Florida’s southeast coast has much to lose in a changing climate: beach erosion, saltwater infiltration, increasingly extreme weather and a host of other challenges face this densely settled region that is home to over 5.5 million people. But cities and local government are taking positive action – and gaining traction. In early December, the Kresge Foundation announced a major grant to support the work of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact. 

The Southeast Florida Regional Climate Compact was formed by the county governments of Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach in 2009. Through a series of summits and ongoing working groups, the Compact partners have forged a Regional Climate Action Plan to build lasting prosperity for the region by reducing the emissions that cause climate change and preparing for its inevitable impacts. The recommendations – more than 100 of them – range from coordinated approaches for protecting critical infrastructure to spurring new business opportunities to improve regional quality of life. The regional approach at the heart of the Compact represents a model for coordinating public, private and non-profit sector engagement.

Steve Adams, Senior Program Officer at the Institute for Sustainable Communities, has staffed the Compact since its inception. “The Compact is at the cutting edge of local government climate innovations and Kresge Foundation support was vital to early development efforts.  This new investment from Kresge – the nation’s premiere funder for these issues – is a real validation of what the Compact Counties have achieved.”

John Nordgren, Program Officer for the Kresge Foundation, has supported the Compact from its origin.  “These four counties have already shown remarkable political leadership in developing the Climate Compact.  It is an exceptional example of regional, bipartisan cooperation by local government leaders.  It also exemplifies a comprehensive approach to community resilience in the face of climate change, something that other regions around the country and the Federal government should look upon as a model.  That said, the hard work of implementation is in front of them.  The Kresge Foundation is pleased to be a small part of this remarkable initiative.”

The Summit, held Thursday Dec. 6 and Friday Dec. 7 at the Jupiter Beach Resort, featured nationally renowned climate expert Heidi Cullen and Ron Sims, a noted national authority on local government sustainability efforts. Presentations from the Summit can be found here. A number of news organizations covered the Summit, which marks a real step toward meaningful climate action on the local and regional level. Read more:

WLRN: Is Climate Change Sinking In for Local Leaders?

Miami Herald: South Florida Summit Message: Climate Change Is Here