With the increasing scientific and political consensus that we must act immediately to address the impacts of climate change, local governments are moving forward with action plans to mitigate their greenhouse gas emissions and looking for innovative ways to adapt to the changing climate. Broward County presents the contents of this webpage as a resource to our local municipalities to guide local planning efforts and to learn from Broward County Government’s experiences in developing greenhouse gas emission inventories and government operations climate change plans.

Once a community has committed to a more sustainable future, the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) outlines five milestones that provide the framework to guide future direction:

• Compile a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
• Set a goal (e.g. US Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement, etc.)
• Establish a local action plan (two types government operations and community-wide)
• Implement a local action plan
• Measure/Monitor a local action plan

Setting a Goal 

a. International

• Kyoto Protocol: The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The major feature of the Kyoto Protocol is that it sets binding targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European community for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These targets amount to an average of five per cent against 1990 levels over the five-year period 2008-2012.
  

b. State

• Florida's Energy and Climate Change Action Plan - Phase 2: October 2008. The second and final report of Governor Charlie Christ's Action Team on Energy and Climate Change was submitted on October 15, 2008. The Phase 2 report contains 50 separate policy recommendations as well as guidance to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in its development of a regulatory, market-based cap-and-trade emissions limiting program.
  

c. Local

• U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement: Scientific evidence and consensus continues to strengthen the idea that climate disruption is an urgent threat to the environmental and economic health of our communities. Many cities, in this country and abroad, already have strong local policies and programs in place to reduce global warming pollution, but more action is needed at the local, state, and federal levels to meet the challenge.
• Broward County Government Operations Climate Change Report: Broward County Government Operations' extensive Climate Change Report produced in May 2008 reviews potential climate change related impacts, establishes a Greenhouse Gas emissions reduction goal and recommends a Greenhouse Gas emissions reduction strategy for the future.
• Miami-Dade Climate Change Advisory Task Force Reports: This Web site details the activities of Miami-Dade County and the Miami-Dade Climate Change Advisory Task Force in dealing with measures to respond to climate change.
  

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