In the past year, Sarasota County Sustainability has advanced partnerships and projects building resilience, quality of life, public health, and sustainable and healthy living for now and our future. Building upon initiatives, programs, and partnerships allows for effective progression of impact from the groundwork of our program’s past efforts. From the 20 years celebration of our Sustainable Communities Workshop (SCW) that first began in 2006 to projects initiated in recent years, the value of continued advancement from foundations laid previously has allowed for ultimate payoff of impacts for our community in 2025.

20 years of Sustainable Communities Workshop

This year’s Sustainable Communities Workshop celebrated a milestone 20 years with the theme “Then, Now, Next: 20 Years of Sustainable Communities.” The theme allowed the community to reflect and learn from our past, celebrate sustainable accomplishments, discuss present challenges, and plan for solutions-focused actions and visions of our region’s future.

Speakers and panelists focused on topics such as Sarasota’s sustainability history, resilient architecture, processing emotions around climate and driving towards action and a hopeful mindset, climate communication, green business practices, and regenerative community frameworks. You can view all panels and presentations from this year and past workshops, by visiting http://tiny.cc/ufsaraext_scwarchives.

Nine residents were honored as “Sustainability Champions” for their contributions to advancing sustainability in our region. Youth voices were amplified in several ways before and during the workshop. Before the workshop, we had a community screening of the film and a youth panel discussion framed around our region’s sustainable future. During the workshop, we showcased local youth projects throughout the day and recognized the importance of youth in innovation and action towards the future honoring Brice Claypoole and Sophia Haakman with youth leadership awards.

Learn more about the highlights from this year’s eventful and impactful workshop.

Energy Efficiency Upgrades

This year our Energy Upgrade program continued to provide for our community fulfilling its goals of reducing carbon emissions through energy efficiency upgrades and education, saving residents money on their utility bills, and reaching those most in need.

This year, we worked with 4 affordable housing providers to provide full reimbursement for their purchases and installations of new ENERGY STAR certified

appliances into units for their residents through Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) funding from the Department of Energy (DOE). Rebates totaling $171,000 were reimbursed to cover 93 updated and efficient appliances such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, hot water heaters, and HVAC systems.

The program continued in-resident efficiency upgrades allowing sustainability program staff and volunteers to work hands-on with residents in their homes to learn about energy and water conservation, efficiency measures, and install devices to assist in reduction of their utility bills. This year, we partnered with the Villas of North Port to complete upgrades to 26 of their units. We also completed 4 in-home energy and water consultations, providing one-on-one support to Sarasota County residents.

The program continued energy education and distribution of resources to our community through expanded partnerships, events, and classes. This year the program reached over 1,000 residents with water and energy efficiency devices and information, saving low-income households an estimated $48,708 in utility costs or over 349,184 kWh of energy.

Planning for Resilience

In 2022, Sarasota County received funding from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Resilient Florida Grant Program resulting in a comprehensive Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan. Through years of consistent cross-departmental collaboration, Sarasota County department staff identified and prioritized 190 adaptation projects using a structured scoring system. This assessment and plan are designed to enhance Sarasota County’s resilience to current and future flooding and sea level rise risks. In March, our “Path to Resilience” Story Map was launched to showcase the project in an engaging digital format and highlight what it means for residents of Sarasota County. Read the full report on our Resilience Planning page.

A 2050 Vision for Cleaner Air

In 2025, we built on our partnerships with local governments and other organizations in the Sarasota-Manatee region to engage staff and community members to develop the region’s first climate action plan. The Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP) identifies strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, tackle harmful air pollutants, and improve public health.

To create the plan, we started with information identified in our Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) completed in 2024 including: community groups that are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, where our climate pollution comes from, and solutions that take aim at improving both. Prioritizing input from community members, we engaged residents and professionals through pop-up events, public meetings, and surveys to collect input as strategies were developed for our region to reduce carbon emissions. As part of a future vision for 2050, goals to reduce carbon emissions were made for a 35% reduction by 2030 and 75% reduction by 2050 (in comparison to the 2019 baseline carbon emissions inventory). To achieve this goal, 23 measures and 58 strategies were identified within 8 sectors along with regional programs, partners, and potential funding available to support implementation of the strategies.

Looking forward to continued communication and the plan’s implementation, the project metrics that showcase strategy progress will be demonstrated via an online dashboard. We look forward to reducing climate impacts in our area, improving public health, and air quality for a more sustainable region for years to come. To review an executive summary of our CCAP and future project updates, visit our project website.

Community Partnerships and Education

Our sustainability and resilience program’s focus remains reaching our community needs now and in the future by providing education and resources on topics such as solar, sustainable transportation, climate change solutions, resilience and adaptation, energy efficiency, extreme heat, and green living practices. In 2025, we equipped 4,765 individuals with sustainability resources and education through 118 classes and community events in Sarasota County. Our achievements would not be possible without our established and new partners. The community organizations that connect with us through our programming help create a greater collective impact.

Meaningful and Continual Impact

As we look forward to the new year, our team is excited to build upon our programs, partnerships, and relationships in our community to best meet resident needs and advance sustainability. Thank you to the community leaders, professionals, residents, and students that we get the chance to work with. Without your partnership, our program would not be able achieve our goals. We look forward to an impactful and meaningful 2026!

Connect with Us

• Email sustainablesarasota@scgov.net for any sustainability questions you may have or to connect with our staff.
• Sarasota County Sustainability website
• Subscribe to our Quarterly Newsletter – select “Sustainability” as your interest during sign-up
• Follow UF IFAS Extension and Sustainability on social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Bluesky)

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