Institute for Sustainable Communities
Since 2009, the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC) has served as the secretariat for the Compact and provided implementation support for its activities. ISC has helped advance the Compact from the planning stage to policy implementation—integrating climate mitigation and adaptation efforts, highlighting the importance of addressing natural and built systems holistically, and supporting the work across adjacent jurisdictions, using adaptive management principles to guide the process.
ISC works on community-led sustainability projects in the United States, China and India,, unleashing the existing power of local people and institutions, to address immediate social, economic, and environmental challenges and opportunities – all while building those on-the-ground solutions into national and international best practices and policies. At the heart of the organization’s approach is results-focused, authentic, and pragmatic engagement with all stakeholders, which unearths locally-driven and equitable solutions to the biggest challenge we face – global climate change.
ISC Staff Leads:
Russel Paez
Senior Program Officer, ISC
[email protected]
Lauren Ordway Evans
Local Consultant
[email protected]
Multi Stakeholder Involvement
The Compact Leadership Committee engages closely with several key regional stakeholders to advance its efforts, including a city from each of the four counties, the South Florida Water Management District, the South Florida Regional Planning Council, the Nature Conservancy, and Florida International University’s Sea Level Solutions Center.
Florida Climate Institute
In September 2014, the Compact and the Florida Climate Institute (FCI) signed a Partnership Agreement to support climate research and planning relevant to Southeast Florida. FCI is a multi-disciplinary network of national and international research and public organizations, scientists, and individuals concerned with achieving a better understanding of climate variability and change. The goals of the partnership are to seek better alignment between the public sector information needs and ongoing university research, and to improve coordination between the Compact and FCI universities in pursuing competitive research funding opportunities. Achieving these goals will ensure that the Compact and FCI are well-positioned for competitive grant opportunities and are effectively advancing Florida’s environmental, social, and economic sustainability through applied research and planning collaborations.
Regional Economic Resilience Collaboration
At the 9th Annual Climate Leadership Summit in December 2017, the economic development community of Southeast Florida and the mayors of the four Compact counties indicated their intent to work collaboratively in forging greater public-private partnerships across the region by signing the Joint Statement on Collaboration for Regional Economic Resilience. Through increased collaboration and sustained engagement, this partnership will bolster efforts to build resilience within Southeast Florida’s communities and shared infrastructure, as well as improve the environment, economy, and natural systems.
The economic development community, Compact mayors, and Compact partners agree to collaborate on:
- Expanding business education on community and economic resilience.
- Identifying and advocating for the state and federal investments needed for regional resilience in Southeast Florida.
- Encouraging the broader participation of municipal and local business partners. Communicating that Southeast Florida is a leader in taking proactive, responsible, and informed measures, and serves as a pioneer and model for climate resilience.
Signatories
Broward Workshop
Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches
Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance
Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce
Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce
Treasure Coast Regional Planning Councils