Southwest Florida Climate Prosperity Strategy

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Southwest Florida Climate Prosperity Strategy

• Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council

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Climate Prosperity Project

• Created by Global Urban Development in 2007, with
  financial support from the Rockefeller Brothers
  Fund and the Environmental Defense Fund
• Based on the proposition that climate change is a
  great economic opportunity
• 8 locations selected to pilot Climate Prosperity
  Strategies
• Silicon Valley
• The State of Delaware
• Metropolitan Seattle
• Metropolitan Denver
• Metropolitan Portland
• Metropolitan St. Louis
• Montgomery County, Maryland
• SW Florida
• Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council
  chosen as the lead agency for the SW Florida
  Climate Prosperity Strategy

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SW Florida Regional Planning Council

• 34 member council
• 24 elected officials, representing 6 counties and
  16 cities
• 5 state agency representatives
• 5 gubernatorial appointees representing
• Education
• Business
• Environment
• Economic development
• 27 Staff

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SW FloridaClimate Prosperity Leadership

• A Growing Partnership
• SW Florida Planning Council
• Economic Development Strategy Committee
• Energy Climate Sub-Committee
• Economic development organizations
• Chambers of commerce private sector
  stakeholders
• SW Florida Manufacturers Association
• Universities and community colleges
• Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs)
• Environmental organizations
• Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program

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SW Florida Strengths

• Excellent climate
• Gateway to the Everglades (globally known brand)
• Access to the Gulf Coast
• Historically successful economic strategy of
• Encouraging tourism
• Leading to purchase of 2nd homes
• Resulting in people moving to the region when
  they retire
• Economic clusters have been
• Tourism
• Housing development
• Health care
• Agriculture
• Mining
• Retail

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SW Florida Challenges

• SW Florida was overbuilt and now is hard hit with
  foreclosures
• 58,000 people out of work in SW Florida, more
  than 10 of the workforce
• Relatively few export industries
• Poor public transit
• Land assembly is difficult due to the large
  number of platted, undeveloped lots
• Florida used to be a low-cost state, but now
  costs are rising significantly
• SW Florida is low lying region, so sea level rise
  puts the region at risk (worst case is 16 inches
  by 2050)

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SW Florida Climate Prosperity Goals and
Outcomes

• SW Florida Comprehensive Economic Development
  Strategy includes goals for the Climate
  Prosperity Strategy
• Attract and retain a cluster of environmentally
  sustainable and economically efficient businesses
• Garner long term economic and environmental
  benefits
• Increase the earning potential for SW Florida
  residents and businesses
• Educate SW Floridians on the economic and
  environmental benefits of investment in green
  technologies
• Desired Outcomes
• Green businesses, green jobs, and green profits
• Environmentally skilled workforce
• Improved energy efficiency, green savings
  
  and reduced greenhouse gas emissions
• Sustainable business and household practices
• Environmentally conscious businesses
  
  and households
• Improved quality of life

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SW Florida Climate Prosperity Strategic Framework

• Climate Prosperity Strategies have 3 dimensions
• Green Savings
• Green Opportunities
• Green Talent
• SW Florida Climate Prosperity Strategy is
  organized as a set of Initiatives with component
  Green Programs
• A Green Savings Initiative with 5 component Green
  Programs
• A Green Opportunities Initiative with 6 component
  Green Programs
• A Green Talent Initiative with 3 component Green
  Programs
• In addition to the SW Florida Regional Planning
  Council and numerous partner organizations, 2 new
  structures will be formed
• A SW Florida Climate Prosperity Network
• A SW Florida Green Talent Leadership Group

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Green Savings Initiative

• Eco-Smart Development Establishment of solar
  powered, energy efficient, walkable communities,
  such as Babcock Ranch, with preservation zones
  and organic agriculture. Others include Ave
  Maria, Big Cypress, Lakewood Ranch, and Green
  Mile
• Hurricane/Energy Efficient Retrofits Development
  and implementation of a new type of retrofit that
  combines hurricane hardening with energy
  efficiency, in cooperation with Florida House
• Green Business Partnership Expansion of the
  Sarasota Green Business Partnership to other
  counties in the region, encouraging environmental
  stewardship by assisting and recognizing
  businesses that operate in an environmentally
  responsible manner
• Climate Adaptation Completion of the Charlotte
  Harbor Climate Adaptation Strategy, leading to
  Climate Adaptation Consultations with other
  regions
• Environmental Mitigation Banking Institution of
  environmental mitigation banks, such as Panther
  Island and Big Cypress, to create, preserve,
  restore, or enhance a wetland, stream, or habitat
  conservation area

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Green Opportunities Initiative

• Biofuel Industry Partnership with the Farm to
  Fuel Initiative to expand the number of biofuel
  vehicles increase fueling facilities and expand
  production, such as the new Verenium owned
  Highlands Ethanol Project
• Solar Industry Promotion of the installation and
  use of solar energy, particularly solar hot water
  heating
• Green Inland Port Establishment of a Green Port
  Policy for the new Inland Port, which will be an
  off-site warehousing and distribution center to
  which Florida seaports can ship containers for
  unpacking

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Green Opportunities Initiative (Cont.)

• Green Incubator/Accelerator Creation of a green
  dimension for the Southwest Florida Virtual
  Incubator/Accelerator and the Regional Incubator
  Network to provide assistance to green and clean
  tech businesses
• Sustainable Agriculture Partnership with Florida
  Certified Organic Growers and Consumers to expand
  the market for organic agricultural products and
  to assist farmers to undertake or expand organic
  farms
• Ecotourism Partnership with the Society for
  Ethical Ecotourism Southwest Florida (SEE SW
  FLA) to support of the ecotourism industry in the
  region

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Green Talent Initiative

• Green Talent Program Partner with the SW Florida
  Workforce Investment Board to organize a Green
  Talent Leadership Group to design/implement a
  Green Talent Program to identify green industry
  sub-sectors recruit job candidates provide job
  readiness and skill training and arrange for
  placement and post-placement support
• Green Business Education Partnership with one or
  more Florida educational institutions to develop
  and implement a Green Business Education Program
  for clean tech entrepreneurs and green business
  managers with responsibility for
  environmental/sustainability programs
• Location-Neutral Workforce Promotion, among
  retirees, 2nd home owners, and vacationers, of
  location-neutral work opportunities that do not
  require particular locations due to Internet and
  broadband connections

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SW Florida Green Assets

• State assets
• Governors Climate Action Team
• Florida Solar Energy Center
• Sustainable Florida Collins Center
• Florida Farm to Fuel Initiative
• Florida BioFuels Association
• Regional assets
• Gulf Coast Chapter of U.S. Green Building Council
• Center for Environmental and Sustainability
  Education at Florida Gulf
  Coast University
• Florida House Institute for Sustainable
  Development
• 3 county and 2 city sustainability
  programs
• LEED certified planner on
  SW
  Florida Regional Planning
  Council
  Staff

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SW Floridas GreenPrint
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Obstacles and Impediments

• In the current economic emergency SW Florida is
  one of the hardest hit regions
• Foreclosures put Lee County No.1 in the nation
• 76 homes have been being foreclosed upon every
  day
• Regional unemployment hit above 10 percent as
  thousands search for jobs that no longer exist
• Platted Lots
• Lack of transit
• Need for funding
• Conflict with other priorities
• Resistance to Change

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Strategic Planning Process

• Participation by SW Florida in national Climate
  Prosperity Project meetings, with a presentation
  at the San Jose meeting
• Formulation of the Climate Prosperity Strategy
  Goals and Outcomes as an aspect of the
  Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy
• Consultation by Sustainable Systems and Urban
  Sustainability Associates
• Meetings with SW Florida Regional Planning
  Council Staff
• Meeting with a broad group of public, private,
  education, and community stakeholders
• Research on Florida and SW Florida green assets
• Draft Climate Prosperity Strategy and PowerPoint
  produced by Sustainable Systems and Urban
  Sustainability Associates
• Review by SW Florida Regional Planning Council
  staff

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Future Action Steps

• Formulate implementation plans for each Green
  Program in each of the 3 Climate Prosperity
  Initiatives
• Join with partners to implement aspects of the
  Climate Prosperity Strategy that can be done
  without additional funding
• Pursue additional funding
• Constitute a SW Florida Climate Prosperity
  Network composed of representatives of
• County and city sustainability programs
• Green Business Partnership
• Developers of Eco-Smart Developments
• Regional green resource organizations
• Statewide sustainability organizations
• Form a Green Talent Leadership Group including
• SW Florida Workforce Investment Board
• Community colleges and universities
• Business representatives

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Funding

• Primary funding for the SW Florida Climate
  Prosperity Strategy has come from in-kind
  contributions from Council members and staff of
  the SW Florida Regional Planning Council
• Council members and staff will continue to
  provide substantial in-kind contribution of time
  and administrative expenses
• Partner organizations will also contribute
  in-kind time and administrative expenses
• Up to 500,000 in funding
  is being
  sought from
• Corporations
• Educational institutions
• Regional, state, and federal agencies
• Florida and national foundations

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Outreach

• Present the SW Florida Climate Prosperity
  Strategy to
• Energy Climate Sub-Committee
• Economic Development Strategy Committee
• Full SW Florida Regional Planning Council
• Century Commission for a Sustainable Florida
• Various Florida State Agencies
• Regional stakeholders
• Use the Climate Prosperity Network to
• Hold networking meetings
• Sponsor forums and educational events
• Establish a Web 2.0 Internet site
• Identify new Green Programs to include in the
  Climate Prosperity Strategy
• Host an annual Climate Prosperity Summit and Expo

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Assistance Needed

• Collaboration from state agencies, such as
• Governors Climate Action Team
• Florida Solar Energy Center
• Farm to Fuel Initiative
• Collaboration from regional partners, such as
• Gulf Coast Chapter of U.S. Green Building Council
• Center for Environmental and Sustainability
  Education at Florida Gulf Coast University
• Florida House Institute for Sustainable
  Development
• County and City sustainability programs
• Assistance from the National Climate Prosperity
  Project
• Additional consultation assistance from
  Sustainable Systems and Urban Sustainability
  Associates
• Funding for to hire a Coordinator for the SW
  Florida Climate Prosperity Strategy on the staff
  of the SW Florida Regional Planning Council

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Climate Prosperity
is seeing
the opportunity
in the challenge!