Welcome to
RCAP 3.0

Regional Climate Action Plan

The Regional Climate Action Plan (RCAP) is a voluntary framework designed to align, guide and support the acceleration of local and regional climate action in Southeast Florida to realize a healthy, prosperous, more equitable and resilient, low-carbon region.

LEARN MORE

Below, you can search the RCAP recommendations both by implementer(s) and chapter(s) of interest. Or you can choose the options to browse all recommendations or download the entire RCAP 3.0 in a PDF document.

DOWNLOAD RCAP 3.0

Click on the chapters below to see the goal of each focus area, recommendations and supporting strategies.

Expand All +

Agriculture

Goal

Ensure the continued viability, sustainability and equity of agriculture in Southeast Florida in the face of climate change.

Agriculture is consistently one of the three strongest sectors of Florida’s economy and serves as a stabilizing contributor to gross state product during cyclical downturns in the other major economic sectors. In 2018, Florida’s crop, livestock, forestry and fishery production generated $10.2 billion in sales revenue. Southeast Florida’s subtropical and tropical climates create a unique set of growing conditions that allow for the production of 200 to 300 different crops, including temperate crops in the winter, and tropical and subtropical crops year-round. Florida is first in the United States in the value of cucumbers, grapefruit, squash, sugarcane, tomatoes, radishes, guavas, mangoes, passionfruit, watermelon and kumquats. The region contributes to the nation’s food security by supplying the entire East Coast with winter produce. It is vital to preserve regional agricultural lands while adapting practices for a changing future.

The agriculture sector is a source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As such, agriculture contributes to climate change, but the sector is also at risk from the impacts of increasing climate variability and change. Climate change presents a number of challenges to the Southeast Florida agricultural sector ranging from increased pests and diseases, frequent and increasingly intense natural disasters and the threat of extreme heat to farm workers. Changes in prevailing rainfall patterns and increasing average temperatures may also adversely affect crop productivity. Policies and best management practices that encourage sustainable production and improve water efficiency and reliability can simultaneously bolster the resilience and adaptive capacity of the sector, while also decreasing the carbon intensity of production.

There is a significant opportunity for the industry to also play an integral role in carbon sequestration through “carbon farming” and regenerative practices. Managing and protecting agricultural land and following best practices may also confer other benefits such as reducing the urban heat island effect, providing wildlife habitat, reducing reliance on imported products, ensuring environmental justice for frontline communities, preserving local jobs and guarding across urban sprawl. Urban agriculture plays an important role in improving food security, particularly for those living in areas of food maldistribution — geographic areas where residents have few to no convenient options for securing affordable and healthy foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables. Urban gardens encourage social cohesion by providing places for neighbors to come together, build community bonds and connect people with each other, nature and the source of their food.

Energy

Goal

Increase regional energy resilience through a just and equitable transition from non-renewable to renewable energy sources and accelerate progress towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

There is scientific consensus^[1] that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, the science-based target established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is critical to human health, safety, food security, water supply, ecosystem health and the ability to manage impacts from climate change. Like many local and state governments across the United States, Southeast Florida governments seek to provide leadership in urgently addressing the root causes of global climate change by reducing energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reaching carbon neutrality. Net zero GHG emissions is defined by the United Nations as cutting GHG emissions to as close to zero as possible, with any remaining emissions re-absorbed from the atmosphere by oceans and forests^[2] by 2050. Meeting the Paris Agreement’s climate targets will also require carbon removal through nature-based solutions, technology and other carbon sinks, according to recent reports from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

According to the Energy Information Administration, Florida was the third largest emitter by state in 2019, producing 231 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to powering 29 million households for one year. In terms of global contribution, the state emits more carbon emissions than many countries, including Bangladesh, Peru and Bolivia. The Southeast Florida region represents roughly a third of the state's economy and thus plays a critical role in ambitious and aggressive action to reduce carbon pollution. The vast majority of the energy consumed in Southeast Florida is used to fuel vehicles and generate electricity for buildings. The path forward requires utilities, local governments and the private sector to set bold targets and undertake dramatic action to improve efficiency, reduce demand and rapidly transition to zero-carbon energy generation, while reshaping our communities and transportation systems. A just transition to a low-carbon economy will pay dividends to the Southeast Florida region through increased resilience, long-term savings and economic opportunities presented by a new green economy.

^[1] International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), AR6 Synthesis Report: Climate Change 2022

^[2] https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/net-zero-coalition

Equity

Goal

Guide and support Compact stakeholders in understanding, developing and implementing equitable processes and equitable solutions when reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change. To ensure that all can participate and prosper, approaches shall consider systemic socioeconomic and racial inequities and other local factors that have led to discrimination and adversity.

As cities and counties across Southeast Florida strive to build a sustainable, resilient and prosperous region, the resulting public policies, programs and projects must produce benefits that are shared by all.

Climate change functions as a “threat multiplier,” increasing individuals’ exposure and sensitivity to extreme weather, flooding, sea level rise and extreme heat, thus reducing their capacity to respond to current and future climate impacts. This multiplier effect is particularly burdensome for, and at times disproportionately borne by, individuals with low wealth or limited income and people of color due to structural and institutional forms of racism, such as housing discrimination and segregation. Additional frontline communities, which are frequently highly exposed to climate risks with fewer resources, capacity, safety nets, or political power include older adults, the unhoused, immigrants, differently-abled people, youth, outdoor workers, non-English speakers and those with chronic health conditions. Individuals with multiple vulnerability factors — such as being a person of color, a non-English speaker and low income — experience cascading climate impacts more acutely.

Stakeholders should identify frontline communities within their own localities and assess how to deliver equitable processes and equitable outcomes. Individuals, neighborhoods and communities in Southeast Florida may experience geographic vulnerability if they have proximity to a current or future hazard (e.g., if they live in a low-lying area prone to flooding or a heat island). Due to structural barriers, some groups experience socioeconomic vulnerability because they lack the resources and opportunities, financial or other, to be able to mitigate or avoid a hazard. Frontline communities may be left behind by recent economic booms or displaced from their higher-elevation homes or businesses, resulting in increased challenges to equitably adapting to climate change.

Equity means that policymaking, service delivery and distribution of resources account for the different histories, challenges and needs of the people served. Equity differs from equality, which treats everyone the same despite disparate outcomes. A climate equity framework prioritizes frontline communities and people who contribute least to climate change. Climate equity ensures that these communities play a central role in the transformation of the systems that have established and continue to perpetuate the unequal burden of climate impacts,^[1] and that they directly benefit from a just transition to a low-carbon, resilient community.

The Compact shares the Southeast Florida Regional Partnership’s definition of equity, as outlined in the Seven50: SE Florida Prosperity Plan^[2]:

Equity: Just and fair inclusion. The goal of equity must be to create conditions that allow all individuals and communities to reach their full potential to the benefit of the individual and the larger regional community. An equitable region is one in which all can participate and prosper in their communities and in the regional economy, and where benefits and burdens are shared fairly.

RCAP 3.0 seeks to provide guidance to center equity as an integral part of climate mitigation and resilience planning, program and policy development, project design and decision-making for budgeting and investments. Efforts to abate carbon pollution and adapt to climate change impacts must actively seek, include and prioritize direction from frontline communities while ensuring that such initiatives reduce existing burdens and produce benefits for these communities.

^[1] Derived from San Antonio, https://www.sasustainability.com/category/climate-equity

^[2] https://sfregionalcouncil.org/seven50-vision/

Informed and Engaged Communities

Goal

Expand the breadth and diversity of organizations and individuals engaged in equitable, collective action on climate change by sharing resources and knowledge that support informed communities, and investing in sustained partnerships and community engagement that build the trust, capacity and power to co-create solutions and shape decision making.

Rising to meet the existential challenge presented by climate change in Southeast Florida requires the partnership, engagement and action of a myriad of stakeholders — governments agencies, the business community, schools and local youth, civil society and, critically, the communities impacted first and worst by climate change and with the least resources to respond. Good governance practices suggest and experience has shown that the hallmark of an equitable, resilient and climate-prepared community is one that is informed and engaged collaboratively and in a sustained manner.

There are several principles that underpin equitable outreach and sustained community-driven engagement. First, such strategies support trustworthy, transparent and effective communication and partnership with the community regarding climate risks and opportunities. Second, it centers the diverse perspectives, priorities and lived experiences of residents. Third, public policy responses meet community needs and reflect community values. Finally, it builds community ownership to ensure communities have a direct say over what is needed to survive and thrive in the face of climate change. Such approaches aim to connect meaningfully, respond to challenges collaboratively and co-design approaches and solutions with the community in ways that build the power of diverse organizations and individuals to engage in collective action toward shared community goals. Participatory governance, increased collaboration and partnership, and sustained community engagement result in more effective, creative and durable climate solutions that have a greater chance of being widely accepted.

Natural Systems

Goal

Protect, restore and properly manage natural systems and the services they provide to society and Southeast Florida while enhancing their resilience and improving their capacity to support climate adaptation and carbon sequestration.

Southeast Florida’s natural areas are globally unique and support a web of life not found anywhere else. These natural areas depend upon specific temperature, water and salinity conditions. Coral reefs and seagrass meadows grow in clear, shallow seawater with abundant sunlight and stable temperatures, while mangroves thrive in brackish areas between the low- and high-tide lines. Freshwater-dependent hardwood hammocks, pine rockland forests and pine flatwoods support an abundance and diversity of rare plants and animals unique to the region. The Everglades’ wetlands and tree islands depend on seasonal rainfall patterns that have existed for centuries, along with adequate freshwater flows. Climate change threatens many of these already stressed natural assets, which are important not only for their intrinsic value but for the many cultural, health and economic benefits they provide to society.

These ecosystems are essential to Southeast Florida’s quality of life and economy. Natural areas such as wetlands and forests provide many valuable services, such as holding flood waters and recharging the drinking water aquifer. Coral reefs, estuaries and mangroves provide critical habitats that are vital to fisheries and support the fishing, diving and eco-tourism industries. Coastal systems also serve as the front lines of defense from storms, waves and erosion and help to reduce risk. Beaches and dunes protect the coast while providing a key attraction for millions of visitors.

Natural systems also serve as a key solution to climate challenges — increasing adaptive capacity through attenuation of flooding, mitigating heat island effects, improving air and water quality, as well reducing emissions through carbon sequestration. The ocean and coastal ecosystems — or “blue carbon” ecosystems — also play a key role in removing and storing carbon. Ensuring that these natural areas survive and thrive into the future is essential to efforts to address the root causes of climate change and to build resilience to impacts.

In Southeast Florida, it is often said that the environment is the lifeblood of our economy. There are several analyses that support this assertion. An economic valuation analysis commissioned by the Everglades Foundation found that the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) could generate an increase in economic benefits of approximately $46.5 billion from restoration alone^[1]. A 2004 study indicated that Biscayne Bay contributed roughly $6.3 billion in income to Miami-Dade County residents, 137,600 jobs and $627 million in tax revenue to the county^[2]. And Florida coral reefs are estimated to generate $4.4 billion in local sales, $2 billion in local income and 70,400 jobs^[3].

In the face of mounting climate change impacts, aggressive action is needed to ensure that these natural areas and the species they support are not lost. Thoughtful land-use planning, resource management strategies, protection and restoration efforts can help build the resilience of natural systems and support species and habitats to adapt, migrate or transition. As we adapt infrastructure to changing climate conditions, intentional planning will be required to ensure connection to and expanded integration of nature-based solutions.

^[1] McCormick, B. et al. (2010). Measuring the Economic Benefits of America’s Everglades Restoration: An Economic Evaluation of Ecosystem Services Affiliated with the World’s Largest Ecosystem Restoration Project. Mather Economics. https://www.mathereconomics.com/casestudy/measuring-the-economic-benefits-of-americas-everglades-restoration/

^[2] Johns, G. (2004). Biscayne Bay Economic Study. Hazen and Sawyer. https://www.hazenandsawyer.com/projects/biscayne-bay-economic-study

^[3] Towle, E., et al. (2020). Coral Reef Conditions: A Status Report for Florida’s Coral Reefs. U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coral Reef Conservation Program. https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/24193

Public Health

Goal

Advance awareness of, and build collaboration and capacity to address climate-related public health impacts and implement solutions that improve community health outcomes.

The COVID-19 pandemic elevated the importance of health and well-being for communities and had far-reaching repercussions on livelihoods, the economy and our society. Climate change also has profound impacts on the physical and mental health and well-being of individuals, will increasingly exacerbate existing health conditions and, much like the pandemic, will exacerbate current inequities and health disparities. Climate change affects human health by altering exposure to heat waves, floods, droughts and other extreme events. Risk of vector-, food- and waterborne infectious diseases; changes in the quality and safety of air, food and water; and stresses to mental health and well-being are also exacerbated. Moreover, vehicle-related emissions (emissions from tailpipes, brakes and tire wear) result in particulate matter and ozone pollution, which has been shown to have considerable health impacts, including premature death, increased/aggregated asthma, heart attacks, respiratory illness, and preterm birth.

Exposure to and ability to fully recover from climate impacts vary across populations and communities. Those at greatest risk of adverse climate-related health impacts include pregnant women, children, older adults, those with pre-existing health conditions, low-income communities and other under-resourced populations. Low-income and historically excluded populations are less able to bounce back from these events because of a lack of resources and other social determinants of health, which contribute to health disparities and quality-of-life outcomes. The delivery of health services in Southeast Florida is accomplished by a network of providers, including public health departments and various institutions and organizations in the health care sector. Leveraging the diverse expertise of these institutions, community leaders and community voices from across Southeast Florida can advance solutions that promote awareness and build capacity to address climate-related impacts.

Public Policy Advocacy

Goal

Guide and influence all levels of government to address the climate crisis through relevant policies, programs and legislation.

Urgently addressing the climate crisis requires concerted policy changes across all levels of government. Efforts of local governments in the Compact region to aggressively reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and build resilience are critical. The 2022 Supreme Court decision in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recognized the EPA’s authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from the utility sector. However, it limits how far that authority reaches, further cementing the continued importance of sub-national action. That said, the aggressive, urgent and scaled climate action needed to zero out GHG emissions and adapt to unavoidable impacts is not possible without federal and state policy. Federal and state governments can and must do more. They hold greater levels of authority; have access to more significant funding; operate on broader scales and build, operate, and maintain a vast array of critical infrastructure in Southeast Florida. Further, local government action can be hamstrung or limited through pre-emptive, state-level policies that work against critical and regionally shared resilience objectives.

Public policy advocacy is one of the core functions for which the Compact was created. The Compact seeks to influence elected representatives and agency staff at the state and federal levels to advance key legislative issues, budget priorities and regulations important to Southeast Florida’s climate priorities. The Compact partners must coordinate their advocacy on climate, energy and resilience issues to amplify the region’s voice in Tallahassee and Washington — and influence legislation and programs like the federal Inflation Reduction Act and the state’s Resilient Florida Program. The Compact's shared advocacy efforts — whether state or federal, legislative or regulatory — are based on policy documents approved by each Compact county’s respective Board of County Commissioners. While individual issues will change from year to year and are reflected in the Compact's annual policy platform documents, the Compact partners remain firmly committed to raising their voices in unison for the benefit of the region and the planet.

Regional Economic Resilience

Goal

Strengthen regional economic resilience, integrity and opportunity through the involvement of elected and business leadership, and the advancement of public and private investments that mitigate climate risks and foster innovative solutions.

As climate impacts have become more apparent in Southeast Florida over the past decade, there is growing awareness that regional collaborative efforts must expand to include a greater degree of partnership between governments and the private sector to protect the region’s economy. Proactive efforts to address climate change — both in building resilience and reducing emissions — represent specific economic development opportunities for the region, while also serving to preserve and enhance existing businesses and industries critical to a diverse economic base. Protecting and expanding regional prosperity is an equal to and integrated goal with protecting natural resources, infrastructure and quality of life for all who live, work and play in Southeast Florida. Efforts to address climate change and advance resilience present a significant opportunity to build a diverse regional economy that works for everyone. Through intentional workforce development strategies, we can prepare our economy for the creation of new green jobs and springboard the region as a leader in the climate tech space.

It is incumbent upon local governments, the private sector and the economic development community to work together to seize the opportunity presented by this economic transformation and to advance strategies that bolster the regional economy’s resilience in the face of increasing climate-related shocks and stressors. Pooling shared expertise to continue to build the business case for resilience investments across Southeast Florida, and advocating collectively for appropriate investments in the region by state and federal governments are critical near-term efforts toward this aim.

Risk Reduction and Emergency Management

Goal

Prepare Southeast Florida for climate shocks and stressors by coordinating interdisciplinary risk-reduction planning and action with emergency management planning.

Hurricanes — historically the most prevalent extreme weather event in the region — punctuate the modern history of Southeast Florida’s settlement and development and have shaped the region into what it is today. As a result, Southeast Florida has become a leader in emergency response. While the region has expertise to draw on, augmented challenges brought by climate change require enhanced and novel risk-reduction strategies and pre-disaster planning efforts.

Climate change will continue to expose the region to more frequent and severe weather events. Future hurricanes will likely deliver greater amounts of precipitation with more intense winds, and storm surge will be exacerbated by rising seas. The region will experience greater extremes in drought, intense rainfall events and inland and coastal flooding. The impacts of sea level rise will place further stress on systems, infrastructure and service delivery, exacerbating and compounding the flood impacts from rainfall, storms and high groundwater levels. The minor flooding experienced today will become major flooding in the future, with more places subject to recurring flooding. The serious consequences of extreme heat and humidity have also more recently come into greater focus with average temperatures expected to increase, creating the potential for longer and hotter heatwaves. Taken together, changing climate conditions will not only intensify existing acute shocks and emergency situations, but will also continue to compound long-term and chronic stressors.

Integrating efforts to increase climate resilience with emergency management planning provides a structure and opportunity to enhance communication and training, and connect planning and action. Beyond the critical role of emergency management operations, preserving the social, physical and economic health of the region requires that the region advance strategies, policies and strategic investments in projects, programs and infrastructure that will reduce risk. Holistic resilience depends on reducing risk at both the individual and community levels. Such efforts and investments must consider that different communities face different levels of exposure, vulnerability and adaptive capacity across climate hazards.

Sustainable Communities and Transportation

Goal

Adapt to the impacts of climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reshaping where and how to build and move from place to place.

A sustainable community is one that seeks a better quality of life for all community members, minimizing physical and socio-economic risks related to climate change, while increasing adaptive capacity at the individual and community scales, and ensuring that human, natural and financial capital can meet both current and future needs. Such a community reduces carbon emissions and leverages the protective qualities of natural systems by adopting compact, efficient land use and (re)development patterns.

Meeting this vision requires a fundamental transformation in how we plan and invest in our communities, including where and how we develop, how we move from place to place, and how we manage land and resources. Local governments’ comprehensive planning, zoning and regulations are critical tools in the toolbox that set a vision and drive change toward more resilient, prosperous, convenient, equitable, healthy and attractive communities for present and future generations.

The recommendations in this chapter are related to comprehensive planning and the myriad of approaches that should be employed by planners to increase adaptive capacity. These range from the incorporation of resilience objectives and future climate conditions scenarios, to the designation and implementation of localized planning efforts that direct technical assistance and funding opportunities to areas especially vulnerable to sea level rise and associated coastal flooding.

This section also provides recommendations to promote effective engagement of the multiple public- and private-sector entities involved in the provision and maintenance of transportation infrastructure and the delivery of transportation services in the region for climate adaptation and mitigation. Currently, the transportation sector contributes approximately 48% of the region’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The strategies outlined — such as reducing vehicle miles traveled by shifting trips taken from autos to walking, biking or public transportation — will work to reduce emissions and realize the cross-cutting benefits of more livable and desirable communities in the region.

Regionally coordinated multimodal transportation planning efforts between transportation and planning entities rely on data sharing and analyses, including studies and tools identifying vulnerable and/or at-risk transportation infrastructure and performance metrics. Local and regional planning and decision-making processes must ensure a complementary approach to developing and maintaining a system of land use and transportation that is more resilient, while also reducing vehicle miles traveled, providing more transportation choices and dealing with future uncertainty.

Water

Goal

Identify, develop and implement integrated water management strategies and infrastructure improvements concurrently with existing and enhanced water conservation and alternative water supply source efforts to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, including sea level rise on water resources systems and operations.

Water is critical in preserving and enhancing the quality of life, future resilience and sustainability of Southeast Florida. Compounding effects of rising sea levels, changing rainfall patterns, increasing temperature and rising groundwater levels will increase the vulnerability of communities due to increasing flood periods, accelerating saltwater intrusion into freshwater aquifers, water shortages during droughts, and degradation of the ecological health of our environment. The economic viability of Southeast Florida, including real estate values, property insurability and the tourism industry depends on well-managed, sustainable and safe water resources. Between 2020 and 2040, the region’s population is projected to increase by 15.8%^[1], while the demand for water in the South Florida Water Management District’s Lower East Coast Region^[2] is projected to increase by 10.6%^[3] over the same period. Ongoing efforts to protect drinking water supplies, prevent water pollution, restore and preserve the environment, and manage stormwater must be significantly accelerated and enhanced to account for the effects of current and future climate change.

The recommendations for regional action regarding water derive from four overarching principles. First, the South Florida Water Management District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which are the agencies responsible for the operation, maintenance and infrastructure that affects system performance of the Central and Southern Florida (C&SF) flood control system, should play a prominent role in water supply planning, flood protection, improvement of water quality and restoration using principles of integrated water management with an emphasis on climate change, in partnership with local governments and the private sector. Second, resilience against climate change requires consistency and urgency in the use of science and technology to support planning, management and investment decisions across all agencies and the region. Third, resilience planning must recognize that all water has value, and that the connectivity of water issues requires addressing spatial and temporal dimensions, ranging from local to regional scale, including inland to coastal to barrier island settings. Fourth, regional resilience strategies should be developed as a part of a planning and regulatory framework that considers future climate conditions, and upstream and downstream consequences, such as regional water quality and quantity implications, to avoid natural systems impacts and unintended effects on adjacent properties and communities.

^[1] Florida Demographic Estimating Conference, March 2021 and the University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research, Florida Population Studies, Volume 54, Bulletin 189, April 2021

^[2] The Lower East Coast Water Supply Plan includes Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and parts of Monroe, Collier and Hendry counties.

^[3] South Florida Water Management District’s 2018 Lower East Coast Water Supply Plan Update.

Welcome toRCAP 3.0

Regional Climate Action Plan

Explore the RCAP

Filter Recommendations

Search by Keyword

Assess the regional agricultural sector’s climate vulnerability and relative contribution to regional emissions, expand research and outreach to address risks, and advance practices to increase resilience and reduce emissions of agriculture in the region.

STRATEGIES

Promote policies and programs to strengthen the economic viability and resilience of the regional agriculture industry in the face of increasing climate change impacts and other pressures for the conversion of agricultural lands.

STRATEGIES

Advance best management practices and technological solutions to support sustainable, resilient and low-emissions agriculture.

STRATEGIES

Continue to meet the water needs of agriculture.

STRATEGIES

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with agriculture.

STRATEGIES

Promote locally produced foods and goods to reduce food distribution impacts and promote local economic benefits.

Strategies

Increase urban agriculture, gardening and other backyard agricultural practices.

STRATEGIES

Increase resources for the study and implementation of invasive, non-native pest and pathogen prevention, early detection and rapid response.

STRATEGIES

Expand the integration of native pollinators to bolster the resilience of agriculture.

STRATEGIES

Assess and address public health risks of more frequent and intense high-heat days to farm workers.

STRATEGIES

Reduce GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 and reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, or sooner.

STRATEGIES

Advance energy efficiency and conservation through technological solutions, behavioral strategies and policies in order to reduce GHG emissions as referenced in EN-1.

STRATEGIES

Increase accessibility to energy efficiency solutions prioritizing limited-income, energy-burdened households and frontline communities.

STRATEGIES

Increase accessibility and expand the use of distributed (on-site sources) and utility-scale renewable energy and storage technology through policies, practices and technological development.

STRATEGIES

Enable grid-independent energy and waste-to-energy systems.

STRATEGIES

Utilize distributed renewable energy technologies for emergency management and disaster recovery, including vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technologies.

STRATEGIES

Streamline permitting and administrative processes to reduce the soft costs associated with advancing energy efficiency, renewable energy and storage.

STRATEGIES

Ensure that practices, policies, programs and investments addressing climate change are shaped by equitable processes and achieve equitable outcomes.

STRATEGIES

Intentionally build awareness and capacity in local governments to understand and address the intersectionality of equity and climate change.

STRATEGIES

Build the capacity of frontline communities to identify, analyze, communicate and act upon their community's climate resilience needs and priorities.

STRATEGIES

STRATEGIES

Encourage ongoing dialogue between and among local elected officials, local government staff and frontline communities about local climate impacts, community needs and priorities to build awareness and inform decision making.

STRATEGIES

Integrate and analyze social vulnerability data as part of all local government and agency processes.

STRATEGIES

Prioritize investments in infrastructure/services that promote economic mobility, health and safety for all community members while cutting greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change.

STRATEGIES

Address economic mobility and equitable economic development as they relate to climate change impacts and solutions.

STRATEGIES

Assess community needs, assets and priorities to guide collaboration and co-design of communications, outreach and engagement methods used to inform decision making related to mitigating and adapting to climate change.

STRATEGIES

STRATEGIES

Invest in expanded, culturally-sensitive, collaborative and sustained engagement efforts that connect local climate change issues and solutions to related community-identified urgent needs and long-term challenges.

STRATEGIES

Increase participatory governance through building community ownership regarding the development of, and direct community action on, climate solutions that reflect community vision and values.

STRATEGIES

Foster public awareness regarding the scale of loss and impacts of climate change on the region’s natural systems and ecosystem services, their economic value and benefits in both mitigating and building resilience to climate change.

STRATEGIES

Assess the climate-related vulnerabilities of and economic benefits provided by natural systems/ecosystems services within the region.

STRATEGIES

Examine and propose revisions to environmental regulations across multiple levels of government to account for the effects of climate change and to encourage natural systems protection and restoration to adapt to climate change.

STRATEGIES

Protect, restore and ensure proper management of natural systems.

STRATEGIES

Advance the use of green infrastructure, nature-based solutions or hybrid infrastructure approaches at the regional scale.

STRATEGIES

Secure and implement sustainable financing for the monitoring, protection, restoration and management of natural areas and ecosystem services, and to advance nature-based solutions.

STRATEGIES

Promote collaborative federal, state and local government conservation land acquisition and easement programs.

STRATEGIES

Advocate for continued implementation and funding for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan at the state and federal level and support for other non-CERP projects within the larger Everglades system that advance resilience.

STRATEGIES

Implement coordinated regional wildland fire management efforts that account for climate change.

STRATEGIES

Coordinate planning for adaptation corridors, living collections and other approaches to species dispersal and conservation.

Welcome to
RCAP 3.0