Climate change, energy and resilience

Meggan believes that African cities are places of innovation and potential, where globally relevant solutions are found. She leads the Climate Change, Energy and Resilience workstream at ICLEI Africa, where a diverse team works with African city stakeholders to build resilience, enable low emission development, and improve access to finance and energy. Meggan holds a PhD in Environmental Science and before joining ICLEI Africa worked as a municipal official.

Kate holds a PhD in Environmental Science, focused on coastal changes associated with climate change. She has a special interest in understanding climate change and the associated risks, especially relating to coastal cities. She has worked with and for local governments to build climate resilience, developing climate adaptation plans, and identifying challenges and opportunities associated with natural assets to overcome shocks and stressors associated with climate change.

Simon brings 13 years of experience in local development, with seven of those in sustainability, and an action research PhD, enabling wellbeing economies. He believes in local government’s potential for tangible implementation, and has worked within municipalities and through partnerships to enable this. Being passionate about conceptualising projects, and mobilising the right resources, partners and leaders for maximum impact, Simon has grown and managed diverse teams, most recently in the energy and climate space for a non-profit company. Project focus areas have included local just transitions, green hydrogen and climate/economic modelling.

Ben holds a BA degree in Development Economics, and has over a decade of experience in the energy sector across Africa. He is passionate about building sustainable and inclusive energy futures, and has a proven track record of successfully leading multi-country programmes. This includes launching electric cooking programmes that expanded energy access and clean cooking for 50 000 people across 5 countries within 24 months. As Head of the ICLEI Africa Clean Cooking Centre, Ben will drive progress at the intersection of government policy, private-sector innovation, and community engagement to improve access to clean cooking, particularly for marginalised urban populations.

Claudia is passionate about the intersection of climate resilience, energy, and urban sustainability, particularly in the dynamic contexts of African cities. With degrees in Social Dynamics, Environmental Management, and a Master's in Environment, Society, and Sustainability, she explores the intricate relationships between people, nature, and infrastructure in the face of climate change. At ICLEI Africa, she works alongside local governments to design and implement practical, context-specific solutions that strengthen urban resilience and advance sustainable energy transitions. Drawing on her expertise in project management, research, and knowledge management, she helps cities access the tools, insights, and partnerships needed to drive lasting, transformative change.

Jo has more than 15 years of experience in the environmental sustainability and resilience fields, 5 years of working in non-governmental organisations in the education, health and socio-economic fields, and a year of research experience in the water sector. She has a Master’s Degree in Social Science, an Honours Degree in Zoology and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. Jo has strong programme management, facilitation and capacity-building skills and is passionate about working across sectors and stakeholders to explore innovative and collaborative approaches that shift development pathways onto more sustainable and climate resilient trajectories. 

Romy is a climate policy consultant and researcher with two decades of experience advancing Africa's climate-resilient, low-emissions development. Her work focuses on sustainable, integrated natural resource governance and research to inform evidence-based policymaking. She collaborates with national governments, regional economic communities, and African continental organisations to embed long-term climate strategies into development frameworks. Romy is dedicated to amplifying the voices of Africa's most vulnerable populations, including smallholder farmers, youth and women, through capacity building, education and storytelling. Her expertise lies in designing tools and conducting research that strengthens inclusive policy processes and promotes equitable, sustainable climate solutions.

Azizat holds a PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering,  and currently works on the CoMSSA, ENACT and AFMEG projects at ICLEI Africa. She has experience in capacity building, research, system  design, as well as project management and implementation in energy efficiency, decentralised renewable energy systems, and energy storage. She is passionate about contributing to sustainable energy development within African cities as the way to the overall development of the African continent.

Brian’s diverse climate adaptation experience is centred on building coalitions for resilience in communities facing compounded vulnerability. He holds an MPhil in Climate Change and Sustainable Development, with a focus on coastal governance. His appreciation for monitoring, evaluation, and learning stems from a passion for asking questions, listening, and synthesising information. Brian’s project development work has been rooted in testing innovations and finding replicable success.

Carine Buma is a seasoned climate and energy professional with extensive experience in collaborating with partners and sub-national governments across Africa, supporting them to develop and implement innovative, inclusive and impactful climate and energy plans. In her current role as Senior Specialist, Climate Change, Energy, and Resilience at ICLEI Africa, she manages the Enabling African Cities for Transformative Energy Access (ENACT) project. This initiative, implemented with Mercy Corps in Kampala and Freetown, aims to improve clean cooking access in Africa’s urban informal settlements.

Dania is a climate and development specialist with experience as a consultant, applied policy researcher and technical advisor. She has over 10 years of experience in climate research and consulting, working alongside donor agencies, practitioners, local and national government, civil society, global and regional networks, and with academia to implement a range of projects specifically around building capacity, improved climate governance through multi-level action and strengthened engagement in political processes. Since 2021, Dania has been seconded from ICLEI Africa to the High Level Climate Champions team, where she is currently the Cities Engagement lead, with the goal to strengthen the engagement of cities, states and regions with Parties through the Marrakech Partnership, to amplify the voice of the Local Governments & Municipal Authority (LGMA) Constituency, and to showcase local leadership on climate activities from a subnational government perspective.

David has over a decade of experience contributing to solutions driving the sustainable energy transition. With a focus on urban informality, he has worked with a wide range of development partners and subnational governments across Africa. He has a particular interest in the role of human-centred design as an enabler of sustainable innovation. He holds an Honours Degree in Environmental and Geographical Studies, and qualifications in sustainable energy, public policy and project management. David joins our climate change and energy team, to provide strategic advice, drive business development, develop plans, and deliver action on climate change mitigation, sustainable energy, and clean cooking.

Josh is a waste management, recycling, and circular economy specialist with expertise in integrated solid waste management planning, infrastructure design, municipal services, and private sector development. With a Master’s in Environmental Management from the University of London and 15 years of experience across Africa, South America, MENA, and Southeast Asia, he has led complex technical programs in energy, waste, and recycling. He has strong competencies in environmental engineering, GIS, and urban planning. He joins ICLEI as Senior Specialist, supporting sustainable waste and energy strategies for local governments, advancing circular economy solutions, and climate-resilient urban development.

Hayley has extensive experience working at the interface of climate change and development issues, with a specific focus on climate change adaptation, disaster risk management and resilience. She has worked on diverse large research programmes in varied contexts, predominantly in urban centres across Southern African focused on issues such as disaster risk reduction and building climate change resilience. She has worked in academia, consultancy and research organisations entailing interdisciplinary engagement with local and national governments, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders. She holds a PhD in Geography from Royal Holloway, University of London.

Lucy holds a Msc in Political Science and a MPhil in Climate Change and Development. She has worked on GCF and GEF adaptation project design in several French speaking countries before joining ICLEI Africa in early 2021. Lucy currently works on participatory adaptation action planning, gender inclusion and finance for local climate action under the CoM SSA project.

Michael is a researcher with a focus on climate change and energy policy for just transitions in the Global South, and more than ten years of experience working in Southern, West and East Africa, and Latin America. He works at the science-policy interface at the intersection between national and international policy processes, specifically the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement. Michael has worked at universities, consultancies and think tanks, and holds a PhD in Climate Policy, and an MPhil in Energy and Development Studies from the University of Cape Town.

Stéphanie Canac is an economist with 8 years of experience in strategy, finance and infrastructure project preparation. She worked on a wide range of infrastructure and blue economy projects in Africa and recently joined ICLEI Africa to support the climate change team with its finance work.

Ayman is a trilingual policy officer and an energy engineer by training. He has solid experience in working at the global network level and a proven track record in political advocacy in an African context. His academic background is in energy transition and governance, as well as energy efficiency and renewables. Ayman has a Master’s degree in Political Science and Social Science from the European Institute in Berlin (Germany), a Master’s degree in Automatic Control of Energy Efficiency from the University of Lorraine in Nancy (France), as well as an Engineering Degree in Renewable Energy from the International University of Rabat (Morocco).

Blondel is an expert in climate finance and policy, with over 20 years of experience in climate justice and empowering local communities in Africa. He holds degrees in communications, ethnology and international cooperation, and strongly believes in the role of local governments in climate action. Before joining ICLEI Africa, Blondel worked as journalist and more recently in involving African civil society in the Green Climate Fund processes. At ICLEI Africa, Blondel facilitates the mobilisation and access to inclusive climate finance by local governments in Central Africa.

Dylan is passionate about analysing and addressing development challenges through the lens of climate change. He holds a Masters in Ecology from the University of the Witwatersrand and has five years of experience. He has developed research, data analysis, project management and stakeholder engagement skills through his work in the climate change and sustainability sector. Dylan uses his expertise in resilience, adaptation and climate finance to contribute to improved wellbeing for people vulnerable to climate change impacts.

Meagen Swain holds a Master of Philosophy in Climate Change and Sustainable Development from the University of Cape Town with a theoretical background in Environmental and Geographical sciences. Before joining ICLEI Africa as a Professional Officer in the Climate Change, Energy and Resilience workstream, she completed the City of Cape Town’s Urban Sustainability Internship Programme, within the City's Environmental Management Department. During her time at the City of Cape Town, she supported the public participation process of the city’s Climate Change Strategy and assisted in strengthening the strategy and action plan. Her interests lie in climate change, resilience and urban greening.

Nelson is part of both the Climate Change, Energy & Resilience work stream, and the Membership team, while undertaking his MA in International Studies at Stellenbosch University. He has experience working for the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service, a global network of International Voluntary Service CSOs, as well as the culture and education sectors of UNESCO.

Rabia is part of ICLEI Africa's Sustainable Finance Centre, and is committed to advancing finance solutions that drive sustainable development across South Africa and Africa to make finance accessible and impactful for communities. With a strong background in finance and economic development, she focuses on integrating policy, finance, and local impact to address the region’s unique challenges. 

With a background in chemical engineering and renewable energy, Sadie’s interests fall in the broad cross-road between engineering and sustainability. She has grown from an intern to a professional officer at ICLEI Africa and currently works mainly on climate change mitigation (such as quantifying city-level greenhouse gas emissions to help local governments set targets and actions for low-carbon development). She also has a passion for climate finance and project preparation/ development.

Susan is a dedicated professional with over eight years of experience in driving sustainable development and environmental stewardship. She has led impactful projects, including Uganda's National Biogas Strategy, and initiatives promoting energy-efficient solutions. A recipient of the prestigious AfDB scholarship, Susan holds a Master’s degree in Climate Change and Disaster Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management. With expertise in stakeholder engagement, project coordination and strategy execution, she is passionate about advancing sustainable practices and addressing pressing environmental challenges.

Clara holds an Honours degree in Environmental and Geographical Science, graduating with distinction from the University of Cape Town. With a keen focus on climate change adaptation, disaster risk management and resilience, Clara is driven by a commitment to advancing sustainable and equitable solutions in the African urban context. She believes that impactful resilience-building emerges from collective action and interdisciplinary engagement.

Erin holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Policy from Sciences Po’s Paris School of International Affairs. She has two years of experience, having worked at a global renewable energy think tank, where she co-authored key reports, led research on energy transitions, and engaged stakeholders across Africa and Europe, and at a South African socio-ecological NGO, where she conducted environmental economics research, collaborating with local communities on invasive species management. Passionate about inclusive sustainability, Erin advocates for environmental policy solutions that drive social equity. Erin holds an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science and an Honours degree in Economics from the University of Cape Town.

Kennedy is an urban planner keen on integrated mobility solutions to improve transportation systems. He is particularly interested in sustainable proximities to prioritise walking cycling, and public transport, shifting the focus from cars to people. He has three years of experience in development planning and over a year in urban mobility, focusing on active transport. Kennedy is a Master's graduate in Urban Management and Development from the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies of Erasmus University in the Netherlands. At ICLEI Africa, he hopes to expand his knowledge and contribute to strategies integrating climate action for resilient, safe and equitable transportation solutions.