What is City of Miami doing about climate change?

We are already experiencing impacts of climate change in the City of Miami and will continue to experiences its impacts into the future. Climate adaptation is the recognition and study of those impacts, coupled with actions to protect the City and its residents from the climate change impacts we can no longer prevent.

Miami is considered the tip of the spear, among the first cities nationally and globally to witness present day changes to the environment due to climate change that, unchecked, could begin to change the daily lives of constituents. That is why City of Miami has focused on climate adaptation first and foremost when addressing climate change. Miami’s dedication and high-level administrative support for this approach has made Miami a global climate adaptation leader, as demonstrated by Mayor Francis Suarez’s appointment to the Global Commission on Adaptation.

Click the links below to learn more about how City of Miami is adapting to climate change impacts.

Learn more about the Miami Forever Climate Ready Strategy

Find out the latest on the City’s Stormwater Master Plan

See how we’re investing the Miami Forever Bond

Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) is the leading greenhouse gas emitted by human activities and therefore the greenhouse gas driving global climate change. In the United States, carbon dioxide makes up over 80% of greenhouse gas emission. The leading sources of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States are transportation (29%) and electricity generation (28%), following by industrial processes (22%). In order to slow global climate change and limit its impacts on cities worldwide, governments and individuals must make fundamental changes in order to reduce the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere.

City of Miami has committed to community-wide carbon neutrality by 2050. In addition, Miami is a signatory of the We Are Still In pledge, a promise to uphold the goals set out by the United Nations Paris Climate Agreement at a local level. Achieving these goals will require ambitious action and community-wide buy-in as Miami pivots towards deep greenhouse gas reductions and carbon neutrality.

Click the links below to learn more about City of Miami is reducing carbon emissions and moving towards carbon neutrality.

2018 Greenhouse Gas Inventory

The world has finite natural resources and it is vital that they are used and cared for in a way that maximizes current and future quality of life, simultaneously. Environmental sustainability is a life-cycle approach to the way we manage our natural resources and public goods. The best way to do this is employ practices and behaviors that balance triple-bottom line goals: environmental protection, economic development, and social equity.

Miami is an urbanized city but our policies and services, as well as the behaviors of our residents and businesses have impact on the broader environment, like Biscayne Bay and our freshwater aquifer. In addition, the ways in which we both produce and dispose of the food and other goods we use is a crucial aspect of living sustainably and “going green.”

Click the links below to learn more about how City of Miami is addressing sustainability in our community.

Learn more about the Ocean Conservancy Shores Forward program

Check out our resources on planting and maintaining trees

Find out more about our waste management programs including recycling and electronics recycling

Learn how to comply with our Fertilizer Ordinance

Resilience and Sustainability requires a shift in how we live, work, play and move.  In order to advance this shift towards resilience and sustainability, the City of Miami frequently partners with professional networks, non-profits, private businesses, and other public entities to deepen learning and develop impactful initiatives. Here are some current partnerships the City is actively involved in. This list is non-exhaustive and changes regularly.

	AdvancingCities – JP Morgan Chase and The Miami Foundation
	City Energy Project – Energy benchmarking program
	Dream in Green – WE-LAB workshops and Mayor’s Challenge
	Enterprise Community Partners
	I See Change – Citizen science
	Miami Waterkeeper – Fertilizer Ordinance and Water testing
	The Nature Conservancy – Living Shoreline Pilot
	NOAA and CAPA Strategies – Urban Heat Island Citizen Science Mapping Campaign
	Ocean Conservancy – Shores Forward
	Resilient Greater Miami and the Beaches – Resilient305
	Memberships: C40 Cities Climate Mayors Global Commission on Adaptation Global Resilient Cities Network ICLEI-USA Resiliency Florida Southeast Sustainability Directors’ Network Urban Sustainability Directors’ Network