Climate Initiatives

​​​​Alachua County is dedicated to being a resilient community in the face of climate changes and impacts affecting our community today and into the future. To accomplish this goal, the County Commission is working to adopt a Climate Action Plan in 2025. A Climate Summit will be held on November 16, 2024, to discuss this plan. More information will be posted as available.

Climate Summit

Alachua County hosted a very well-attended Climate Summit on 11/16/24. Below are some materials from this event.

• Climate Summit Agenda
• Alachua County Climate Action Plan Presentation- Stephen Hofstetter, EPD Director
• Alachua County Climate Action Planning Community Engagement- Betsy Riley, EPD Sustainability Manager
• Alachua County Climate Vulnerability Analysis- Bill Quinlin, Meteorologist
• Gainesville Climate Resilience Action Plan- Jennie Ford, City of Gainesville Environmental Coordinator

Greenhouse Gas Inventory

Once crucial step is to understand the County’s contribution to harmful emissions. The Green​house Gas Inventory was completed in 2021 and will be updated every five years.

Climate Vulnerability Analysis

The countywide climate vulnerability analysis was completed in 2024 and is a comprehensive report identifying climate change related risks and threats to Alachua County. This work aims to understand key areas of vulnerability and determine strategies for fostering resilience within the community. By proactively assessing risks and planning, Alachua County will create a more resilient and sustainable environment for its residents through effective climate adaptation and mitigation strategies.

With the completion of this work, the County and it’s nine municipalities can qualify to apply for funding from the State of Florida’s Resilient Florida Grants Program to address nuisance flooding, critical infrastructure improvements, and other climate related threats to our community. 

In addition to the Climate Vulnerability Assessment Final Report (July 2024) there are ad​ditional technical reports listed below that cover the details described in the final report.

• Critical Infrastructure and Land Use Climate Vulnerability Analysis (August 2022)
• Climate Data Re​view Technical Memo (October 2023)
• Countywide Inundation Modeling Technical Memo (June 2023)
• BEBR 2100 Population Projections for Alachua County Project Including Projections of Climate Migrants
• Changes to Groundwater Hydrology Technical Memo (October 2023)
• Climate Vulnerability Analysis- Changes to Local and Regional Water Use (August 2023)
• Climate Vulnerability Analysis- Changes to Surface Hydrology (November 2023)
• Wildfire Technical Memo (November 2023)
• Agricultural Risk Assessment Report (October 2023)
• Alachua County Weather-Related Survey Campaign Research Final Report (March 2023)
  
  

Joint Water and Climate Policy Board

The Joint Water and Climate Policy Board is composed of three Alachua County Commissioners, three members from the Gainesville City Commission, and one member from the outlying municipalities. The Board meets every other month to provide guidance on water issues and the challenges of climate change. The Board appoints members to the Citizen Climate Advisory Committee. View videos of past meetings here​ and find agendas at the City of Gainesville’s event calendar. For more information contact Stacie Greco at 352-264-6829.

Citizen Climate Advisory Committee (CCAC)

The CCAC is appointed by the Joint Water and Climate Policy Board (JWCPB) and provides an opportunity for citizen involvement in climate change issues and concerns affecting Alachua County, City of Gainesville, and the surrounding municipalities. The committee advises the JWCPB on bold and innovative climate adaptation and mitigation strategies, policies, and target goals. The primary task of the CCAC is to advise on the creation of a countywide Climate Action Plan that will guide policy and decision making in multiple jurisdictions. The CCAC currently meets in-person at the Grace Knight conference room on the third Monday of each month. For more information contact Stephen Hofstetter at 352-264-6811