From heatwaves to city hall: Eleni Myrivili’s vision for climate-resilient cities
- S4E1
- 37:10
- October 9th 2025
What does it take to make our cities liveable in a world that is rapidly heating?
In this first episode of Reimagining Government's new season, hosts Gabrielle Beran and Kandice Louis-Wilson speak with Eleni Myrivili, the UN's first Chief Heat Officer and former Deputy Mayor of Athens.
Eleni shares how extreme heat exposes deep inequalities, why climate action is inseparable from questions of power, and how centring justice and care can transform how we design and govern our cities.
This conversation sets the stage for a season spotlighting women and gender-diverse leaders reimagining climate governance from the ground up.
Reimagining Government
Governments everywhere are under mounting pressure to deliver the results people expect, while remaining trusted and relevant. Yet today’s systems and structures often struggle to respond to the complexity of the world we live in. Wicked challenges such as the climate crisis, deepening inequality, and the disruptive power of new technologies are forcing us to rethink how government works.
From the Centre for Public Impact, this podcast explores radical new approaches to tackling the most urgent issues of our time. Through conversations with public servants, policymakers, and changemakers around the world, we shine a light on how governments can reimagine their role in a rapidly changing world.
Learn more about this emerging vision for better government at https://centreforpublicimpact.org/
Adrian Brown is the Executive Director at the Centre for Public Impact.
Adrian has over 20 years' experience working on government performance and transformation in the UK and internationally. He has held a range of positions in the UK government, including stints at the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit, the Strategy Unit and as a policy adviser in the Prime Minister's Office.