Fort Lauderdale Net Zero Plan 2025

APPENDIX A: METHODOLOGY  121

APPENDIX A: METHODOLOGY

The development of Fort Lauderdale’s Net Zero Plan involved a thorough review of existing energy, emissions, waste, and climate policies. By analyzing state and City policies, ordinances, and plans, the team identified both strengths and challenges. This Plan aligns with key City and regional strategies, such as the Fast Forward 2035 Vision Plan, the Advance Fort Lauderdale 2040 Comprehensive Plan, and the Southeast Florida Priority Climate Action Plan. The Plan inputs include GHG emissions inventory and forecast modeling, stakeholder engagement, and the development of GHG reduction strategies. The inventory is largely based on the accounting guidance outlined in the U.S. Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventories, published by ICLEI, and focuses on monitoring progress on the largest emissions sources that local government actions can most directly influence. Two forecast scenarios were created—business-as-usual (BAU) and legislative adjusted (LA)—for 2030, 2040, and 2050, considering population growth based on Bureau of Economic and Business Research Projections of Florida Population by County and Municipal 2020-2045 and potential future regulatory actions. These scenarios are described in more detail below in the section on Quantitative Modeling . Stakeholder Engagement Stakeholder engagement was a central part of the process, with nine internal City department meetings, two presentations to the Sustainability Advisory Board, two virtual informational meetings, and two in-person community workshops conducted to ensure broad input and buy-in. Internal stakeholder engagement included multiple City Departments, including Transportation and Mobility, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, and Development Services. These departments coordinated multimodal policies, urban tree canopy, solid waste management, energy efficiency, and smart growth initiatives. External stakeholders included City residents, the Broward County Resilient Environment Department, Green Your Routine representatives, The Climate Leadership Engagement Opportunities (CLEO) Institute, and Miami Waterkeeper. These stakeholders played crucial roles in discussing topics such as energy utility services, climate advocacy, water conservation, business policies, real estate decarbonization, housing affordability, and innovative GHG reduction strategies. This engagement focused on creating a sense of ownership and building strong relationships between citizens, neighborhoods, and government.

FORT LAUDERDALE NET ZERO PLAN