In 2024, Sarasota County faced multiple hurricanes and storm events that tested our community’s strength, adaptability, and resilience. Yet, through each challenge, we came together. Neighbors supporting neighbors, organizations collaborating, and leaders stepping up to build a stronger, more resilient community that is prepared for the future. This year we focused on the vital connection between resilience, sustainability, and equity, driving innovative programs, like completing a vulnerability assessment and adaptation plan and advancing nature-based solutions to safeguard our future. Through collective effort, we transformed challenges into opportunities, building a stronger, more sustainable community prepared for the future. As we reflect on the progress made this year, we want to thank our partners, volunteers, and community members who stood with us every step of the way. Here’s to a happy, healthy, and sustainable new year—together, we’ll continue building a resilient future for all.
2024 Highlights
In 2024, despite the challenges brought by multiple storms, we’re very proud of the progress we made toward a more sustainable and resilient community. These achievements aren’t just numbers, they’re a testament to our dedication, innovative strategies, and collaborative efforts. From conserving energy and water to making a real difference with our Energy Upgrade program, we’ve helped families in need lower costs and improve their quality of life. These accomplishments show that even in challenging years, meaningful change is always possible when we come together.
Stronger Together
Our success is only possible through the dedication and collaboration of our community, partners, and volunteers. These relationships are the foundation of our sustainability efforts, driving meaningful change and creating lasting impacts. From partnering with local nonprofits to engaging dedicated volunteers, every achievement has been a collective effort. As we reflect on our shared accomplishments, we are reminded that true progress is built on trust, collaboration, and shared vision. Looking ahead to 2025, we are excited to continue strengthening these relationships, building new partnerships, and working side by side with our community to create a more sustainable, resilient future for all.
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. – African Proverb
Climate Pollution Reduction
Local governments and partners in the Sarasota-Manatee region are teaming up to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tackle harmful air pollutants with funding from the EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program. In March of 2024, we completed the Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP), which outlines the most vulnerable communities to the effects of climate change, where our climate pollution comes from, and solutions that take aim at improving both. The next step is developing a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan for the North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton, Florida Metropolitan Service Area (MSA).
As part of this initiative, we are committed to extensive community engagement. Please register for upcoming community events and share your input! Please take this 3-minute survey and register for the next in-person public meeting on March 6, 2025. Keep an eye out for future events on our UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County Eventbrite page and sign up for our newsletter to receive updates. To subscribe, visit our sign-up page and place a checkmark in the Sustainability box under “Send me information about…”. Learn more on the project website.
Adapting for Tomorrow
This year we completed a comprehensive vulnerability assessment and resilience plan project funded by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection through the Resilient Florida Grant Program. The vulnerability assessment identified and addressed the risks of flooding and sea level rise on county assets. The resilience and adaptation plan identified projects that can be implemented to reduce risks and apply for additional funding for the recommendations.
Extreme Heat
Energy Upgrade
Our Energy Upgrade program educates residents in various ways on water and energy conservation strategies, efficiency technologies, and financial assistance resources and incentives. This year the program has reached over 1,000 residents with water and energy efficiency devices and information, saving low-income households an estimated $41,413 in utility costs or over 296,378 kWh of energy. Learn more about the Energy Upgrade program.
Supporting Affordable Housing
We received approximately $300,000 in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) funding from the Department of Energy (DOE). Funding from this grant was used to provide rebates for low-income and affordable housing units to purchase energy and water efficient appliances and HVAC systems that will help lower utility bills for residents. These appliances consume the most energy, so we anticipate a reduced energy burden on low-income households and improved health and lives of these individuals through deployment of energy efficient technology. The utilization of EECBG funding underscores our dedication to creating a more energy-conscious community while addressing the critical need for reducing energy consumption and minimizing our environmental impact.
Sustainable Communities Workshop
Sarasota County has been hosting an all-day Sustainable Communities Workshop annually since 2005. Speakers from the local community, as well as state and national experts present on best practices in community sustainability on topics that reflect the priorities of that year. In 2024 the 19th annual workshop reached an audience of 157. With the theme, “Elements of Sustainability,” speakers focused on nature-based solutions, extreme heat, flooding, air quality, resilience, adaptation, and more. Video recordings, speaker presentation, and other resources from the 2024 Sustainable Communities Workshop can be found on our webpage and YouTube channel.
Expanding Access
In 2024, we continued our commitment to making educational opportunities accessible and inclusive for everyone in our community. This year, we began developing low-literacy initiatives, creating materials with fewer words and more visuals to better engage diverse audiences. Building on past efforts, we continued to translate resources to include Haitian Creole, Russian, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese. Our web materials remain ADA-compliant, supporting screen readers and closed captions on all videos to ensure digital accessibility. We recognize the importance of meeting people where they are, listening to their needs, and finding creative ways to connect. We are always open to new ideas, so if you have suggestions for making our programming even more equitable and inclusive, please share them with us!
Empowering Employees
We recognize the important roles of its thousands of employees across numerous county buildings in making the county a leader in sustainability. Through our Green Champion courses available on our online learning platform, employees gain practical knowledge and actionable steps to incorporate sustainability into both their professional and personal lives. This comprehensive curriculum equips staff with the tools to reduce their environmental footprint, responsibly manage county resources, and actively contribute to Sarasota County’s sustainability goals. By empowering our employees, we’re building a workplace culture that champions environmental responsibility and strengthens our collective commitment to a greener, more resilient community.
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we look ahead to 2025, we remain dedicated to advancing our sustainability goals with a focus on building stronger partnerships and prioritizing resilience projects. In the face of increasingly stronger and more frequent storms, we recognize the need for innovative solutions and collaborative efforts to better prepare our community for future challenges. By strengthening connections with local organizations, government agencies, and community partners, we aim to create robust strategies that enhance our region’s ability to adapt and recover. Through continued teamwork, dedication, and forward-thinking initiatives, we are excited to forge a path toward a more resilient, sustainable, and thriving Sarasota County in 2025.
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