Council Actions

City of Boca Raton City Council Takes Action on Climate Change

The City Council of the City of Boca Raton has a long history of taking climate change seriously. Below find information about resolutions and pledges taken by the City’s elected body. For more information or copies of any of these resolutions please reach out the the Office of Sustainability.

City Council approves joining the Cities Race to Zero.

In 2021, the City Council approved signing the City up to the Cities Race to Zero pledge. Under the pledge, the City agrees to reach net zero carbon emissions before 2050 and hit an interim science based target by 2030. Learn more on the Race to Zero page. 

Climate Action Resolution Calls on Congress to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

On September 12, 2018, the Boca Raton City Council passed a resolution urging the Congress of the United States of America to take action on climate change, specifically by implementing policies and programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Passing such a resolution is in line with the Public Policy Action number 1 of the Regional Climate Action Plan of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact. The resolution was considered after the Council heard a presentation from the Citizen’s Climate Lobby outlining the U.S. House of Representative’s Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus and examples of economic policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

The Resolution 125-2018 (PDF) was removed. Please contact the Office of Sustainability at 561-393-7997 for questions.

Local U.S. Representative Ted Deutch, one of the founding members of the Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, applauded Boca Raton City Council’s unanimous support of the resolution and issued this statement:

“South Floridians of all political stripes understand the urgent threat climate change poses to our way of life. That’s because rising tides and worsening storms are already affecting our community. I started the Climate Solutions Caucus with equal representation of Democrats and Republicans so that we can start the conversation for bipartisan climate action. Congress should follow the lead of Boca Raton and the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact to put science above politics and act now on this growing threat.”

“Congress is already exploring efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the work of the Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, and as they do their part nationally, we’ll do our part locally,” said Councilmember Monica Mayotte who brought the resolution forward. “Climate change is not a partisan issue, and we support and encourage the work of the Caucus at the national level.”

Climate Action Pledge Resolution

At the May 23, 2017 City Council meeting, the Boca Raton City Council passed a resolution adopting a climate action pledge.

This action recognizes that Florida, and Southeast Florida in  particular, is considered one of the most vulnerable areas of the  country and is at the front line for experiencing the impacts of a  changing climate. In recognition of the need for immediate, coordinated  and visionary action to address the impacts of a changing climate and  provide for economic and environmental resilience in Southeast Florida, the counties of Palm Beach, Broward, Miami Dade and Monroe entered into the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact in 2010. In accordance with the Compact commitment and through a two year  collaborative process involving nearly 100 subject matter experts  representing public and private sectors, universities, and not-for-profit organizations, the Compact Partners developed the Regional Climate Action Plan (RCAP).

The City of Boca Raton will consider integrating the Regional Climate Action Plan (RCAP) framework in whole or in part as appropriate into existing and future sustainability action plans, comprehensive plans,  and /or climate action plans where and when appropriate and financially feasible.

The Climate Resolution 64-2017(PDF) has been removed. Please contact the Office of Sustainability at 561-393-7997 for questions.

Other notable resolutions

Resolution 137-99: A Resolution of the City of Boca Raton supporting the Kyoto Protocol on climate change as a means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stabilize the global atmosphere.

Resolution 091-2019: A resolution of the City of Boca Raton encouraging the Florida Public Service Commission to set meaningful energy efficiency goals and to meet those goals through programs targeted to residential and commercial customers with a focus on low to moderate income households.

Resolution 010-2023. A resolution of the City of Boca Raton reaffirming support for the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact and agreeing to adopt the regional climate action plan 3.0 in par, as appropriate.