TO: Mayor and Commissioners
FROM: Kent Edwards, Sustainability Officer
THROUGH: Terrence R. Moore, ICMA-CM
DATE: November 19, 2024
Title
RESULTS OF THE CLIMATE ACTION PLANNING SURVEY
Body
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Review a presentation on the results of the Climate Action Planning Survey and provide direction.
Body
Background:
Climate change is directly affecting Delray Beach, and will more and more in the future. Warmer temperatures, and heavier rainfall events are widespread. We have also seen hurricanes track nearby which strengthened to Category 5, causing major damage. Just this year these storms included Beryl, Helene, and Milton.
To address threats from climate change, the City needs to take deliberate steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to prepare for impacts due to increased heat, heavy rain events, major tropical storms, etc. The Always Delray Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 2020, includes multiple goals, policies and objectives addressing climate mitigation and resilience, see the Always Delray References attachment for a sampling from the Coastal Management Element and the Conservation, Sustainability, and Resiliency Element. Policy CSR 7.1.2 specifically prioritizes development of a Sustainability and Climate Action Plan.
On July 19, 2022, a presentation was given to the City Commission at their request, following up on issues raised in February 2022 during the Green Implementation Advancement Board’s (GIAB) annual presentation. Greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction was a major topic in these presentations.
The City completed a GHG Inventory in October 2022, using data from 2019. The GHG Inventory was done in a cohort sponsored by the Florida League of Cities and hosted by the International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). The report found that 549,032 MTCO2e were generated in Delray Beach by all sources, with transportation accounting for 52%, and commercial and residential buildings generating 44% of emissions. To limit climate temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the report recommended a goal of reducing GHG emissions 50% by 2030, with net zero emissions by 2050.
For Earth Month in April of 2023, the Office of Sustainability and Resilience (OSAR) organized events around multiple topics related to climate action planning, including green buildings, water conservation, tree planting, water quality, green businesses, beach cleanup, and native plants.
On May 16, 2023, a presentation on the City’s GHG Inventory report was given to City Commission. The presentation summarized GHG source and emission data. Also in the presentation were the recommended GHG emission reduction targets of 50% by 2030, and net zero by 2050.
On July 20, 2023, the GIAB submitted a memo to the City Commission, recommending that the City develop a Climate Action Plan (CAP). A plan that describes priorities, activities and milestones to address climate threats is an effective way to guide actions and ensure progress.
For Climate & Art, in September of 2023, OSAR organized presentations at the Cornell Museum and Arts Warehouse, on topics including tree planting, recycling, coral reef restoration, water quality, habitat restoration, stormwater flood insurance, greenhouse gas inventory, and climate action planning.
On September 18, 2023, a presentation was made to City Commission, with example GHG emission reduction strategies, and a description of a CAP that could help guide the City.
Resolution 201-23 was adopted by the Commission on November 7, 2023, supporting implementation of the Regional Climate Action Plan version 3 (RCAPv3), written by the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact. Many of the topics and approaches to the issues raised in the RCAPv3 are pertinent to Delray Beach, chief among these is a recommendation to reduce carbon emissions 50% by 2030 and to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Many other recommendations from the RCAPv3 bear consideration related to climate action.
On March 27, 2024, the GIAB submitted a follow up memo to the Commission regarding the writing of a CAP. The memo included additional details regarding topics that should be addressed in the plan and urged the Commission’s continued support.
The OSAR researched multiple climate surveys and CAPs from other local governments, including Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, and Broward County. A CAP Survey was developed, with the goal of gathering input from stakeholders to help guide the City’s climate actions. All pertinent issues found in the external CAP sources were included in the Delray Beach survey.
In the survey, issues were grouped in six topic sections: Energy - Built Environment, Green Infrastructure and Natural Environment, Water, Waste, Transportation, and Climate Resilience. There is overlap between these topics and the issues within them. This is normal, and it is appropriate to address issues in a way that represents their multi-faceted significance. Almost all issues within the Climate Resilience section were also listed in another section. This was purposefully done to gain insight as to the importance of the issue related to climate change, compared to other bases.
The CAP Survey opened during Earth Month (April 2024) and ran until the week after Climate & Culture, September 16, 2024. During this period, extensive outreach and advertising for the survey was done through multiple outlets. Several posts went out on City social media. Email blasts were sent by OSAR, Delray Beach Historical Society, Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Development Authority (DDA), and One World Zero Waste (certified green business). Displays with a QR code link to the survey were set up in City Hall, the Delray Beach Library, Arts Garage, DDA Visitors Center, Space of Mind, Cocoplum Nature School, Cornell Museum, Arts Warehouse, American Legion Post, Hopportunities (certified green business), Freebee App, Spady Museum, and at two Old School Square summer concerts. OSAR also set up a booth at two Green Market events, participated in two Delray Morning Live shows, and gave other presentations and webinars where the CAP Survey was a topic.
For Climate & Culture 2024, a primary goal was to promote the CAP Survey. During the September First Friday Art Walk at Arts Warehouse, one of the studios was the site of Climate & Conversations, where preliminary responses to the survey were displayed. More than 50 people came to the event with OSAR staff and other partners engaging in discussions on a wide range of topics related to climate action planning. The next day, OSAR staff set up the display of CAP Survey preliminary responses in the Cornell Museum, engaging with many visitors. The CAP Survey closed a week later, on September 16, 2024.
More than 350 responses to the CAP Survey were received, a strong per capita sampling compared to other municipal climate action surveys. The top six responses were distributed with one in each of the six survey topic sections. This shows high community interest in each section topic, and overall, more than 80% of responses indicated that the six section topics should be addressed in a CAP.
The presentation to Commission will provide an overview of the CAP Survey and responses, along with interpretation and suggested follow up.
City Attorney Review:
NA
Funding Source/Financial Impact:
NA
Timing of Request:
NA