COVID-19 has had a polarising effect on society, organisations and individuals in so many ways.
At one extreme we have people who argue that staff and services should all shift into cyberspace, never to have human contact again, while at the other, we have those who believe this sort of leap of faith will lead to the biggest waste of time, resources and effort since preparations for the Millennium Bug.
The answer probably sits somewhere in between.
Faced with the prospect of a potential return to mass unemployment in the coming months, and with fewer resources than ever, councils have major decisions to make to prioritise what little they have available to ensure- better outcomes for local communities.
An invest-to-save opportunity that delivers on so many cross-cutting issues is to give some renewed focus to tackling the climate emergency while attempting to build back better and create a sustainable local economic recovery. There are ways we can do this which create significant numbers of jobs, including apprenticeships, boost local supply chains and deliver significant energy savings, while alleviating fuel poverty for many.
A well-funded retrofit programme for housing, which is co-ordinated at a local authority level would allow large scale insulation, renewable electricity and heating installations to be carried out across social housing and beyond.
Transport is another area of focus for a green recovery, with an escalation of the idea of active travel occurring over the last few months, alongside new bus and cycle routes, light rail tram lines, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and pedestrianised zones. So too is renewable energy, where councils have invested in solar, wind, biomass and district heating networks for over a decade.
Investment in maintenance, improvement and tree planting would create a major boost to local economies.
If we are to get the nation's economic recovery correct at the same time as attempting to level up the country, then we need to invest wisely.
Surely, following local government's sterling leadership and response during the current crisis, it has earned the right to be recognised as a solid investment at the local level.
Paul O'Brien is chief executive of APSE (the Association for Public Service Excellence)
