and facilitated multi-stakeholder engagements related to clean energy and climate change. Prior to working in the low-carbon cities space, Stephen worked for 4 years as a researcher at the Energy Research Centre in Cape Town, where lectured in energy and climate change topics, and led several research projects on residential energy efficiency and behavioural change. Stephen has a Master’s degree in Operations Research from the University of Cape Town and a degree in Statistics and Actuarial Science from the University of the Witwatersrand. He also holds certificates with the World Bank’s City Climate Planner Program and with the Centre for Appreciative Inquiry as a coach and facilitator. In his spare time Stephen can be found running up and down mountains, and is a climber, semi-professional ultra-trail runner, and artisanal bread-baker.

Rodolphe serves as Technical Officer for Climate Change Mitigation, within the Measurement and Planning Team. In this role, he works on the greenhouse gas inventories of all cities within the C40 Network, ensuring that they are high quality and fit for use in the Climate Action Planning Programme. Rodolphe transitioned to this role after interning with the C40 Regions/Deadline2020 Team, where he worked on ensuring the continual participation of cities within the C40 network. Prior to joining C40, Rodolphe worked as an academic research assistant in Montreal, studying the effects of agricultural certification in relation to deforestation rates. Rodolphe is a graduate of McGill University, where he received a BA in Urban Geography, Environmental Studies and GIS.

As the New Economies and Innovation Forum Manager, Monika inspires C40 cities to embrace innovation and collaboration to accelerate climate action and transition to thriving economies for all.

Monika joined C40 in January 2020 for an internship with the City Finance Programme. She later worked in the Climate Solutions & Networks team, as an Officer for the Energy & Buildings and Zero Emission Freight programmes. She has experience in organising and coordinating in-person and online events, conducting research, and developing knowledge and communication materials to showcase best practices and lessons learned from C40 programmes and cities.

Monika has a true passion for transforming the current unjust economic system, and through the Forum creates a space for experimentation and bold thinking for C40 member cities that are exploring how to better empower community and business networks to innovate to achieve their climate and equity goals. She has a strong background in social theory and participatory approaches gained through her BA in Visual Cultures/History of Art from Goldsmiths, University of London. Her dissertation focused on co-management of urban commons on the example of a bottom-up initiative “Open Jazdów” in her hometown Warsaw in Poland. Monika is also an accredited Climate Reality Leader after completing the Climate Reality Leadership Corps training in 2020.

In her role as Inclusive Climate Action Senior Manager for South Africa, Nadia leads C40’s Global Green New Deal pilot in South Africa, providing support to Cape Town, Durban, Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and Tshwane on inclusivity and equity. Previously Nadia served as a City Adviser to Johannesburg as part of C40’s Climate Action Planning Programme. Prior to joining C40, Nadia worked for Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) as an adviser to South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs. At GIZ, she led several key projects including the National Adaptation Plan, Provincial Support Programme and Local Government Support Programme. Earlier in her career, Nadia worked as a consultant to eThekwini Municipality, serving on the project team for Durban’s Climate Change Strategy and Durban’s 100 Resilient Cities Programme. Nadia holds an Honours degree and BSc in Environmental Management and is currently pursuing her Masters degree.

Oliver serves as Manager of Climate Analytics, within the Measurement and Planning Team. In this role, he is responsible for developing a cloud-based database for managing C40’s quantitative data and an internal website for sharing data across the organisation. He supports the Modelling team’s work by developing methods to curate, extract and model data for use in tools such as Pathways and Impacts and other bespoke projects. Prior to joining C40, Oliver gained experience in data management, research and analysis by working for the Wellcome Trust, Public Health England and the Department for International Development. Oliver holds a BA degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University.

As Global Leadership Manager, Marta supports the Inclusive Climate Action team in global advocacy efforts, showcasing mayoral leadership on equity and inclusivity. In her previous position as Women4Climate Manager, Marta supported cities in launching mentorship programmes and worked towards building a strong community of women delivering urban climate action. Prior to joining C40, Marta worked at the Women’s Environmental Network (Wen) as a Campaign Officer supporting their Environmenstrual campaign that raises awareness about plastic and harmful chemicals in mainstream period products. Marta graduated in International Development from Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Her thesis looked at the nexus between public participation in urban greening projects in San José, Costa Rica and environmental justice.

Max serves as Head of Technical Assistance, within the Measurement and Planning Team. In this role, he is responsible for providing technical assistance and developing guidance and resources to support cities develop robust, evidence-based climate action plans. Max works closely with colleagues in Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and China to deliver C40’s global climate action planning programme. Prior to joining C40, Max was a managing consultant in the energy and climate team at the interdisciplinary consultancy, ICF. There, Max helped businesses and governments tackle energy and climate related issues. He worked on sustainable energy policy development and evaluation for the European Commission, UK government and regulators, as well as supporting a range of corporate clients measure and manage their greenhouse gas emissions. Max has previous experience working at the UK Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs and at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Max holds a Master’s in Environmental Technology and Energy Policy from Imperial College London and a BSc in Marine Geography, from the University of Wales, Cardiff.

Kriszti is the Technical Assistance Manager for the Inclusive Climate Action (ICA) Programme, providing technical advice and support to the work of the Global Green New Deal Pilot Programme. Prior to her current role, she supported Latin American and Southeast Asian cities in delivering inclusive Climate Action Plans, and also worked in the Green Economy & Innovation Forum and Corporate Services teams.

Before joining C40, Kriszti worked as a Trainee for the European Commission in Brussels at the LIFE Programme, supporting green businesses to launch their sustainable innovations, and at an environmental NGO in Hungary, coordinating an EU funded project on sustainable tourism and conducting research on ecosystem services mapping and assessment. Kriszti holds a Master’s degree in Socio-Ecological Economics and Policy from Vienna University of Business and Economics, and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Corvinus University of Budapest. Her interests include urban political ecology, post-growth economics and urban commons as a way to increase social and spatial justice in cities.

Luisa is the Inclusive Climate Action (ICA) Forum and Academies Senior Manager. Her role involves leading on the set-up and implementation of the ICA Forum, a platform for peer-to-peer learning between 20+ champion cities across 5 regions. Additionally, Luisa leads on all other city peer-to-peer engagement activities for the ICA programme, supporting cities in sharing knowledge and best practices on overcoming critical socio-economic and environmental justice barriers. This work is critical to accelerating inclusive climate action, a green and just recovery, a just transition and the pilot implementation of a city-led Global Green New Deal (GGND). Luisa joined C40 as a Project Officer for the ICA team in 2019 and since then was primarily involved in overseeing the delivery of the climate-migration partnership between C40 and the Mayors Migration Council (MMC). Prior to joining C40, Luisa had worked with CARE International and other organisations in Nepal, the Philippines and Colombia. Luisa holds an MSc in Building and Urban Design for Development from the Development Planning Unit (DPU) at the Bartlett, UCL. Luisa has lived in Mexico, France, Colombia, Nepal and the UK. She is fluent in English, Spanish, French and recently started learning Italian.

Josephine Agbeko serves as City Advisor for Inclusive Climate Action, Accra. In her role, she acts as the focal point for the City of Accra and will oversee and deliver deep-dive technical and strategic support to relevant departments in the City Administration. She supports the implementation of strategic inclusive climate actions/policies/initiatives identified within Accra’s Climate Action Plan that respond to the needs, capacities, and resilience-building priorities of vulnerable communities, informal workers, and informal settlement dwellers.

Prior to C40, she worked as Engagement and Policy Officer with Green Africa Youth Organisation in a role where she collaborated with civil society actors in Africa to mainstream Zero Waste, and to build context-relevant programmes for climate action. Her programme management experience spans the private sector and civil society and includes initiatives in climate resilience, sustainable business, environmental and social sustainability, having worked as Programme Manager with Footprints Africa to support businesses build capacity to improve their overall social and environmental impact. She holds a Master’s degree specialization in Public Policy and Management from the International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam.

In his role as Inclusive Climate Action Senior Manager for Europe, Josu leads C40’s Global Green New Deal pilot in Europe, providing support to Barcelona, London, Milan, Paris, and Warsaw on addressing the current energy crisis and tackling energy poverty. Previously Josu served as a City Adviser to Barcelona as part of the first phase of the Global Green New Deal programme. Prior to joining C40, Josu worked for Cuso International as the Inclusive Value Chains Regional Program Manager for Latin America. Earlier in his career, Josu worked as Homelessness Partnering Strategy Project Officer in Vancouver at Vancity Community Foundation and as Social Researcher at Simon Fraser University and Pere Tarres Foundation. Josu completed his BA in Sociology at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona and holds a Master’s in Sustainable Community Development from Simon Fraser University and a Master’s degree in Citizen Participation and Sustainable Development from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona.

As the Head of Innovation, Julia fosters innovation in our cities and our organisation, developing new support and leadership programs as well as supporting the identification of best practice innovation across the network of cities for global dissemination. Programs like Thriving Cities Initiative which pioneers ways for cities to build actual models of sustainable urban living and Invest Divest a powerful lever of change that is yet to be mainstreamed. In collaboration with Doughnut Economics Action Lab Julia led the development of downscaled version of Doughnut Economics for cities and C40’s Climate Action Planning Framework for compatibility with the Paris Climate Agreement, both in collaboration with C40 cities and was instrumental in developing the global CAP Program and since DK2020 national deployment program in Denmark, a model that can be replicated globally. Before joining C40, Julia wrote the City of Sydney’s Industry Sector Sustainability Plans for tourism, commercial office and residential buildings; led business partnerships for the NSW Government; and managed the Corporate Responsibility Index in Australia and New Zealand. Julia has a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s degree in international development.

Julia serves as Policy, Data and Analysis Senior Manager, delivering data analysis projects for the Inclusive Climate Action team. Previously, Julia worked in the Knowledge Management team at C40, expanding C40’s data and analysis work, externally and internally, with analytics partner Qlik.

Prior to joining C40, Julia worked at the Spanish Medicines Agency. She also contributed to environmental and sustainable development projects with international non-profit organisations, such as Action Against Hunger and Greenpeace.

Julia has an MSc on Environmental Management at London Kingston University, focused on climate change, and holds a Degree in Pharmacy and a Diploma in Public Health.

Inés serves as Senior Manager, Climate Action Planning, within the Measurement and Planning Team. In this role, she provides expert assistance across the climate action planning process in Africa, China, Latin American and South East Asia, and works to develop essential resources, trainings and workshop materials. She joined C40 in mid 2016. Prior to her current role, Inés was City Adviser for Buenos Aires and before that she served as Project Manager for the Technical Assistance Programme as well as Programme Manager for the Climate Action Planning Latin America Programme. Prior to joining C40, Inés was part of Buenos Aires Environmental Protection Agency serving as the city´s Climate Change coordinator, responsible for climate action plan development process, from the GHG Inventory development and climate hazards identification, towards target setting and strategic planning towards the development of the city´s Climate Change Action Plan 2010-2030 (launched in 2009 and updated in 2015). She managed and coordinated the interaction with different stakeholders and has been the technical liaison for the city over the years in the different international networks, and the local focal point with the national government. Inés studied environmental science in Buenos Aires, and she speaks Spanish and English fluently.

Jazmin Burgess is Deputy Director of the Inclusive Climate Action programme at C40 Cities and leads the Global Green New Deal work, which provides in-depth programme assistance and policy guidance to cities to deliver inclusive climate action and a just transition at the local level.

Prior to C40, Jazmin worked for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, leading the team responsible for the mayor’s Green New Deal for London and as Senior Adviser to the deputy mayor for Environment and Energy. She spent eight years prior leading climate change and development initiatives and working on multilateral climate processes such as the Paris Agreement at the United Nations, including in Viet Nam, New York, and Geneva. Jazmin has also worked on migrant and refugee policy within UK government research projects, and on women’s rights campaigning for Amnesty International. She holds a diploma in International Climate Diplomacy awarded by the United Nations, a master’s degree in International Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and an undergraduate degree in Sociology, also from LSE.

Giovanni Tedesco serves as Data Officer supporting the C40 flagship Deadline 2020 Programme around city 1.5°C ambition and Paris Agreement delivery as well as regional and C40-wide data needs. Giovanni works closely with the Global Initiatives team and Regional Directors to deliver locally-specific and valuable data analysis to further enhance C40’s efforts to address climate change mitigation and adaptation. Giovanni holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Bologna and a MSc in Environmental Management from the University of Reading.

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.

Georgina serves as Senior Business Manager at C40. She leads the operational support to the Management Team to ensure effective strategic and operational planning and decision-making. She supports the Deputy Executive Director across a range of activities, such as fundraising and partnership support, and manages select projects on his behalf. Gina has previously worked on the delivery of C40’s role in the 2018 Global Climate Action Summit, including the development of new sectoral declarations. Before joining C40, Gina worked for the Coalition for Urban Transitions supporting the development of new strategic partnerships and governmental diplomacy efforts and managing engagement activities, such as events at international conferences. Gina was formerly a corporate lawyer in the City of London, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions. She holds an MSc (Environmental Policy and Regulation) from the London School of Economics, postgraduate qualifications in law from BPP Law School and a BA Hons (English and French) from the University of Warwick.

Caterina Sarfatti serves as Director of C40’s Inclusive Climate Action programme, which provides mayors and local administrations with support to plan, build consensus and deliver bold climate action that is equitable and beneficial for all. The programme deals with the links between the climate crisis and social justice in cities. Caterina also oversees strategic partnerships between C40 Cities and the Mayors Migration Council, the Just Transition Centre and the Global Union Movement and Slum Dwellers International. Formerly, Caterina coordinated strategic international events for C40 that formed the “Road from COP21 to the 2016 C40 Mayors Summit” and was project manager for the 2016 C40 Mayors Summit in Mexico City. Before joining C40, Caterina worked in the City of Milan, where she served as a policy advisor and project manager at the Mayor’s Office, in the International Relations Department. In particular, Caterina led and coordinated EU projects and city diplomacy initiatives on smart cities and environment, social innovation and social cohesion, migration and integration.

Prior to this, Caterina collaborated with human rights NGOs such as the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) in Paris and the Italian Council for Refugees (CIR) in Rome. Caterina holds degrees in Philosophy (Università San Raffaele, Milan) and Political Theory and Political Science from Sciences-Po (Paris) and Masters degrees in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (Université Assas-Paris II) and in Global Environmental Policies (Università La Tuscia, Viterbo). Caterina is an ad honorem member of the Italian NGO CESVI and sits on the Scientific Committee of the Italian Climate Network association. She is the author of several articles on climate change, smart cities and human migrations.

Claire Saville serves as Head of Monitoring and Evaluation at C40, as part of the Business Planning and Reporting Team. This role reflects the importance C40 attaches to monitoring, evaluation, reporting and learning as part of C40’s ways of working, to maximise our impact. Claire has worked in M&E for over 10 years supporting organisations to improve processes and systems to enable more effective tracking, measuring and, importantly understanding of impact. Prior to joining C40, Claire worked at the Princes Trust, as Head of Performance and Reporting, a leading charity working to improve access for the young to education and employment. Before this, Claire worked at the Energy Saving Trust, where her Evaluation Team measured the impact of energy and climate change activities funded by UK Government. Claire also did a brief stint at the UNDP Global Environment Facility in E.Africa where she worked on evaluations trying to measure global climate change benefits through local community level projects. Claire holds a Masters degree in Environment and Development from London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Barbara Barros serves as City Adviser for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as part of C40 Climate Action Planning Programme. In this role, she is responsible for engaging internal and external stakeholders, and facilitating knowledge transfer across the Rio’s City Hall, C40 network and C40 consultants, in order to provide high-quality tailored technical assistance to support locally-led efforts and strengthen the Rio’s climate action.

Prior to joining C40, Barbara worked on the development of the Rio de Janeiro Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, in which she carried out a vulnerability assessment and an adaptation strategy for the Urbanization & Housing sector of the City by 2040. Later, she served as a Head of the Adaptation and Resilience Sector of the City Hall of Recife (Pernambuco – Brazil) to manage the Climate Change Adaptation Plan and low carbon urban development projects of the City. She also worked as a technical consultant for the Recife’s Master Plan to advance climate change planning within the urban planning agenda for the next 10 years.

She holds a degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from Federal University of Alagoas (Brazil), and a Master’s in Urban Engineering from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Her master’s thesis analyses the integration of adaptation planning with urban planning across four megacities.

Alissa is the City Adviser for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She is responsible for facilitating and developing a Paris Agreement compatible Climate Action Plan for the city, as well as ensure the capacity of the local council counterparts are built during the process.

Prior to joining C40, her experience included corporate consulting, with a focus on sustainability strategy and reporting for locally listed companies, as well as environmental sustainable design consulting, focusing on optimising building and masterplan design for sustainable certification and carbon emission reductions.

Her experience includes assisting the development the KL’s Carbon Management Plan for council-owned assets as the local consultant, and she is a keen advocate for integrated climate action through partnerships.

She has a Bachelors in Architectural Studies as well as Master of Environments from the University of Melbourne.