Certified as a Green Local Government since 2016

The City of Delray Beach was previously certified as a Green Local Government by the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC). FGBC’s Green Local Government Standard designates Green Cities and Green Counties for outstanding environmental stewardship and the certification lasts for five years.

The City is in the process of recertification for this designation, and the Office of Sustainability and Resilience is working with staff in ten City departments to assess our current programs as well as strategize ways to implement new criteria. The criteria focus on improving environmental performance through a number of mediums (energy, water, air, land, waste), and evaluates “in-house” practices, educational programs, incentives and ordinances to foster green practices community wide.

Some of the programs the City has implemented “in-house” include:

• Fleet includes hybrid and electric vehicles, such as golf carts and scooters, and has chargers available for staff to use.
• Maintain an Office of Sustainability and Resilience and budget for environmental education.
• Maintain a green fleet program.
• Police Department firing range utilizes non-lead bullets.
• Fire and Rescue Department reviews training operations and conserves water where appropriate.
• Employee incentives for alternative commuting options are offered through Human Resources.
• Reusable water bottles are offered to all new employees and orientation includes City’s commitment to the environment.
• Information Technology operates a computer and equipment reuse center and sets energy-saving modes on the devices.
• Recycling is required at all City buildings.
• All new City buildings must meet green building certification.
• Employees participate in annual events such as March Bike Month to reduce fuel consumption, and Daylight Hour to use less energy.

You can view the entire list of criteria the City is pursuing by viewing the City of Delray Beach FGBC Checklist pdf. More details on these criteria can be found in FGBC's Green Local Government Reference Guide.

More information on FGBC's Green Local Government Standard can be found by clicking here.

The City also has numerous goals and policies outlined in the "Conservation, Sustainability, and Resiliency" section in the city comprehensive plan, Always Delray.

Memberships

The City of Delray Beach is committed to playing an active role in sustainability and resilience in the community as well as South Florida. To provide the best resources for our community and city staff, the City of Delray Beach maintains memberships with the following organizations. 

• Florida Green Building Coalition
• U.S. Green Building Council
• International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) Local Governments for Sustainability
• Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact
• Urban Sustainability Directors Network
• Resiliency Florida
• Southeast Palm Beach County Resilience Partnership