Rishi Desai currently manages research efforts for the C40 Cities Climate Leadership group. He is responsible for developing the strategic research plan and content to baseline and account for the impact of C40's global efforts, and help shape the strategic growth of the C40 going forward. During his time with C40, Rishi has led efforts to produce the landmark report "Climate Action in Megacities: C40 Cities Baseline and Opportunities." He also leads efforts in standardizing metrics and data collection between cities, including GHG emissions and risk measurement. Rishi comes from the New York City Mayor¹s Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability where he co-authored the Inventory of New York City Greenhouse Gas Emissions and helped advance NYC's leadership in climate-related urban measurement methodologies. Rishi was founder and director of a sustainable design non profit organization in New York City, and was a researcher with The Earth Institute, publishing works relating to the intersection of climate, water, and social welfare in agrarian states in northwestern India. Before joining C40, he worked in architecture and planning in New York City and he holds degrees from Columbia University.