July 30, 2007

Florida Governor Charlie Crist signed three Executive Orders directing key statewide climate protection measures at Miami’s InterContinental Hotel in the heart of downtown Miami on July 13. The signing culminated a two-day Florida Summit on Climate Protection, during which Conference of Mayors Vice President Miami Mayor Manny Diaz participated as a panelist and described the role of cities in promoting energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Cities and Metropolitan areas account for 80 percent of the population of the United States. Diaz has led a statewide effort to raise awareness of the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement and the negative impact of climate change on Florida’s cities and the state economy. Other participants included leading environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who addressed the Annual Conference of Mayors in Los Angeles in June. Diaz was the only mayor to address participants at the Summit.

The summit brought together policymakers, academics, scientists, environmentalists and the business community to discuss the impact of climate change in Florida. Describing the collective work of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Diaz spoke about the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement and actions to date by cities nationwide to reduce consumption, improve efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. Diaz emphasized the demonstrated leadership of cities in adopting measures to meet Kyoto Protocol goals in the absence of federal actions. Finally, he described the power of mayors working together to influence local behavior in cities around the country and the importance of giving city residents the information and power to be an integral part of the solution to climate change. Diaz has begun a city-wide information campaign describing ten steps that city residents can take to reduce carbon emissions by ten tons through their everyday actions.

missions by ten tons through their everyday actions.

Described as “a watershed event in Florida’s history” by Florida’s Environmental Protection Secretary Michael Sole, the Summit ended with Governor Crist’s Executive Orders to initiate Florida’s new energy policy and commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy efficiency. As a result, Florida will pursue renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy, as well as alternative energy such as ethanol and hydrogen. “State government is leading by example by taking immediate action to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions,” Crist said. “However, our actions do not stop here. During the next few months, Florida’s Action Team on Energy and Climate Change will develop further recommendations for our state’s long-term climate-friendly efforts.”

Crist also penned commitments to partner with Germany and the United Kingdom to promote initiatives that broaden the Kyoto Protocol and reduce greenhouse gas emissions beyond 2012. Florida’s financial support of renewable wind energy in New Mexico was used to counterbalance the carbon emissions generated by the summit.