In order to foster a culture and readiness of innovation in the Local Authority, it is not enough to put all the weight of the weight on the task force dedicated to the subject. The change necessarily starts at home and must be a comprehensive and profound change.

Below is a series of steps that have not been detailed so far in the various stages, which are intended to help you succeed in the task of developing the ecosystem - with the power to recruit other players and stakeholders and establish your status as a leading authority in the field:

Human capital development and organizational culture

1. Invest in education and training: an effective way to foster a culture of sustainability and innovation within the authority is through continuous training and education for the professional teams in the organization.
    
2. Encourage through incentives: Create an environment that encourages creativity and problem solving by incentivizing and rewarding employees who provide innovative ideas and solutions that contribute to sustainability.
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3. Promote environment-friendly mobility: encourage employees to use public transport, cycling, walking or driving.
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4. Adopt a culture of continuous improvement: Encourage an organizational culture that is open to experimentation, learning and continuous improvement in environmental practices.
    
5. Involve employees in decision-making: Encourage employees at all levels to participate in decision-making processes related to environmental initiatives. Their insights and knowledge can be invaluable to the move.
   
    

Procurement plans and policies

1. Implement green procurement procedures: Establish guidelines for the preference of purchasing products and services that are produced in a manner that takes into account the environment and have a minimal environmental impact. See our Green Procurement Toolbox for how-to guidelines and tools
    
2. Improve energy efficiency: invest in energy efficient devices, lighting, heating and cooling systems. As a complementary step to this, encourage a culture of energy saving within the organization.
    
3. Equip facilities such as bicycle racks or create subsidies for employees to travel by public transportation.
    
4. Emphasize waste reduction and recycling: implementing programs that minimize waste and promote recycling and composting within the authority.
    
5. Use technology: Take advantage of technological solutions available in the market such as building management systems, environmental monitoring tools and other smart technologies to optimize and minimize the authority's environmental impact.
    
6. Invest in research and development: encourage and invest in research and development of innovative solutions to environmental challenges specific to the organization.