C40 Cities Climate Leadership

Analysis

C40 Cities Climate Leadership is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in May 2017, 9 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under environment and conservation. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 10401717). It says it provides services, provides advocacy/advice/information and sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending December 2025, C40 Cities Climate Leadership reported income of £15.9m and spending of £14.4m, spending 91% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £8.5m to £15.9m (+88%), an average of +17% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income rose by 32%. Over the whole period it spent 94% of the income it received.

Among 4,574 England and Wales charities whose main cause is environment and conservation and that reported income, C40 Cities Climate Leadership sits at the 100th percentile: it is one of the largest 1% in its cause. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Tusk Trust Limited (£15.6m), Keep Britain Tidy (£16.3m) and Friends of the Earth Charitable Trust (£15.3m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 99%. Charitable activities took 99% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Reserves of £4.3m would cover about 4 months of spending at that rate. It employed 161 people.