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Sustainable Southwest Florida A Climate Prosperity Strategy

Climate Prosperity Project National Leadership Meeting

San Jose, CaliforniaFebruary 21, 2009

Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council

• 34 elected officials;

• 6 counties;

• 16 cities;

• 5 State Agencies; and

• Gubernatorial appointees representing education, business, environmental and economic development interests

Climate Prosperity Leadership

Southwest FloridaClimate Prosperity DelegationMayor Jim Humphrey, City of Fort MyersChair, Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council

Mayor Mick Denham, City of SanibelVice-Chair, Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council

Ken Heatherington, Executive DirectorSouthwest Florida Regional Planning Council

David L. Hutchinson, Planning DirectorSouthwest Florida Regional Planning Council

Thomas Danahy, PresidentBabcock Ranch, Kitson & Partners Communities

Henry Rodriguez, President, SDC CommunitiesBoard of Directors, Enterprise Florida, appointed by Governor

Charlie Crist

Ray Rodriguez, Vice President SDC Communities

James A. Paulmann, Senior Vice President and Principal

WilsonMiller and Century Commission member

Tony Milner/Dell JonesRegenesis Power

A Growing Partnership• RPC Energy & Climate Committee

• Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program;

• Economic development organizations;

• Chambers of commerce;

• Private sector stakeholders engaged in climate prosperity;

• Universities and community colleges;

• Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs);

• Environmental organizations.; and

• Southwest Florida Manufacturers Association.

Challenges and Opportunities:

• Challenges are Regional: Issues cut across jurisdictions and disciplines--economic, environmental, political, social;

• Growth has been significant in recent decades– By 1990 population was more than five times the 1960 population

– By 2008, regional population exceeded 1.5 million people

– Estimated to reach 2.3 million persons by 2030;

• Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) rising, climate change effects may be dramatic and require planning and action; and

• Rising Sea Level, worst case is 16 inches by 2050.

• Solutions Require Integrated Action: Communities and their issues are interdependent, yet community institutions often work in isolation and compete, rather than collaborate;

• Solutions Should be Shared (Impact Requires Scale): Aggregating demand achieves economies of scale and reduces transaction costs for all.

• Need to Act Regionally: We can achieve scale by working across institutional and jurisdictional boundaries.

Challenges and Opportunities:

• Diverse Features– Mix of land uses and a historical urban and rural split

with urban communities along the coastal areas, 1.5 million now, expected to reach 2.3 million by 2030.

• Vulnerable Environment– National environmental resources include the

Everglades and Charlotte Harbor Estuary—facing rising sea level (16 inches by 2050).

• Economically in Transition– Foreclosures put Lee County No.1 in the nation;

Regional unemployment hit above 10 percent.

Overall Goals and Objectives of Climate Prosperity

• Jobs, Jobs Jobs: Energize the Southwest Florida economy now and for the next generation;

• Climate Change: Reduce carbon emissions and prepare for changing conditions; and

• Sustainability: Integrate environmental objectives into regional development.

• Green Communities: Bring energy efficiency, renewable energy and smart growth to new and existing communities;

– Retrofit Existing Communities • Hurricane preparedness combined with energy efficiency, Expanded

solar installation industry harnessing construction trade skills. • Adopt green practices for in-fill and rebuilding, improved transit;

– Smart Growth for New Communities:• Higher Standards: zero energy homes, net metering, high efficiency

air conditioning, advanced design;

– Develop consistent standards for measuring carbon impacts.

Green Savings

Green Opportunities

• Green Opportunity: Capture the value of emerging and innovative clean tech and green supply-chains in the region;

• Market Solutions: Forming and expanding clean tech and green a value-chain (i.e. solar farms partnering with regenesis power);

• Assets: Sun, agricultural land and a distinctive environment are key resources (i.e. sequestration- carbon trading);

• Change: Restructuring of agriculture industry as well as awareness of climate change is driving new investments– US Sugar acquisition for Everglades Restoration– Inland Port and biofuel opportunities; and

• Growth: Growing population and quality of life (smart growth communities – Babcock Ranch and the Green Mile).

Green Talent

• Green Talent: Prepare the workforce and entrepreneurs for new green jobs and greening of industry

– Universities and Community CollegesWork with Florida Gulf Coast University, Edison State College & private schools

• School of Business/Engineering: Incorporate ‘smart growth’ and green focus across disciplines.

• College of Professional Studies: Hospitality industry training for green practices.

– Workforce Boards: Work with Southwest Florida Workforce Development Board to:

• Estimate demand for new green occupations.

• Partner with industry to link to demand.

– Innovation

• Energy Discovery Innovation Institutes to do R&D

• Identify and commercialize efficiency solutions

• Create new green incubators.

Strategic Planning Process for Climate Prosperity

• Strengthen and Build Regional Partnerships

• Build on past successes: – Successful water quality initiatives and the SWFRPC committee model;

• Climate & Energy Committee: – Agreement: Define regional objectives based on baseline data;

• Integrate, Coordinate, Facilitate, Collaborate– Leverage diverse array of competencies to diffuse innovation and best

practices.

– Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), Strategic Regional Policy Plan

– Link land use and development patterns to Climate Prosperity (implement recently adopted state legislation HB 697)

– Research and implementation projects.

Action Steps

• Align – Build on successful regional water quality

initiatives and SWFRC committee model and work with Climate & Energy Committee and New Partners.

• Assess – Define regional objectives and options

based on baseline and best practices.

• Aggregate: Bring together stakeholders to pool shared needs and solutions:– Green Savings: Apply best practices,

aggregate and broker demand for community, industry and institutions.

– Green Opportunities: Accelerate clean tech enterprise formation, expansion, attraction across region by matching inputs needed (capital, skills, infrastructure).

– Green Talent: Develop workforce demand forecast, training programs, matching to industry.

• Act– Integrate, facilitate, coordinate

collaborative action through actual and virtual climate prosperity partnerships that link ongoing activities from CEDS to land use planning and state policy.

Task 1Align Stakeholders

Engage and confirm partnercommitments to

collaborate on climate prosperity

Task 2Assess PotentialHarness existing and

new information to definebaseline and best practices

Step 3Aggregate: Define Shared PrioritiesConvene and facilitate each target group to

identify green needs and actions thatcan be worked on across region.

Step 4Act: Launch Initiatives

Formalize and launch actions via regional partnershipsin Green Savings, Green

Opportunities, Green Talent

An Integrated Approach to Action

Assets and Advantages

• Strategic Location, Unspoiled Environment • Regional Targets: Our cluster portfolio.

– Export driven industry clusters• Tourism (accommodations, food services)• Agriculture• Retirement (health care and housing)• Light manufacturing (aerospace parts)• Electronic Controls• Fishing and aqua-culture• Mining (phosphates & aggregate)

– Local serving clusters• Education: Florida attracts many students• Information Services• Wholesale trade• Construction• Financial services• Health care• Professional

Obstacles and Impediments

• Current Economic Emergency-We’re #1– Foreclosures put Lee County No.1 in the nation;

– 76 homes were foreclosed upon every day;

– Regional unemployment hit above 10 percent as thousands search for jobs that no longer exist.

• Need for Matching Funds

• Antiquated Communities

• Platted Lots

• Resistance to Change

• Perceived costs

versus benefits• Limited water management, water quality treatment and

almost no wildlife habitat connections

• Creates sprawl, increased transportation demand and is almost impossible for transit to serve efficiently

Financing and Resources

• Local Government resources;

• Leverage Investments and Partnerships;

• Federal Grants;

• Non-Profit organizations and 501-3- c; and

• Educational Institutions.

Public Involvement

• Public Meetings: Florida Sunshine law encourages transparency and public involvement;

• Workshops: Partner with American Planning Association, Florida Green Building Coalition, Chambers of Commerce, State and Federal agencies;

• Website: Information, Links, and Surveys

– Energy Star Partner,

– Green Business certification programs;

• Outreach and Participation:– Century Commission for a Sustainable Florida

– Climate Prosperity Expo and Mega Region Conference

Advice and Assistance

• Business Solutions– Corporate approaches

– Risk assessment and risk management strategies

– Best Practices

• International Action– Expand market analysis

– Reduce global GHGs

• Federal Action– Reduce GHGs

– Provide cap and trade incentives

– Update transportation investment policy

• State Action– Stakeholder education

– Participate with the Governor’s Action Team

• Local Action– Stakeholder education

– Matching Funds

– Model Ordinances

Southwest Florida’s “GreenPrint”

Climate Prosperity

is seeing

the opportunity

in the challenge!