20 years of climate impact
How C40 Cities is funded: Partners and funders driving climate action
Three in four C40 cities are reducing per capita emissions quicker than their respective national governments.
For 20 years, C40 has connected major cities globally, transforming global goals into local actions through data, equity, and collaboration.
As a registered not-for-profit, this remarkable progress relies on our funders and partners, governments, philanthropies, and businesses that all see cities as crucial in delivering climate solutions.
We’re grateful to everyone who supports our network of 97 member cities, representing more than 920 million people. Together, we aim to cut fossil fuel use in half by 2030, boost urban resilience, and ensure a fair transition to a clean, green world.
Turning ambition into action
Through this collaborative effort, C40 cities are achieving remarkable results by:
- cutting emissions five times faster than the global average, even as urban populations grow
- reducing toxic air pollution by 8% between 2017 and 2023
- creating over 21 million good green jobs since 2022, putting us on track to reach our target of 50 million by 2030
Our cities are proving that ambitious urban climate action works, delivering cleaner air, healthier streets, green jobs, and real-life benefits for the communities they serve.
Partner with C40 Cities: Funding and sponsorship opportunities
C40 works in true collaboration with our funders and partners. We believe that addressing the climate crisis requires shared expertise, aligned goals, and joint action. Whether you’re a government, a foundation, a business, or an individual, there are meaningful ways to work together to support urban climate leadership:
Core funding
Help us respond quickly to new challenges and opportunities
C40 has several unrestricted funders that support C40’s core work and enable us to respond quickly to new opportunities. Flexible funding helps us develop our capabilities while supporting mayors to seize emerging climate opportunities and address urgent challenges as they arise.
Programmatic support
Partner with us on targeted climate programmes
Partner with us to deliver targeted programmes across 11 climate sectors – from air quality and transport to food systems and inclusive climate action. Our programmes have proven results across diverse urban contexts. These produce measurable outcomes on emissions reduction, adaptation, and resilience, as well as meaningful improvements in public health and community wellbeing that directly benefit residents.
Event sponsorship
Support global climate leadership events
Support global climate leadership through C40’s events, from local city workshops to the triennial World Mayors Summit. Different sponsorship levels enable partners to engage meaningfully with mayors, policymakers, and the urban climate movement.
Want to learn more? Contact our Executive Office at partnerships@c40.org for more information about funding opportunities and partnership models.
C40 Cities Strategic Funders
These partners provide large-scale, multi-year support that powers C40’s core operations and helps shape our strategic direction. As part of C40’s leadership structure, they enable us to plan and deliver ambitious programmes worldwide.
Working in over 120 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people.
The association seeks to improve quality of life through the built environment, defined as the physical settings for our everyday life.
C40 Programme Funders
These partners fund targeted programmes in air quality, transport, food systems, and more, helping C40 cities deliver on their climate commitments and serve their communities.
C40 is supported by the UK government through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The FCDO is committed to advancing development progress worldwide through a diverse range of partnerships, which aim to reduce poverty and tackle climate change and other root causes of global crises.
The Danish Foreign Service operates globally to work for Denmarks’ interests and values in relation to the surrounding world in a manner that furthers the freedom, security and welfare of Danes in a more peaceful and just world, with development and economic growth for all.
Carrier, global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions, is committed to creating solutions that matter for people and our planet for generations to come.
A philanthropic initiative with a mission to tackle air pollution around the world. Bringing together funders, researchers, policy makers and campaigners to find and scale solutions that will provide clean air for all.
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European countries. It is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. It acts globally to promote sustainable development of societies, environment and economies, so that everyone can benefit.
The Curt Bergfors Food Planet Prize awards $2 million to a single winning project significantly reducing the environmental impact of the way we eat. C40 won the Food Planet Prize in June 2024 in recognition of our exceptional contributions and strong potential to transform urban food systems to benefit people and the planet.
The Global Environment Facility is the largest multilateral trust fund focused on enabling developing countries to invest in nature, and supports the implementation of major international environmental conventions including on biodiversity, climate change, chemicals, and desertification.
The German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) GmbH works worldwide for a future worth living: Together with their partners, they offer people opportunities and sustainably improve their living conditions
Global Methane Hub is building a global network of scientists, experts, activists, policymakers, and philanthropists, all pushing in the same direction toward the single goal of mitigating methane.
The Grundfos Foundation is a Danish commercial foundation which funds sustainable water projects, focusing its efforts on helping rural communities and refugee camps. In Denmark, the Foundation has a special focus on labour market inclusion of vulnerable groups and supports natural science and technical research environments.
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is a nonpartisan, private charitable foundation that advances ideas and supports institutions to promote a better world.
Launched in 2020, Laudes Foundation challenges and inspires industry to harness its power for good. Founded by the Brenninkmeijer family, Laudes works alongside a wider network of philanthropic organisations, including Porticus.
The Open Society Foundations are the world’s largest private funder of independent groups working for justice, democratic governance, and human rights.
Porticus is an international foundation that manages and develops the philanthropic programmes of charitable entities established by the Brenninkmeije family entrepreneurs.
The Ramboll Foundation is an independent Danish enterprise foundation with both corporate and philanthropic purposes. The Ramboll Foundation wishes to promote a sustainable and innovative development for the benefit of nature, society, and people.
The Robertson Foundation is a private foundation established in 1996 by Tiger Management founder Julian H. Robertson, Jr., his wife Josie, and their family.
In 2019, Amazon and Global Optimism co-founded The Climate Pledge. Since then, 467 signatories have joined across 41 countries These signatories play a critical role in stimulating investments in the development of low-carbon products and services.
Uber Technologies, Inc. is a multinational technology company that offers ride-hailing services, food delivery, and freight transport across 70 countries and 10,500 cities worldwide. Uber seeks to protect the future of our planet through a focus on electric vehicles, food waste, and an equitable green transition.
The Z Zurich, funded by members of the Zurich Insurance group, supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals by helping communities adapt to climate breakdown along with supporting the mental wellbeing and development of young people.
![Z Zurich Foundation [funder] logo](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAxMDI0IDY1NSIgd2lkdGg9IjEwMjQiIGhlaWdodD0iNjU1IiBkYXRhLXU9Imh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmM0MC5vcmclMkZ3cC1jb250ZW50JTJGdXBsb2FkcyUyRjIwMjMlMkYxMSUyRlNjcmVlbnNob3QtMjAyMy0xMS0xMC1hdC0wOS41NS40MS0xMDI0eDY1NS5wbmciIGRhdGEtdz0iMTAyNCIgZGF0YS1oPSI2NTUiIGRhdGEtYmlwPSIiPjwvc3ZnPg==)
Bugaboo International B.V. is a Dutch design company that makes parental products such as pushchairs for infants and toddlers.
An independent, global organisation, Community Jameel launched in 2003 to continue the tradition of philanthropy and community service established by the Jameel family of Saudi Arabia in 1945.
The European Climate Foundation (ECF) is a major philanthropic initiative working to foster the net-zero transition and ensure a healthy, thriving planet for current and future generations.
Google is a multinational technology company specialising in Internet-related services and products, including search engines, cloud computing, and AI research.
IBM is a global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider. It provides clients across various industries such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare with solutions and insights to inform business processes and strategies.
The Mayors Migration Council (MMC) is a mayor-led coalition that accelerates ambitious global action on migration and displacement.
Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company, founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. Their purpose is to drive change to defeat serious chronic diseases, built upon our heritage in diabetes.
Ove Arup Foundation is committed to promoting education and knowledge in the built environment through the interdisciplinary nature of design.
Urban Partners is an investment management platform focusing on the most pressing urban problems. Founded in the Nordics almost two decades ago as NREP, it is global in reach today.
Qlik helps teams get more out of AI with data they can rely on and control. It delivers trusted data products, a powerful analytics engine, and AI agents.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is a leading national philanthropy paving the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.
The Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund supports new and innovative programmes that take a solutions-oriented approach towards climate action by aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Wellcome exists to improve health by helping great ideas to thrive. They support researchers, take on big health challenges, and campaign for better science.
ITDP is a global organization at the forefront of innovation, using technical expertise, direct advocacy, and policy guidance to mitigate the impacts of climate change, improve air quality, and support prosperous, sustainable, and equitable cities.
The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) is an independent nonprofit research organization founded to provide exceptional, objective, timely research and technical and scientific analysis to environmental regulators.
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is a world leading centre for research and postgraduate education in public and global health.
With 189 member countries, the World Bank Group is a unique global partnership fighting poverty worldwide through sustainable solutions.
WRI works to improve people’s lives, protect and restore nature, and stabilize the climate.
Discover the creative ways cities are taking climate action to create a safer, healthier future where everyone can thrive.
How C40 evolved from a group of 18 cities in 2005 to a global force for faster, fairer and more ambitious climate action.
