Annual Southeast Florida Climate Leadership Summit begins Nov. 4

Opening with a first-ever Innovation Day, the 18th Annual Southeast Florida Climate Leadership Summit kicks off Wednesday, November 4 at the Broward County Convention Center. This premier climate resilience event is hosted by Broward County, in collaboration with Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties featuring local, national and global leaders. The counties are part of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact, a regional partnership designed to implement adaptation strategies, build climate resilience and reduce pollution across Southeast Florida.  

“Miami-Dade County is proud to co-sponsor the 2026 summit and highlight our continuous work to build a more resilient, future-ready county and region,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “Now in its 18th year, the Compact plays a more vital role than ever in driving innovation to confront extreme weather and advance new sustainability technologies pioneered in South Florida. As last week’s record King Tides proved, the time to act is now!” 

The 2026 Summit theme of “Capitalizing on Climate: Action Through Innovation” highlights Southeast Florida’s growing leadership in advancing next‑generation technologies, forward‑thinking infrastructure strategies, and cross‑sector partnerships that drive regional resilience to accelerate innovative solutions for a future-ready Southeast Florida. 

Miami-Dade County Summit speakers will include:  

• Mayor Daniella Levine Cava 
• Chris Hudtwalcker – Mayor Levine Cava’s Chief of Staff 
• Loren Parra – Chief Resilience Officer and Director of the Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) 
• Dr. Aneisha Daniel – Director of the Department of Solid Waste Management (DSWM) 
• Dr. Jesse Spearo – Assistant Director of the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) 
• Kim Brown – Chief of Planning, Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER) 
• Julie Dick – Environmental Policy Advisor, Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) 

“Working with our regional partners helps turn resilience planning into real projects and real results,” said Miami-Dade County’s Chief Resilience Officer and DERM Director, Loren Parra. “By aligning our investments and accelerating implementation, we can ensure resilience is not a benefit for only some communities, but a fundamental part of how we strengthen and protect every neighborhood across Southeast Florida.” 

During the event, expert panels will deliver the latest insights in climate trends, showcase progress on major regional infrastructure and capital improvement initiatives, and highlight innovative resilience solutions emerging nationwide.  

INNOVATION DAY – NOVEMBER 4 
Preceding the Summit Program, Innovation Day offers a full day dedicated to emerging technologies, artificial intelligence applications, and next‑generation resilience tools. Sponsored by Nova Southeastern University, this first-of-its-kind showcase features a keynote address by the Florida Panthers’ Vice President of Hospitality and Sustainability and includes demonstrations from South Florida universities, start-ups, and emerging technology partners using drones, sensors, automation, and advanced analytics to reshape the resilience landscape. 

SUMMIT PROGRAM – NOVEMBER 5–6 
At the heart of this year’s event is the two‑day Summit Program, which opens with remarks from Broward County Commissioner Beam Furr and features keynote presentations by award‑winning meteorologist Chase Cain and Jeff Goodell, acclaimed journalist and author of The Heat Will Kill You First. 

ABOUT THE SUMMIT 
The Southeast Florida Climate Leadership Summit is the flagship annual event of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact, a regional partnership established in 2009 by Broward, Miami‑Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach Counties. The Compact fosters collaboration across the public, private, academic, and nonprofit sectors to strengthen climate planning, adaptation efforts, and long-term resilience for the region’s 6 million residents.