Six months ago, a team of Orange County professionals from all departments convened to create the Sustainable Operations & Resilience Action Plan. By implementing this Action Plan Orange County is on its way to becoming a top-ranked and recognized leader in sustainability and community resilience. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings appointed a 40-member committee of community leaders and technical experts to assist in setting goals and actions that will forge a path for success over the next ten years.
The external committee was led by co-chairs Leila Jammal, PE, Vice President NV5 Engineering and Byron Knibbs, former Vice President, Orlando Utilities Commission, to assist in setting goals and actions.
“I firmly believe that this comprehensive plan will have a lasting impact on our ability to meet the challenges before us,” said Orange County Mayor Demings. “With feedback from residents, we can preserve our natural environment, create sustainable jobs, and provide a more inclusive and healthy future for all.”
Orange County Chief Sustainability & Resilience Officer Jeff Benavides presented the Action Plan to the Board of County Commissioners in December and provided an overview of the County’s 17 goals. To watch the December 15, 2020 presentation to the Board of County Commissioners, visit the Orange TV page.
Goals include:
- Energy & Climate Action: Achieve 100% of County operations electricity load from clean, renewable sources by 2035
- Buildings & Infrastructure: Design and operate County-funded buildings and infrastructure that meet high-performance and green building standards
- Water Use & Quality: Protect water quality through innovative technology and integrated water management audits at County facilities
- Mobility & Fleet: Improve vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian roadway safety, resilience, and interoperability through traffic technology retrofits at 300 intersections by 2025
- Supply Chain & Materials Management: Increase waste diversion rates to 70% by 2030 at County facilities
- Trees & Lands: Preserve an additional 23,000 acres of environmentally sensitive lands and increase County natural land assets by 2030
This action plan represents the first phase of our approach, helping our incredible workforce “lead by example” to demonstrate excellence in sustainability throughout our operations, assets, and day-to-day procedures.
The Orange County Sustainable Operations & Resilience Action Plan is available on the county’s website.
