Jessy serves as the head of UrbanShift for C40 Cities and the Regional Coordinator for Africa. Her work is to support African cities to transition to climate-compatible economies through integrated planning support, knowledge exchange, and access to global expertise and finance. Through her work, she seeks to accelerate the development and implementation of interventions to adapt and increase resilience to climate change in the region.
Jessy previously served as the C40 Cities Finance Facility’s Regional Engagement Manager for Africa. She has worked for a number of years in the field of environmental management and climate change, on projects ranging from climate finance to improving energy access in rural parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Jessy holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Latest by Jessy Appavoo

Building an Equitable, Climate-Resilient Future in Freetown
From an inspiring study tour on urban cable cars to insight-filled trainings on climate action planning and finance, UrbanShift has supported Freetown—and all of Sierra Leone—to accelerate its climate goals.

UrbanShift Looks Back: On the Value of Expanding Access to Urban Climate Finance
C40's Jessy Appavoo, ICLEI's André Almeida da Vila, and UNEP's Sharon Gil share why and how UrbanShift has prioritized support for cities to access climate finance.

After a devastating earthquake, Marrakech plans to build back with resilience
Reflecting on how, with UrbanShift's support, the city of Marrakech is making strides to enhance its urban nature and lower emissions.

How African cities can develop to become green, resilient, and inclusive
During the Green & Resilient UrbanShift Africa Forum, leaders from across the continent united to learn and share insights on accelerating transformative urban planning approaches—and the finance needed to implement them.