Empowering local communities
Central government policy alone cannot ensure a green transition – cities, regions, and communities can also be catalysts for environmental policy solutions through initiatives that seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase resource efficiency. Experimentation and learning at the local level often provide essential experience and, when successful, can help inform approaches between cities and regions as well as to influence national actions. A sense of locality can also lead to more social cohesion and a reduction in crime. Such engagement can also be a more prominent spirit of volunteering and other benefits such as a more self-confident, compassionate, and enterprising local area.
Good coordination and collaboration at all levels can help achieve the most cost-effective option in delivering green growth, including the areas of green investment and innovation. And this is where we fit in, working to bridge the current divide between the achievement of ambitious environmental goals and economic development.
The key to our success is our knowledge of policy and implementation, what works and what doesn’t, our experience working at all levels of Government – national, regional and local, and our ability to combine technical expertise with well-planned public and stakeholder engagement. In this way, we encourage and support a more inclusive approach to local and regional development whilst securing the right outcomes consistent with building sustainable communities consistent with ambitious goals.