climate change

‘We Need Solutions': Miami-Dade Mayor Presents New County Climate Action Strategy

Mayor Daniella Levine Cava will present this plan at the United Nations' annual COP 26 Climate Change Conference in Scotland.

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South Florida is known for beautiful waterfront views, but it's also ground zero for climate change and sea-level rise.

“We want, we need solutions now to the existential crisis we are facing from climate change," Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said.

To take an aggressive stance on the issue, Levine Cava launched Miami-Dade County’s updated climate action strategy on Wednesday.

“This climate action strategy and the updated version we’re releasing today is truly our master plan for cutting our greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030, and that is not a 'we’ll try,' that’s a definite and also heading towards the race to zero by 2050," she said.

The plan was presented along the coastal view at Port Miami—as they’ll be part of this effort.

“We’ll be getting our ships to plug in instead of belching out greenhouse gases," the mayor said. "So we’ll be seeing progress every single day at this port once we install our shore power."

Local leaders say action needs to happen across the aisle.

“This is not a political issue. This is a moral issue," said Harvey Ruvin, the Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts. "Our responsibility to this planet is a moral issue."

We’ve seen the impacts of sea-level rise and protecting our beautiful Biscayne Bay in South Florida first hand, so this strategy tries to address sustainable plans in areas like land use, constructing buildings with renewable energy, creating greener transportation, cutting back on water use and waste, and developing the economy by investing in green industries and creating jobs in the community.

There was also input from hundreds of residents and local organizations for the report.

“A central focus of this climate action strategy is equity," said Dr. Patricia Gomez, Senior Resilience Program Manager of the Office of Resilience. "So it is very important to us to include the community in the plan and to make sure we are reaching as many people as possible.”

Levine Cava will present this plan at the United Nations' annual COP 26 Climate Change Conference in Scotland in the next coming days.

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