Why this matters

For the fourth year in a row, Apolitical is celebrating innovative, groundbreaking teams that are changing the game through our Public Service Team of the Year Awards. This has been a challenging year, and public servants have been pushed to be more creative, innovative, and thoughtful than ever before — and we want to celebrate their work.

How the finalists were selected

We received nominations from teams all over the world. We then reviewed each nomination individually, and a panel of judges at Apolitical decided on a shortlist of teams for each category. Winners and runners-up were then selected based on votes from public servants around the world. You can see all categories of nominated teams here.

Winner

CivTech Alliance COP26 Global Scale Up Programme Team, Scotland

CivTech Alliance’s Global Scale-Up Programme saw 8 governments and 3 not-for-profit institutions across 10 countries come together to deliver an innovative programme for companies to accelerate rollout of net-zero climate change solutions in the lead up to and during COP26 in Glasgow. The challenge areas were environmental resilience, reducing food waste and decarbonising transport. Participating companies in CivTech Alliance’s Global Scale-Up Programme were the first cohort of a truly global public-sector scale-up programme, and benefitted from exposure of their work across governments and international investors, as well as a platform at COP26.

Runner-up

eRevival Square Initiative, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, SGTech and the Sustainable Living Lab, Singapore

Singapore’s Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, in collaboration with SGTech and Sustainable Living Lab, launched their new initiative, the ‘eRevival Square’ this year. Singapore generates 60 million kilograms of e-waste annually. This initiative aims to raise and expand awareness about the sustainable management of e-waste, and the broader issue of living sustainably. eRevival Square activities, which have been ongoing from July to December 2021, focus on companies extending the life of their electronic products, instead of throwing them away. These activities have included live-stream repair workshops for various electronics, and #e-wastenomore challenges, with cash rewards when individuals upcycle or repair their e-waste.

Finalists

The Ministry of Environment 'Coolease' Programme, Rwanda

Rwanda’s Ministry of Environment launched ‘Coolease’, a programme delivered with K-CEP, UNEP and BASE to tackle the high rate of emissions that come from air conditioners. Under this scheme, the producers of the technology can transition to the latest efficient and climate-friendly technology without the high upfront costs normally associated with it. This allows consumers to select climate-friendly options and contributes to reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that come from the cooling sector. Additionally, consumers can rent cooling appliances such as air conditioners directly from providers, and providers have the responsibility of installing and maintaining the units.

Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability's Climate Refuge Project, Spain

The Climate Refuge Project by the Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability (BCNUEJ) aims to create accessible indoor and outdoor spaces offering thermal relief for city residents during heatwaves. The effects of climate change have led to an increasing number of heat waves affecting city residents across Spain. BCNUEJ’s Climate Refuges use vegetation, water and improved infrastructure to create cooling spaces in neighborhoods which are accessible to all, particularly benefitting vulnerable populations who need relief during heat waves. BCNUEJ’s Climate Refuge Project seeks to incorporate caregiving provisions into climate emergency measures at a local level.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s Flood Forecasting Initiative, India

Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has initiated its city-wide Flood Forecasting Initiative which is the first of its kind in India. Kolkata, one of the densest megacities in the world, experiences frequent flooding caused by local rains, which have become more frequent due to climate change. A new low-cost high-density network of 350 sensors makes up Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s Flood Forecasting System which provides real-time data on rain levels, humidity, heat stress which is analyzed through the Kflood website to predict imminent floods. This early warning system provides citizens with timely warnings on impending floods and natural hazards, allowing planning of preventative measures and evacuation orders to be carried out. This will result in approximately six thousand less hectares of land in Kolkata bearing the brunt of floods and the ensuing economic, social and environmental damage caused, making it a smart city resilient to urban flood risks.