By Jenny Staletovich November 10, 2021 at 5:07pm EST The United Nations conference on climate change in Glasgow is wrapping up this week. About 200 countries have been trying to hammer out a deal to curb carbon emissions and slow the planet’s warming. If they fail, it won’t just be sea rise threatening South Florida.
The Compact recently published an update to six key indicators showing changes in the physical systems in the Southeast Florida region as a result of climate change, including temperature, precipitation, sea level, high tide flooding, saltwater intrusion, and sea surface temperature. First developed in 2016, The Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact compiled the indicators
For nearly 12 years, the Compact’s collaboration has endured through continued and robust engagement at the staff level across the four counties. That said, this partnership is only possible through support from the region’s elected officials, who direct staff work and are ultimately responsible for implementing actions that will serve to build the region’s resilience
This April, at the direction of Miami-Dade County Mayor Levine Cava, the county took additional steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on its path to net zero, through the adoption of a fuel efficiency purchase policy and electrification goal for their light-duty fleet of vehicles. Transportation is the largest source of emissions for the county.
While sea level rise and flooding frequently receive the lion’s share of attention in southeast Florida, extreme heat is a significant climate hazard posing risk to our communities, particularly low-income populations and those who labor outdoors. According to the Compact’s recently released updated climate indicators for the Southeast Florida region, Miami-Dade county is expected to
In June, the Broward County Board of County Commissioners advanced another significant milestone in furtherance of community resilience with the adoption of the Broward Future Conditions 100-year Flood Map, now established in the Broward County Code of Ordinances. This is the second future conditions map adopted by the County since the Board’s establishment of a
As local governments across the Compact region continue to make strides to advance energy efficiency in the building sector in an effort to reduce emissions and save costs, many have focused on providing building owners and managers with the technical guidance, best practices, and training they need to make their buildings more energy efficient. These
Over the course of 2020, the Compact worked in partnership with nearly a dozen municipalities and an equity advisory team composed of non-profit and community leaders to develop a new tool to support local and tribal governments called the Climate Assessment Tool (C-CAT). Released to local governments in early July, the C-CAT identifies 11 priority
By Craig Pittman May 12, 2021 at 5:00 a.m. CDT Last June, Miami reported its hottest temperatures on record. The daytime sun was brutal and there was little respite even at night. Dozens of heat-related deaths were reported that year. As the Earth warms, the city by the ocean says its heat problem is poised to
In 2017, for the first time ever, Florida’s transportation sector emitted more carbon than the electric sector, with more than 80% of transportation emissions coming from gasoline and diesel powered light, medium, and heavy-duty vehicles. Expanding electric vehicles (EVs) is a critical strategy to transition toward a lower-carbon economy in Southeast Florida and a recommendation