In today’s knowledge-based global economy, local governments and companies have yet to learn to take advantage from the vast pool of sustainable solutions that have already been implemented in other places around the world and that are telegraphed on a daily basis throughout the internet. The best sustainable development practices are no longer isolated in the place where they were originally conceived until they reach mass diffusion or acceptance.

 

These resources are widely available for those needing and willing to adapt them to a myriad of locally based issues. As the capacity to share ideas, collaborate and adapt existing solutions continue to spiral out the reaches of those in position to materialize them into local realities, cities will be deprived from the opportunity to transform themselves into vibrant sustainable networks. citizen-ecosystem brings together decision makers with the vast resources of existing sustainable solutions in order to assemble transformative toolboxes for any city to benefit and nurture from.

 

Sustainable initiatives flourish at the grass root level, next to the challenges being addressed and propelled by citizens acting as initiators, brokers and implementators. Direct citizen involvement is essential for lasting solutions, as citizen’s personal drivers continually push them to improve their sphere of influence. Top down imposed solutions fail to address and capture local needs, each city has its own opportunities, which can only be perceived by those deeply immersed in the daily life of that city. citizen-ecosystem establishes strategic public-private-citizen partnerships to launch self-sustained initiatives that involve all relevant stakeholders and meet the demands of each city.

 

When local governments and companies with social responsibility standards look for ways to develop sustainable strategies, they are often confronted with a daunting task. The role of the public and corporate policy maker has dramatically changed over the last decade, governments have to go beyond fostering favourable business environments and the provision of public goods, and contribute in the development of efficient social ecosystems. Companies, on the other hand, have to learn how to align economic performance with the cause for sustainability and find the right mechanisms to give back to the communities from where they are based.

 

citizen-ecosystem assists governments and companies in assembling sustainable toolboxes by detecting, assessing and prioritizing solutions implemented elsewhere. Where citizen-ecosystem differentiates itself, is in the ability to empower sustainable creativity, by adapting, transforming and implementing these ideas into concrete local action plans.