Although there are many opinions on the role of government in society most would agree that governments can play a leading role in tackling the environmental crisis. Governments in essence provide the rules and incentives that govern many aspects of how our society operates. They also have the power to tax and spend public funds to further policy goals such as the lowering of carbon emissions. Combined with emerging communications technologies, such as Web 2.0, governments now have the tools to meet policy goals by building platforms for innovation and collaboration. These tools can be used to improve policy, drive consensus and unleash creativity in the private and civic sectors. The five specific areas of opportunity include:

• Collaboration with citizens to change behavior or inform policy through an efficient flow of information. This can range from information on municipal recycling programs to citizen reporting of industrial pollution.

• Building platforms to integrate not for profit organizations with government provided services and initiatives. For example a government grant to clean up a ravine could galvanize local conservation organizations to help.

• Building of markets or platforms to spur innovation or adoption of greener alternatives in the private sector. This can be done through tax breaks such as ones encouraging home retrofitting or through spending on programs such as feed in tariffs.

• Collaboration with government employees to green the public sector by harnessing their knowledge and sharing best practices. For instance a waste reduction innovation in one department should be instantly applied across the entire government and beyond.

• Collaboration with other governments around policy. This includes sharing knowledge and experience on the effectiveness of various programs.