C40
C40 Cities is a non-profit global network of 96 megacities, representing 23% of global GDP, that provides member mayors with climate action planning frameworks, technical assistance, a shared Knowledge Hub, and collective advocacy to cut urban emissions and build resilience.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What C40 does
C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Inc. is a US-registered non-profit organization founded in 2005 that operates a global network of 96 member cities, which together represent approximately 23% of global GDP and 920 million people. C40's core function is to convene mayors of the world's megacities and provide them with climate action planning frameworks, peer-to-peer learning platforms, technical assistance across 11 sector programs (transport, buildings, energy, food, waste, water, urban planning, etc.), climate finance pathways, and collective advocacy in global negotiations including the COP and G20 processes. The organization's flagship technology product is the C40 Knowledge Hub, an open-access platform serving 2.6 million users across 28,000 cities worldwide with practical tools, research, and case studies. Programmatic sub-brands include C40 Accelerators (sector-specific commitment frameworks), the Climate Budgeting Programme, Breathe Cities (air quality partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies and Clean Air Fund), Laneshift (electric freight), and Cities Race to Zero. C40 does not charge membership dues; its revenue model is a foundation of philanthropic and government grants from a coalition of funders including Bloomberg Philanthropies, Realdania, FCDO (UK), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Denmark, ClimateWorks Foundation, the European Union, and others. It is governed by a co-chair model (one Global North mayor, one Global South mayor) and operates headquarters in London with regional hubs in New York and Johannesburg and field staff across seven regional directorates.
C40 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- C40
- Legal name
- C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Inc.
- Website
- https://c40.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- C40 Cities is a non-profit global network of 96 megacities, representing 23% of global GDP, that provides member mayors with climate action planning frameworks, technical assistance, a shared Knowledge Hub, and collective advocacy to cut urban emissions and build resilience.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
C40 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Urban Climate Action Network Services
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA), Decarbonization Strategy & Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) Advisory (EUABAKAC), Climate Resilience & Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) (BPAGABAK)
Keywords
Where C40 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
C40 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Foundation and Philanthropic Funding: C40 operates as a registered not-for-profit organization funded by foundations and philanthropies including Bloomberg Philanthropies, Realdania, ClimateWorks Foundation, and others who provide core funding and programmatic support
- Government Funding: Funding from government entities including FCDO (UK), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Denmark, and European Union for specific climate programs and initiatives
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
C40 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
C40 Cities is a non-profit network of nearly 100 mayors of the world's leading cities working together to address the climate crisis. It provides member cities with expert guidance, technical assistance, sector-specific accelerator programmes, and peer-to-peer learning to develop and implement climate action plans that cut emissions, build resilience, and advance justice. Its flagship open-access C40 Knowledge Hub serves 2.6 million users globally with climate expertise, case studies, and practical tools.
Product overview
C40 Cities operates as a global climate action network rather than a traditional product company. The primary platform offering is the C40 Knowledge Hub, an open-access knowledge management system that provides climate action resources, tools, and research to support cities in planning and implementing climate solutions. The organization delivers its mission through sector programs (transport, buildings, energy, food, waste, water, urban planning), accelerators, climate finance pathways, and global advocacy—serving as a coordination and knowledge-sharing network for nearly 100 member cities representing 23% of the global economy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Breathe Cities: A global initiative supporting cities to cut air pollution and climate emissions, partnership between Bloomberg Philanthropies, Clean Air Fund, and C40 Cities.
- C40 Knowledge Hub
- Laneshift
- Cities Race to Zero
Products and services
- C40 Knowledge Hub Open-access digital platform providing climate expertise, practical tools, research, case studies, and ready-to-use resources to support city and climate professionals in planning and implementing climate action.
- C40 Accelerators Sector-specific commitment frameworks that drive ambitious climate results and halve fossil fuel use by 2030 across key urban systems for C40 member cities.
- Cities Climate Transition Framework A comprehensive framework providing practical guidance for cities to plan and deliver transformational climate change action, aligned with the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement.
- Climate Budgeting Programme Programme providing tools and frameworks that help cities integrate climate considerations into budgeting and governance systems.
- Breathe Cities A global initiative supporting cities to cut air pollution and climate emissions, operated as a partnership between Bloomberg Philanthropies, Clean Air Fund, and C40 Cities, with active engagement in 14+ cities.
- Laneshift Programme focused on electric freight truck transition and the development of green corridors in cities, supporting zero-emission transport.
- Cities Race to Zero Global campaign mobilizing cities to commit to net zero emissions as part of the broader Race to Zero coalition.
Quantifiable outcome
- C40 cities cutting emissions 5x faster than global average
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use C40
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
C40 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
C40 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Clean Air FundcorePhilanthropic initiative tackling air pollution globally. Partner in Breathe Cities initiative alongside Bloomberg Philanthropies and C40 Cities to improve air quality across 14+ cities.
- GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)majorGerman development agency working worldwide for a future worth living, offering people opportunities and sustainably improving living conditions. Supports C40's technical programmes.
- CAF (Development Bank of Latin America)majorDevelopment bank of Latin America and the Caribbean. Signed MoU at International Economic Forum 2026 to accelerate urban climate finance and project delivery across the region.
- International Finance Corporation (IFC)majorPart of World Bank Group. Joint report with C40 identifying $3.8 billion EV charging infrastructure investment opportunity across Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and India by 2035.
- The Climate PledgemajorCo-founded by Amazon and Global Optimism. 467 signatories across 41 countries. Partner in EV charging infrastructure reports and Laneshift programme.
- World BankmajorPartner in urban climate finance initiatives including World Bank Spring Meetings roundtable co-hosted with C40 and Global Covenant of Mayors.
- Uber Technologies Inc.majorInternational partnership to expand EV charging access for drivers and couriers in major US and European cities, targeting over 55,000 drivers across London, Boston, and Phoenix.
- GoogleminorTechnology partner supporting C40's digital initiatives and climate data projects.
- IBMminorGlobal technology company providing solutions and insights for urban climate initiatives including AI applications for cities.
- Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & EnergycoreMajor partnership for climate and energy coordination. C40's Andy Deacon serves as Co-Managing Director of GCoM. Joint initiatives including CHAMP coalition.
- World Resources Institute (WRI)majorResearch organization working to improve people's lives, protect nature, and stabilize climate. Collaborates on urban climate projects.
- International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)majorIndependent research organization providing technical analysis to environmental regulators. Partner in electric bus deployment and freight electrification analysis.
- ArupmajorEngineering and design consultancy. Joint analysis on electric truck transition with C40 and University of Exeter. Supports freight decarbonisation initiatives.
- University of ExetermajorAcademic partner in joint analysis with C40 and Arup revealing cities can accelerate transition to electric freight trucks through coordinated policy action.
- Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC)majorCoalition co-hosting webinars on electrifying construction equipment with ICCT and C40 Cities.
- Community JameelminorIndependent global organization continuing tradition of philanthropy and community service. Co-hosting panel on resilient cities at VivaTech 2025.
- British Embassy JakartaminorUK diplomatic mission collaborating with Jakarta Provincial Government and C40 on UK-funded Climate Action Implementation programme.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
C40 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): Global disclosure system for cities and companies on environmental impact. CDP's cities program overlaps with C40's measurement, reporting, and benchmarking work and competes for the same municipal reporting space and funder dollars.
Broad incumbents
- World Resources Institute (WRI): Global research organization with longstanding programs on cities and climate (Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, WRI Ross). WRI collaborates with C40 but also competes for philanthropic climate dollars and produces overlapping research and frameworks.
- UN-Habitat: United Nations agency working on sustainable urban development. UN-Habitat addresses many of the same urban climate, resilience, and equity missions as C40 but operates under a multilateral mandate with broader geographic and income-level scope.
Others
- Bloomberg Philanthropies: C40's largest strategic funder and a direct partner on initiatives like Breathe Cities and Beyond Carbon. Bloomberg Philanthropies is also a major parallel climate funder to city networks and campaigns, making it both an enabler and an indirect competitor for influence.
- ClimateWorks Foundation: Major climate philanthropy aggregator that channels funding to NGOs including C40. ClimateWorks is an adjacent ecosystem player whose grantmaking priorities directly shape C40's funding runway and program scope.
Direct peers
- ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability: Global network of local and regional governments committed to sustainability. Like C40, ICLEI provides frameworks, peer learning, and technical support to cities on climate action and is one of C40's closest direct competitors in the city climate network space.
- Under2 Coalition: Subnational climate coalition of state and regional governments committed to deep decarbonization. Compares to C40 as a peer subnational network chasing similar funder mandates (Bloomberg, ClimateWorks) and member overlaps in C40's megacities.
- United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG): Worldwide network of cities and local/regional government associations. UCLG overlaps with C40 on advocacy, knowledge sharing, and city representation in global forums such as the UN and COP, though UCLG is broader and more politically oriented.
- Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM): Largest global alliance of city leaders addressing climate change. GCoM overlaps directly with C40 — C40's Andy Deacon serves as Co-Managing Director — and both coalitions share member cities, funders, and reporting methodologies.
Regional players
- RGGI (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative): US-state-level cap-and-trade compact among Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. RGGI is a regional precedent for subnational climate coordination analogous to C40's model but operates at US-state level rather than global-city level.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
C40 social profiles
Digital presenceC40 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
C40 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles23 records
C40 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
C40 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about C40
What does C40 do?
C40 Cities is a non-profit network of nearly 100 mayors of the world's leading cities working together to address the climate crisis. It provides member cities with expert guidance, technical assistance, sector-specific accelerator programmes, and peer-to-peer learning to develop and implement climate action plans that cut emissions, build resilience, and advance justice. Its flagship open-access C40 Knowledge Hub serves 2.6 million users globally with climate expertise, case studies, and practical tools.
Is C40 a public or private company?
C40 is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was C40 founded?
C40 was founded in 2005. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is C40 based?
C40 is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does C40 make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Foundation and Philanthropic Funding is the primary driver. The others are government Funding.
Who are C40's main competitors?
CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are World Resources Institute (WRI) and UN-Habitat. Others are Bloomberg Philanthropies and ClimateWorks Foundation. Direct peers are ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, Under2 Coalition, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM). RGGI (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative) is listed as a regional player.
Does C40 have an API?
No public API is recorded for C40.
What industry is C40 in?
C40's product category is Urban Climate Action Network Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADALAL, Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure, with a secondary code of BPADALAA, Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support. Its NAICS code is 813312 and its SIC code is 8300.