Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion
C40 Cities is actively committed to being an equitable, diverse and inclusive organisation, not only in the way we recruit, manage and develop our international workforce, but also in the manner in which we work with C40’s nearly 100 member cities worldwide.
To succeed in our mission of helping the world limit global heating to 1.5°C and building healthy, equitable and resilient communities, we are working to deliver a future where everyone, everywhere, can thrive. This vision can only be achieved with a diverse workforce and an inclusive mission. If we can ensure our staff reflects the diversity, cultures and aspirations of the cities we represent, this will, in turn, help us reflect the needs of these diverse communities.
Leadership and staff engagement
C40 has established a Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Board to oversee the delivery of our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) strategy and action plan. The board is co-chaired by C40’s Executive Director, Mark Watts; Sam David, C40’s Digital Communications Manager; and Benjamin Jance IV, GCoM‘s Director of Climate Action Innovation, Research, and Impact. Other members include C40’s Management Team and representative staff from teams across the organisation.
C40 offers internal channels for staff to provide input to the board, including staff-led working groups and a staff consultation forum with local representatives from each C40 region. As we are continuously pushing ourselves to be leaders in equity, diversity and inclusion, we acknowledge that this is a journey that requires effort from each and every individual within the organisation to push the needle forward. We believe that this work must be at the core of everything we do.
Our strategy and action plan
The main objectives of C40’s ED&I strategy and action plan centre on C40’s workforce and work culture, external engagement and alignment with C40’s overarching mission. The objectives are monitored against key performance indicators and subject to review and further development on a yearly basis. The criteria for each objective are outlined below.