Plans for an Innovation Team have been announced that will work towards tackling the city’s ambitions of reaching net zero and ending poverty.

The i-team, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, will include three specialised staff charged with helping the council and civic and community-based partners design and implement services that improve people’s lives. They will receive technical assistance from regional and global specialists, and benefit from learnings from peers in local authorities across the region and around the world.  

City of Edinburgh Council leader Jane Meagher said: “Edinburgh is one of the most successful cities in the world and yet we face unprecedented pressures. Our population growth, and appeal as a fantastic place to live and visit, makes it challenging to provide the best quality housing and support to residents who need it most. Likewise, Edinburgh’s world-famous environment, both built and natural, needs to be managed sustainably and protected from the effects of climate change.

“The support from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ international i-team initiative will provide a huge boost towards our aims of tackling poverty and hitting net zero, by helping us to establish a brand-new innovation team within the Council. I look forward to working with this team, and all our partners, as we work to deliver a fairer and stronger capital city.”

James Anderson, who leads the Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies, said: “Realising efficient, effective government is an inside job—and the Innovation Teams we support around the world are critical to building that engine within the city halls they serve. We are glad to expand this model to 19 new municipal teams in Europe, who will join the growing number of public officials working locally, creatively, and ambitiously to break down silos, break through problems, and deliver results residents see and feel.”

To date, the Bloomberg Philanthropies i-team initiative has reached over 100 cities across 16 countries and four continents, representing more than 100 million residents, and inspired hundreds of other local governments to embrace innovation systems and practices.