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.
Staff Leads:
Russell Paez Associate Director of U.S. Programs, Institute for Sustainable Communities rpaez@sustain.org
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.
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 a Joint Statement on Collaboration for Regional Economic Resilience. In 2023, the shared commitment to sustained engagement among these entities was reaffirmed through the signing of an updated Joint Statement on Collaboration, further solidifying Southeast Florida’s position as a model for public-private collaboration and as an epicenter of climate resilience. Over the last five years, the collaboration between the economic development community and Compact counties has both broadened and deepened, encompassing joint efforts and advocacy in furtherance of the economic resilience recommendations detailed in the RCAP 2.0., with notable outcomes including the development of the Business Case for Resilience for Southeast Florida, federal authorization and funding for the Central and Southern Florida Flood Risk Management Study, and on-going collaboration leading to update and expansion of economic resilience recommendations as part of the 2022 update of the Regional Climate Action Plan (RCAP 3.0).
The Business Community and related partners agree to the following partnership actions in furthering economic resilience recommendations of RCAP 3.0:
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.
