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 Florida
Climate 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
 Community Groups
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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
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Biofuel Industry:

Solar Industry:
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Green Inland Port:
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
Promotion of the installation and use of solar energy,
particularly solar hot water heating
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.)
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Green Incubator/Accelerator:
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Sustainable Agriculture: Partnership with Florida Certified Organic
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
Growers and Consumers to expand the market for organic agricultural
products and to assist farmers to undertake or expand organic farms

Partnership with the Society for Ethical Ecotourism –
Southwest Florida (SEE SW FLA) to support of the ecotourism industry in the
region
Ecotourism:
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Green Talent Initiative
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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 subsectors; 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:
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Governor’s 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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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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Sprawl and platted lots make development difficult and
transit difficult.
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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:
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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:
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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:
 Governor’s 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!
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