Broward County, FL
United States Mayor: Steve Geller-
Population 1838844
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Area 3427.0km 2
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GDP N/AN/A
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Targets by N/A N/Aemission
The Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact was executed by Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach Counties in January 2010 to coordinate mitigation and adaptation activities across county lines. The Compact represents a new form of regional climate governance designed to allow local governments to set the agenda for adaptation while providing an efficient means for state and federal agencies to engage with technical assistance and support.
Read More Read Less- Other Emissions
- Other Emissions
Broward County government agencies reported 58 GHG emission reduction measures in FY2011, resulting in reduced
annual GHG emissions from existing facilities and operations
by 5,781 tonnes eCO2.
- Other Emissions
Broward County government agencies
reported 64 GHG emission reduction
measures in FY2010, resulting in a net reduction of 191 tonnes of GHG emissions compared with the previous year.
- Other Emissions
This annual environmental event promotes water
conservation, water quality protection, and environmental sustainability
through individual practices and community efforts. Supported by local
governments, water utilities, drainage districts, state agencies,
businesses, and non‐profit organizations, this single‐day event draws
more than 3,000 citizens each year.
- Other Emissions
During this reporting period, Broward County exceeded the annual reduction target with a reduction of 8,130 tonnes eCO2 from 2008 levels.
Read More Read Less- Other Emissions
Many sustainable construction practices are currently being used at Fort Lauderdale International Airport’s Runway Expansion Project. For example, greenhouse gas emissions were substantially reduced by the creation of a temporary connection between the airport and the FEC rail line for bringing in fill and other construction materials. Materials recycling, erosion control, tree canopy preservation, and energy conservation strategies are also employed.
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Comprehenisve Plan Policy 6.1.2. Broward County, in cooperation with municipal partners, shall pursue programs to meet the State of Florida goal of recycling seventy-five percent of municipal solid waste (including net waste combusted) by 2030. These programs may include, but are not limited to, the following: (see link)
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As part of a DOE EECBG Grant, Broward County developed a campaign to increase public awareness of the value of public transit as an affordable, efficient, and climate friendly transportation alternative.
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Of the 126 recommendations advanced by the Climate Change Task Force through the 2010 Climate Change Action Plan, 1 is completed with no further action required, 47 are completed and will be repeated annually, 30 are in progress, 28 are initiated, and 20 are being considered for future focus.
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In the spring of 2011, Broward County’s Energy and Sustainability Program reached out to our 31 municipalities to gather information on the scope and diversity of energy efficiency initiatives and sustainability programs implemented throughout our community. Questions covered many topics, including: Greenhouse Gas Mitigation, Energy Conservation and Production, Transportation and the Built Environment, Water Use and Conservation, Waste Reduction and Recycling, and Climate Change Adaptation Planning. We found that, collectively, local governments in Broward County have taken significant strides in implementing energy conservation measures and sustainability initiatives.
With full participation, the survey has won a 2012 NACo Achievement Award for “Promoting intergovernmental cooperation and coordination in addressing shared problems”, and “Providing information that facilitates effective public policy making”.
The report, Sustainability in Broward County Florida: Local Government in Action, summarizes the outcomes of the survey. The report illuminates general trends in program direction, priorities, and funding, but more importantly, highlight success stories, identify best management practices, and propose opportunities for future community-wide collaboration and program advancement. The results are more than informative - they are inspiring!
- Other Emissions
The objectives of the rebate program were to reduce the County’s overall energy consumption and GHG
emissions, stimulate the economy and help save residents and businesses money. The rebate program
has been successful in meeting these program objectives. In 2011 and 2012, the County distributed
$470,000 to 2,300 businesses and households. The rebate program generated an energy savings of
334,000 MWh, and a water savings of 6.2 million gallons annually. The program has resulted in a total
GHG reduction of 7,700 metric tons.
The benefits of the rebate program transcended cost savings and increased participant awareness of
how to save energy. The rebate program generated more than $2.5 million in economic stimulus and
approximately $142,000 in tax revenues in the South Florida economy. Through the purchase of energy
saving appliances and completion of FPL energy audits, the rebate program will result in an average
annual savings of $80 per household. The appliance rebate program provided an average cost savings of
22% for residents and businesses for the purchased appliances. Further, what started as a county wide
program became a model for the region and exemplifies inter-county collaborative successes.
The web-based Sustainability Clearinghouse, housed on the County’s GoGreen website, is a new tool for local governments to use for sharing best practices and advancing their local sustainability initiatives. Best practices in a variety of fields related to sustainability are highlighted on the site, especially focusing on locally based programs and solutions. The clearinghouse also includes information on relevant organizations and reports, upcoming events and potential funding sources. The site is expected to be a useful resource for Broward professionals and citizens interested increasing the effectiveness of their green programs.
The Clearinghouse is evidence of the collaborative working environment the County has helped foster among local city sustainability managers over the last couple of years. The site is hosted by the County, but members of the Sustainability Stewards of Broward, a sustainability peer-networking group facilitated by the County, can contribute to the site. Professionals in the areas of city and transportation planning, energy and water management, urban reforestation and farming, green architecture and building, climate change and other topics related to sustainability have begun to share resources, advise, and lessons learned through the Clearinghouse and a series of workshops co-hosted by the County and local municipalities throughout the year.
- Other Emissions
Since 2007, Broward County has partnered with the School Board of Broward County to actively promote water conservation and environmental stewardship through the County’s NatureScape program. Today, more than 40% of Broward’s schools are Certified Schoolyard Habitats, over 25% of the student body is active in outdoor learning, and 110 teachers have completed Habitat Steward Training and are implementing environmental curriculum with their students. Teachers and students also take the “Earth Hero Pledge”, were they learn about waste reduction and recycling, water conservation and the use of native plants, energy conservation and the connection with climate change, land stewardship, walking and biking, and other ways to positively impact their environment.
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This program promotes water conservation, water quality protection, and the
creation of wildlife habitat through Florida‐friendly landscape practices that encourage the prudent use of water resources, and the planting of native, non‐invasive, and other drought‐tolerant plants in Broward County. NatureScape certification recognizes landscapes that are designed and maintained in
accordance with the NatureScape Broward principles. Program efforts include extensive programming,
lectures, workshops, professional training and certifications, educational booths and event participation.
In 2005, Broward County became the first county in the nation to achieve certification as a Community Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation based on the achievements of the NatureScape
Broward Program. There are currently 2985 certified NatureScape
landscapes in Broward County.
- Other Emissions
In 2008, Broward County met and exceeded its annual reduction goal with an estimated reduction of 10,184 tonnes eCO2.
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Through a DOE EECBG Grant, Broward County and the video production arm of the Broward County School Board produced three educational videos focusing on “green” energy efficient construction materials, methods and compliance options.
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Through funding from the Federal Airport Administration’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP), planning staff at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL) Airport will develop an
Airport Sustainability Management Plan over the next two years.
- Facilities
Funded through a grant from the US Department of Housing & Urban Development’s Sustainable Communities Initiative, the Partnership is a collaboration of more than 200 public, private, and civic stakeholders from the Southeast Florida 7 county region (Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River). Spearheaded by the South Florida and Treasure Coast Regional Planning Councils, the Partnership has united to leverage resources and coordinate strategic long-term planning to drive competitiveness and prosperity for the region. A plan called Seven50 (“seven counties, 50 years”) is being developed to help ensure socially inclusive communities, a vibrant and resilient economy, and stewardship of our fragile ecosystem. The plan will aim to improve the quality of life for the over six million residents in the seven-county region by developing strategies for: greater opportunities for sustained job creation, access to affordable housing, a better menu of transportation options, and more people-friendly, environment-friendly places to live. The plan is intended to be a blueprint for growing a more prosperous, more desirable Southeast Florida during the next 50 years and beyond.
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The Broward County Climate Change Government Operations Workgroup focuses on identifying opportunities across Broward County agencies to reduce carbon emissions from County government activities. The Workgroup includes representatives from many County agencies, organized into committees in the areas of buildings/infrastructure, waste, transportation, natural systems, and policies. Initial activities included review of government operations in the context of carbon emissions, setting of an emissions reduction goal (7% below the 1997 baseline by 2015), and development of a baseline governmental greenhouse gas emissions inventory. The Workgroup Steering Committee meets monthly to identify potential emission reduction actions, propose implementation of selected actions, and share progress made.
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The Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact represents a joint commitment of Broward, Miami‐Dade, Palm Beach and Monroe Counties to work collaboratively to address the regional challenges and threats associated with global climate change. The Compact was ratified in January 2010 after its introduction at the 2009 Southeast Florida Climate Leadership Summit, coordinated and hosted by Broward County. The Compact commits the Counties to work on federal and state climate policies and joint advocacy in Tallahassee and Washington, DC on climate policies related to the shared challenges of climate change. Accomplishments include a regional greenhouse gas emissions inventory, a unified sea level rise projection for the region, development of regionally consistent methodologies for inundation mapping and vulnerability assessment, joint policy positions on climate change and the development of a Regional Climate Change Action Plan.
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An Energy Efficiency and Conservation Campaign. The ‘One’ campaign
encouraged viewers to do one thing, every day to save money and the environment. The full multi-media campaign utilized the following: Bus ads, Billboards, Radio Traffic Sponsorships including the Fort Lauderdale Air Show, General Radio Market and NPR, Google ‘Pay-Per-Click’ Campaign, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Cable TV and the Haitian Media. The final number of ‘impressions’ was 9,058,805.
Go SOLAR Broward Rooftop Solar Challenge is a U.S. Department of Energy grant-funded program that makes it easier for Broward County residents and businesses to convert to solar energy, by reducing the cost and wait time associated with the installation process for photovoltaic (PV) rooftop solar systems.
Read More Read LessThe first County-scale bike sharing program in the U.S. A partnership between Broward County, Trek Bicycle, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, and Humana, Inc. Funding is also made available from an intermodal grant in the amount of $311,000 from Florida Department of Transportation.
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Jointly funded by Broward County Water and Wastewater Services and 18 local water utilities. The program targets large water users, including government facilities, parks, schools, and homeowner associations where the greatest potential exists
for significant water savings. Irrigation specialists review
the existing irrigation system design and operations, measure system efficiencies, and quantify current water
consumption. Property managers are then provided with specific recommendations to help reduce water
consumption through modifications to the system and the landscape. Since its inception in 2005, the NIS has conducted 1,291 evaluations resulting
in Actual Water Savings of over 658 million gallons.
- Facilities
SFRPC, Gold Coast Clean Cities and its partners applied for and
was awarded a $500K planning grant by the Department of Energy. Grant goals:
– Plan and implement policies for the development of regional
charging infrastructure to prepare communities for successful
deployment of plug-in electric drive vehicles (EVs)
– Stimulate community-based EV infrastructure readiness
planning and implementation activities in anticipation of larger
electric vehicle deployment efforts in the futureA seven-county regional planning effort. Participation will enable market expansion
and remove barriers to EV and infrastructure adoption in Southeast
Florida. Five teams will focus on:
– Fleet adoption,
– Policy/permitting,
– Infrastructure development,
– Education & outreach,
– U.S. 1 corridor demonstration project
- Transport
In 2010 Broward County staff developed a "Energy Efficiency Finance Strategies" report, per the Commission’s request, with recommendations for the creation, funding, and administration of a County program consistent with State of Florida House Bill 7179 related to the authorization of local Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing programs. Staff presented this report to the Commission in January of 2011, and was directed to develop a template for a model Broward Energy Efficiency Program.
In late spring of 2011, the Federal Housing Administration reported that the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) would not purchase mortgages with PACE liens. This effectively stalled the development of PACE-like programs throughout the country.
As of May 2012, Broward County is soliciting Request for Letters of Interest (RLI) to identify alternative financing options for establishing an energy efficiency program. The purpose of the RLI solicitation is to engage a firm in a public/private partnership to provide third party administrator services to deliver financing targeted at energy conservation and efficiency retrofits for the homeowners and businesses of Broward County, while minimizing the County’s financial contribution and exposure.
The intent of the program is to provide a turnkey service for those property owners voluntarily choosing to make their home or small business more energy efficient and to offer a form of financing that is demonstrated to broaden community interest and access to energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements. These types of programs can often provide more attractive terms than a traditional home improvement loan through interest rates, repayment schedule, and credit requirements.
The proposed program may potentially expand beyond Broward County’s borders to include interested Southeast Florida Regional Climate Compact partner counties to meet mutual economic and environmental goals in the most cost-effective and efficient manner.
Through the Broward County Natural Resources Planning and Management Division , this program ensures compliance with land management plans and grant agreements supporting the “Partners in Preservation” and “Parks for People” programs.
Natural lands and green spaces purchased through the most recent Land Preservation Bond Program reflect a $200 million investment in green infrastructure. Although the total monetary value is not known, Broward’s publicly‐ and privately owned landscaping is an important part of our urban forest, providing natural and quality of life benefits relating to community health, maintaining and improving property values, stormwater management, windstorm impact mitigation, reduction of heat island effects, shading to reduce energy use, carbon sequestration, support of migratory birds and other natural and wildlife benefits. A recently completed Natural Lands Inventory will aid urban reforestation efforts and the identification and prioritization of sites for additional ecological enhancement.
- Other Emissions
A peer-exchange network of almost 200 energy managers, water engineers, city planners, elected officials, green builders and architects, urban farmers, academic administrators and citizens from the tri- county area. The group comes together in workshops throughout the year to discuss program goals and challenges, share success stories, and discover opportunities for collaboration.
Read More Read Less- Other Emissions
In specific support of the County’s climate adaptation planning efforts, we have secured cost share support from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to develop a climate/stormwater vulnerability model that will provide a comprehensive assessment of the climate related impacts of sea level rise and increased intensity of storms on water management infrastructure and practices in coastal and inland Broward County. As part of this 4‐year project, the County’s integrated surface and groundwater model will be coupled with variable density flow and transport models and down‐scaled climate models to evaluate the projected impacts of climate change to vulnerable coastal and inland areas to identify and test various adaptation strategies necessary to maintain current levels of flood protection. The results of this project are expected to guide future adaptation strategies and investments in infrastructure recognized to enhance the resiliency of the Broward community to climate change.
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In January 2011, the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact Counties jointly advocated to the Florida Legislature for the definition of Adaptation Action Areas in Florida law.
Read More Read LessThe Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact represents a joint commitment of Broward, Miami‐Dade, Palm Beach and Monroe Counties to work collaboratively to address the regional challenges and threats associated with global climate change. The Compact was ratified in January 2010 after its introduction at the 2009 Southeast Florida Climate Leadership Summit, coordinated and hosted by Broward County. The Compact commits the Counties to work on federal and state climate policies and joint advocacy in Tallahassee and Washington, DC on climate policies related to the shared challenges of climate change. Accomplishments include a regional greenhouse gas emissions inventory, a unified sea level rise projection for the region, development of regionally‐consistent methodologies for inundation mapping and vulnerability assessment, joint policy positions on climate change and the development of a Regional Climate Change Action Plan.
Read More Read LessBroward County can use the hosting of the 2013 Summit to launch a public outreach campaign to engage all of Southeast Florida in the conversation about our risks, our opportunities, and our future in a changing world. While previous summits have attracted 150 – 300 high-level decision makers each year, no small success in its own regard, the next summit could focus on maintaining this strategic inclusion and involvement, while exploring new strategies to engage a broader segment of the general public. Using a multi-generational, multi-lingual, multi-media approach, the 2013 Summit can be the focal point of a new outreach campaign aimed to increase understanding by the general public of the unique risks of climate change to Southeast Florida’s 5.5 million residents, the vulnerability to our public and private investments, and the strategies to ensure long-term sustainability of our economy and natural environment. (full proposal attached)
Read More Read Less- Human health
The Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact is a joint commitment of Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach Counties to partner in mitigating the causes and adapting to the consequences of climate change.
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Through the Broward County Natural Resources Planning and Management Division , this program plays a central role in addressing climate change in Broward as part of the County’s commitment to build climate resiliency into local programs and long‐term plans.
Read More Read Less- Human health
Through the Broward County Natural Resources Planning and Management Division, this program coordinates countywide water quality initiatives and water resource management activities. Planning efforts consider multiple challenges, including future water availability, ocean outfall legislation, and climate change impacts such as increased saltwater intrusion and increased risk of flooding. Outreach and education is advanced through the Broward Water Conservation and Incentives Program, NatureScape Irrigation Service, and NatureScape Broward programs. Advanced hydrologic modeling and research is used to analyze future conditions, guide development of alternative water supplies, and help identify climate change adaptation strategies.
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The County has been working to connect emergency management and climate change planning. The new Broward County 2012 Enhanced Local Mitigation Strategy (eLMS) includes a new subsection on climate change and sea level rise in the Risk Assessment chapter, and utilizes wind, flood, and sea level rise hazard risk information in a new Economic Vulnerability chapter.
Read More Read LessThe Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact represents a joint commitment of Broward, Miami‐Dade, Palm Beach and Monroe Counties to work collaboratively to address the regional challenges and threats associated with global climate change. The Compact was ratified in January 2010 after its introduction at the 2009 Southeast Florida Climate Leadership Summit, coordinated and hosted by Broward County. The Compact commits the Counties to work on federal and state climate policies and joint advocacy in Tallahassee and Washington, DC on climate policies related to the shared challenges of climate change. Accomplishments include a regional greenhouse gas emissions inventory, a unified sea level rise projection for the region, development of regionally‐consistent methodologies for inundation mapping and vulnerability assessment, joint policy positions on climate change and the development of a Regional Climate Change Action Plan.
Read More Read LessA partnership between Broward County and 17 cities and water utilities throughout the county. We have set a goal to save 30 million gallons of water per day through toilet rebates.
Read More Read LessThe first Southeast Florida Regional Climate Leadership Summit, held October 23, 2009, was hosted by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners in partnership with Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties.
Participating were local officials, federal and state legislators, regional transportation, planning and water management authorities, and members of the regional Climate Change/Green Task Forces for the four counties. The purpose of this precedent-setting summit was to develop a regional collaboration that will support a coordinated climate change strategy.
The event convened the elected leadership of southeast Florida for a focused dialog on the regional challenges and threats associated with global climate change and to set the state for adoption and implementation of a regional climate compact. The program featured speakers of national stature on climate change policy, as well as speakers on local mitigation and adaptation challenges. At the conclusion of the summit, the four participating County representatives endorsed a landmark Regional Climate Change Compact, later approved by all 4 county commissions, in which they agreed to an ongoing collaboration on regional climate change issues.
The Summit was attended by over 300 individuals including 56 elected officials at the municipal, county, state and federal levels, representatives of 34 municipalities, the regional planning agencies, and members of the respective county-wide Climate Change/Green Task Forces.
- Human health
Through the Broward County Natural Resources Planning and Management Division, this program is responsible for coral reef management, beach erosion control, and the protection of sea turtles and manatees. Preservation of our coral reefs and marine ecosystems are heavily dependent on the adaptive capacity of these systems to climate change. With coral populations already compromised by the influences of pollution and disease, marine resources managers are tasked with the challenge of identifying and implementing strategies for reducing these stressors and increasing ecosystem resiliency to the additional pressures from climate change, such as increasing ocean temperatures and ocean acidification.
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Mayor Steve GellerBroward County, FL, United States
