Matheus serves as Senior Manager for Climate Action in C40 Cities’ UrbanShift team. His role is to build capacity and support UrbanShift cities to commit to more ambitious targets and accelerated climate action. He is leading the development of a City Academy module and regional training sessions on Integrated Climate Action Planning.
Prior to this role, Matheus was the C40 City Adviser for Salvador, Brazil, working from within the city hall to coordinate the development of the city’s first ever Climate Action Plan. Before joining C40, Matheus worked as Head of Future Cities for the UK Government in Brazil. He led the design and delivery of a £16 million Prosperity Fund program in smart transportation and water management, in collaboration with international partners such as the World Bank and UN-Habitat. He also worked as a project manager in areas such as climate-smart cities planning, sustainable mobility, urban infrastructure, solid waste management, and sustainable social housing in several Brazilian cities.
Matheus has a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a Master’s degree in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies from the London School of Economics.
Matthew Stafford is the Content Officer 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, Matthew worked at Marchmont Communications, a London-based communications agency working with organisations tackling the most pressing international development and sustainability challenges. In this role he provided strategic communications, media, advocacy, and external engagement support to a range of international organisations and UN agencies throughout the world.
Previously Matthew was a freelance news writer for a start-up website where he covered developments in global politics, business, and technology. He holds a BA in History from the University of Cambridge.
Megan is C40’s Fossil Fuel Phase-Out Project Officer within the Inclusion and Global Leadership team. Her work focuses on combatting mis- and disinformation from the fossil fuel industry.
Before C40, Megan worked as an Oceans Researcher at the Environmental Justice Foundation, researching the link between human rights abuses and oceans/biodiversity degradation. She has held further positions at UNESCO and the Rights Lab, and holds a MSc in International Relations from the University of Nottingham, and a Master’s in Environmental Policy from Sciences Po Paris.
Mehrnaz joined C40 in 2018 to help set up the flagship Inclusive Climate Action Programme. In 2021 she transitioned to the Climate Action Directorate and currently is the Head of the C40 Cities Finance Facility where she is responsible for strategy development, program design and funder engagement for major urban climate action programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America, exploring ways to finance a just transition. She has 15 years of experience working on the nexus of climate change and socio-economic development in cities. Prior to joining C40, Mehrnaz spent over a decade working in the public, private and third sectors as a designer and a global urban development specialist, focusing particularly on matters related to climate change and planetary health, equity and inclusion, urban health, and urban economics.
Mehrnaz trained as an architect and holds an MPhil in Urban and Environmental Design in Architecture from the University of Cambridge, and her PhD at UCL focused on city and science diplomacy, and emerging forms of international urban governance to drive action toward planetary health. She holds several advisory positions with WHO, WRI, Google, Wellcome Trust, NGOs, and foundations. She has been a regular lecturer at universities in the UK and internationally helping design and deliver a number of executive and higher education courses.
Michael O’Neill is Project Manager for C40’s Green and Thriving Neighbourhoods programme. Michael supports cities in using urban planning and urban design approaches at a neighbourhood scale to reduce emissions while also improving people’s quality of life, health and well-being.
Before joining C40, Michael worked as a Policy and Project Advisor at the City of Toronto, where he led the development of the City’s first standalone neighbourhood parks plan, which aims to ensure that everyone has access to high-quality greenspace within a 15-minute walk of their home. He also managed applications for sustainability and resilience-focused grant funding, coordinated his team’s relationship with the City Council, and co-developed an internal learning series on Indigenous topics in park planning. Before that, he worked as a transportation planning consultant, contributing to projects ranging from the development of complete street policies to plans for new subway lines.
Michael holds a Master of Urban Planning from McGill University and a Bachelor of Arts in Human Geography from the University of Alberta.
Miranda serves as a Programme Officer with C40’s Air Quality team. Based in New York City, she supports the overall coordination and delivery of the programme, ensuring the air quality work is connected with other C40 programmes and networks, and working with external collaborators.
Before joining C40, Miranda worked at various organisations where her work focused on the intersection of public health and the built environment. This included collecting data and research on housing factors and the impact that housing upgrades could have on disease prevalence and creating an interactive map of the City of Camden, NJ, to examine the quality and availability of green spaces and other community features. After college, she worked as an intern with New York City’s Office of Climate Policy and Programs.
Miranda holds a degree in Public Health from Tulane University and a Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Cities and Communities from Harvard University.
Nadav Bigelman is an urban planner specializing in transportation planning and policy analysis. Nadav has over a decade of experience in community organizing, nonprofit management, and conducting research for various human rights organizations.
Nadav holds an MS in Urban Planning from Pratt Institute in New York City and an MA in Public Policy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Recent research has focused on urban forests and green infrastructure in New York City, through analyzing street tree canopy coverage, its relation to socioeconomic indicators, and its impact on urban heat island effect.
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.
Naomi leads on public transport in the Transportation and Urban Planning team. She manages the Public Transport Network, which aims to increase the share of trips taken by public transport in member cities, by supporting cities to make the case for and design policies that prioritise, improve and enhance public transport. She also collaborates with C40’s Campaigns team and the International Transport Workers’ Federation on The Future Is Public Transport campaign.
Prior to joining C40 Naomi worked at Transport for London where she developed policies, strategies and projects that aim to increase and improve walking, cycling and public transport journeys. She also has four years’ experience working in the UK Parliament and a BA in Economics and French.
Naomi is the Project Officer for Zero Emission Freight, working to support the Programme Manager in network activities and Technical Assistance projects. Prior to joining C40, Naomi worked as a Research Assistant to an environmental consultant on food and agriculture policy in the UK, with a particular focus on agroecology and grasslands as a nature-based solution to climate change. Naomi holds an MSc in Environment and Development from the University of Edinburgh and a BA in English Literature and Spanish from the University of Birmingham. She is based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
As C40’s City Engagement Manager for Air Quality, Natalia supports cities to take ambitious action to equitably improve air quality and health.
Natalia is an environmental engineer with expertise in emissions accounting, stakeholder engagement, and climate governance. She is particularly interested in integrating science-based solutions into urban climate action. She has worked with city governments and environmental authorities on climate planning, greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory development and updates, and metropolitan climate governance processes. She is passionate about helping cities and regions accelerate climate goals through collaboration, technical guidance, and innovative environmental policies.
Before C40, Natalia was a focal point for international cooperation on climate initiatives in Medellín’s City Hall. She holds a degree in Environmental Engineering from EIA University and an MSc in Biological Sciences from CES University. She is certified as an Urban Greenhouse Gas Inventory Specialist.
Neema is a Programme Officer in Africa. She supports seven cities in different countries in delivering C40’s UCAP Climate Action Implementation (CAI) Programme at the regional level. She has over eight years of rich experience in administration, procurement, logistics, grants administration, coordinating multiple stakeholders and programmes, and providing organisational support.
Before joining C40, Neema was part of the Family Health International -FHI 360, supporting the delivery of a governance programme with a focus on strengthening civil societies globally (SCS Global). She worked on several projects addressing climate change and disaster response, which included enhancing civil society effectiveness, strengthening civic advocacy, promoting independent media and access to information, as well as integrated participatory approaches to social inclusion, transparency and accountability in all sectors.
Neema has worked closely with the government of Kenya, donors and development partners in different international NGOs in Kenya.
Neha Awasthi is C40’s Senior Manager, Mobility for India, where she delivers the strategically important Zero Emission Freight and Zero Emission Area programmes in India.
Prior to C40, Neha worked at NITI Aayog, the Government of India’s premier policy think tank, where she spearheaded the Aspirational Cities Program, improving governance and service delivery in 100 cities in Uttar Pradesh. She also led Urban Health Governance Reforms and designed NITI Aayog’s City Regions as Growth Hubs mission, promoting sustainable urbanization in rapidly growing economies.
At the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), Neha was instrumental in shaping the Master Plan for Delhi – 2041 and advancing key urban policies such as Land Pooling, Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), Active Travel and Local Area Regeneration. She also led research on TOD strategies for 20 Indian Smart Cities, driving sustainable mobility practices in Indian cities. Neha brings a global perspective to urban governance and sustainable development through her exposure to urban practices in Japan, Nepal, Singapore, UAE, and the UK.
A Chevening Scholar, Neha holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the London School of Economics, a Master’s in Urban Planning from the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi and a Bachelor of Architecture from the National Institute of Technology Raipur.
Currently based in Mumbai, she has previously lived in Delhi and London. Neha enjoys doodling, music, exploring cities, and spending time with her family.
Neuni Farhad serves as Project Officer of Adaptation Research. She is responsible for identifying knowledge gaps in adaptation research and is currently working across several research projects to support cities in undertaking climate adaptation actions.
Before joining C40, Neuni completed her Master’s degree in Environment and Sustainable Development from University College London. During this, she worked on urban risk resilience through project based in Lima, Peru assessing urban development in the city’s coastal area with a focus on transport and governance.
Neuni previously interned at the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change as an Economist, working across several policy teams to pass legislation and quantify benefits of energy and climate change policies. She has also previously worked in the UK NGO sector on Women’s livelihood and empowerment projects across countries in South Asia and Africa with UK based charity Global One.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and is fluent in Bengali.
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.
Nicolle Konai is the Investment and Partnerships Manager for the Zero Emission Bus Rapid-deployment Accelerator (ZEBRA). She coordinates the programme’s effort to structure new commercial models in key Latin American cities and supports partners on finance aspects, as well as leads the investor engagement effort in the region by developing a strategy to mobilize capital for e-bus projects.
Prior to joining C40, Nicolle worked in investment and portfolio management at the International Finance Corporation (IFC). She also worked at the World Bank and has experience in finance, operations, and capital mobilization.
Based in São Paulo, Brazil, Nicolle holds a Master’s in Finance and Economics from FGV São Paulo and a Master’s in Public Administration from Columbia University (New York) and the University of Tokyo.
Nidhi Shashidhara serves as the US Federal Affairs Officer for C40 Cities, supporting the organisation’s work to help US cities harness federal funding to advance local climate action. Working closely with our partners, Climate Mayors and USDN, Nidhi will support mayors in hosting workshops in their cities to bring together community, business, and other local leaders to advance shared priorities and secure as much funding as possible.
Prior to joining C40, Nidhi served as the Development Associate for the Institute for Sustainable Communities where she helped lead their own efforts to secure federal, philanthropic and corporate funding to support local climate action in the US, China, India, Bangladesh, and the Mekong region. She started her career working as a congressional campaign fundraiser working with progressive and pro-climate candidates on their DC and national-level fundraising. Nidhi is also an Aspen Institute Future Climate Leader.
She is a Jacksonville, FL native but is based in Arlington, Virginia where she will soon graduate with a Masters in Sustainable Urban Planning from George Washington University. She also holds a Bachelors in Environmental Studies and Global Development Studies from Mercer University.
Nienke serves as C40’s Coordinator, Climate Action Planning & Innovation. She leads the coordination of Climate Action Plan reviews across all C40 member cities.
Before joining C40, Nienke worked as a Junior Policy Fellow in Climate & Health at Imperial College London where she managed “Connecting Climate Minds”, a global research project focussed on the intersection of climate change and mental health.
Before this, she gained extensive experience working with cities as a key member of CDP’s Cities technical team. She was furthermore part of the urban health team where she spearheaded CDP’s contribution to the WHO Health & Climate Change Urban Profiles pilot project, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s Pathfinder Initiative.
Nienke holds an MSc in Urban Development Planning from UCL and a BA in Latin American Studies from Universiteit Leiden.
Nikhil serves as Senior Manager, Climate Implementation, and works closely with the C40 Regions and Mayoral Engagement team. He supports Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Amman cities with their C40 engagements and overall other strategic regional initiatives.
Nikhil has prior work experience focused on climate and low-emission development strategies. He joined C40 from ICLEI, South Asia, where he was involved in GHG emission inventories, climate risk and vulnerability assessments, low emission development strategies, climate action planning, integrated water management, on-ground implementation of pilot projects and stakeholder engagements. Prior to this, he also worked with Ambuja Cements Ltd as an Environmental Engineer and with the Indian Institute of Technology (Mumbai) as a Research Engineer.
Nikhil holds a Master of Technology (M.Tech) in Environmental Engineering from Mumbai University, and he completed a number of professional courses on environmental management.
Nikoleta supports the legal team as C40’s Grants and Contracts Officer at the London office.
Apart from C40, she serves as the Managing Director of the world’s first legal think-tank dedicated to climate migrants, Earth Refuge. She is also the Head of Digital Communications at the International Institute of Space Law’s latest initiative, the Knowledge Constellation.
Nikoleta has been a coach, judge and award-winning participant in international law moot court competitions, including the Philip C. Jessup International Law Competition and the Manfred Lachs Space Law Competition. She also volunteered with the European Commission as a youth lecturer to make EU knowledge more accessible.
Nikoleta holds an MA in Human Rights from University College London, where she was recognised in the Dean’s List for Academic Excellence. Her dissertation explored climate change law and public health, and was awarded with Distinction. She received her BA in International Relations from Sofia University, where she won the Legal Studies Student of the Year award.