Ana Carolina Ferreira is a specialist in local sustainability policies and climate change adaptation, with around 20 years of experience in local public administration. She currently heads the Strategy, Innovation and Sustainability Unit at the Municipality of Mafra.
She is a PhD candidate in Climate Change and Sustainable Development Policies at the Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lisbon, and is developing her doctoral thesis at NOVA University Lisbon. Her research focuses on the role of Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) in the evolution of municipal public policies.
At the Municipality of Mafra, she coordinates LabODS and was responsible for preparing the first Portuguese Voluntary Local Review, presented at the United Nations in 2023, as well as for achieving the Gold SDG Cities certification, awarded by UN-Habitat. She is also a member of the Specialized Commission on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation of APDA – the Portuguese Water Distribution and Drainage Association.