Nadia Shah Naidoo is a climate change specialist with over 10 years of experience providing technical and strategic guidance to African cities. She currently works as a Senior Associate for Integrated Climate Action at the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. In her role, she leads the development of knowledge products on multilevel governance and climate action mainstreaming in cities. 

Prior to joining WRI, Nadia held various roles at C40 Cities, most recently as a Senior Manager for Inclusive Climate Action and Mainstreaming, supporting African cities to embed climate change, inclusivity and equity into their decision-making processes, plans and projects. 

Nadia earned her MSc in Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences with distinction from the University of Witwatersrand. Her research explored leadership and climate governance in South African cities. 

In 2022, she was named one of the Top 200 South Africans under the age of 35 by the Mail & Guardian, and in 2023, she was recognized as one of the Top 50 Eco-Advocates in the country.