Several transformation levers will help to put the roadmap in place and ensure its implementation is a success. Most are classic change management procedures, but they require strong institutional alignment and continuity of purpose to ensure the desired outcomes are achieved.

Stewardship

Organisations need to commit to being a part of the solution to the climate and environmental crises. The roadmap should therefore be aligned with earlier institutional engagements. The role of leadership, both top management and at the field office level, is critical to make climate and environment work a priority, regularly report on progress, and mobilize resources for change.

Management needs to be committed to achieving the roadmap’s objectives and need to recognise and support staff engaged in its implementation. Inclusive roadmap governance should be established, ensuring that all key stakeholders are represented, and responsibility lines represented are delineated.

Investing in people, and clarifying roles and responsibilities

Environmental responsibility is a way of bringing people together around shared values. Raising awareness on institutional commitments throughout the organisation, clarifying the distribution of roles and responsibilities, upgrading competences where needed with complementary skills, tools, and external partnerships will be key for roadmap implementation. Once they have the appropriate skills and knowledge, it is expected that each staff member will be able to contribute to the individual and organisational behavioural changes needed to meet the roadmap objectives.

Adopting key principles

To increase efficiency and cost effectiveness while engaging in the required change in culture, it is recommended that organisations integrate climate and environmental considerations into their operational cycle and key activities, rather than addressing them as a separate issue. They should adopt and implement the key principles of roadmap implementation (see above section on “Guiding Principles”).

Getting your community on board

Addressing the climate and environmental crises requires substantial collaboration to learn from others inside and beyond the aid sector, between local, national and international actors. Organisations should show their determination to bring their partners, peers and broader networks on board and encourage them to adopt an ambitious climate and environmental agenda. They should also encourage them to play a leading role in active coalitions, such as technical partnerships to access in-depth knowledge and experience on a given subject, corporate partnerships to accelerate the deployment of solutions or strategic alliances to create communities of action.