The Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact Implementation

About the Program

Category: County Resiliency (Best in Category)

Year: 2011

The Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact was the outcome of an October 2009 Climate Leadership Summit call to action aimed at election leaders to work collaboratively to address the regional challenges and threats associated with global climate change. The Climate Compact was ratified in January 2010 by the four counties which comprise the southeast Florida region (Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach). They formed a Steering Committee with representation from the Compact Counties and the regional water authority (South Florida Water management District). The Climate Leadership Initiative (CLI), Florida Atlantic University’s Climate and Energy Program, and ICLEI-Local governments for Sustainability have played a supporting role. In 2010, the Compact Counties and their partners have worked cooperatively with regional and national entities to implement the Compact’s objectives. Accomplishments include a resource survey of the partner counties, the development regionally consistent methodologies for inundation mapping and vulnerability assessment, joint grant applications, regional greenhouse gas emissions inventory, a unified sea level rise projection for the region, joint policy positions on climate change and a 2010 follow-up summit. Collectively, these work products create a foundation for the development of a regional climate action plan in the coming year.