FORT LAUDERDALE — Broward County is preparing to host the 18th Annual Southeast Florida Climate Leadership Summit from November 4 to 6, 2026, at the newly expanded Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, with registration closing on October 16.
The three-day gathering is the flagship event of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact, a partnership launched in 2009 between Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties to coordinate climate mitigation and adaptation across the region. It brings together leaders from business, government, academia and non-profit organisations.
This year’s theme, “Capitalizing on Climate: Action Through Innovation,” puts the emphasis on practical regional solutions — and on the economic opportunities that new climate technologies and leading practices can unlock.
Climate Leadership Summit 2026 opens with Innovation Day
The programme opens on Wednesday, November 4 with a technology-focused Innovation Day. Panels titled “The Eyes and Ears of Tomorrow,” “Thinking Beyond the Now” and “New Ways to Live, Work, and Move” will bring together experts from academia, industry and government to explore how sensors, robots and drones can help communities gather information and manage resources — and how artificial intelligence can support infrastructure and resilience efforts.
Innovation Day will also host the final rounds of the Collegiate and Emerging Companies Innovation Showcases, where university students and start-ups present bold ideas for tackling pressing climate challenges.
Keynote speaker announced: Chase Cain
Broward County has named award-winning meteorologist Chase Cain as the opening keynote speaker. Cain, a former climate reporter for NBC News, has reported on climate from around the world. He has received several regional Emmy Awards and the national Edward R. Murrow Award for his climate coverage, and now leads his own independent media venture, “Chase What Matters.”
“We are thrilled to kick off the 2026 Climate Leadership Summit with Chase Cain as our opening keynote speaker,” said Broward County Chief Resilience Officer Dr. Jennifer Jurado. “We look forward to learning from his global perspective as we unpack the science behind climate challenges and resilience solutions in Southeast Florida and beyond.”
Water, heat and sector action on the agenda
On November 5, the focus turns to partnerships and the challenges communities already face. A session on regional water resilience will examine how agencies coordinate their approaches across jurisdictional lines, while another session addresses extreme heat as a public-health concern and how communities can respond.
The programme also spotlights efforts by marine, sports and manufacturing organisations, including a discussion featuring the Marine Industries Association of South Florida.
Universities bring research into the room
Florida Atlantic University is a signature sponsor of the summit through its School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability (ECOS), which will send senior leaders, faculty and researchers to all three days of the programme.
“Southeast Florida is where the nation’s climate and resilience solutions are being tested first, and our researchers are in that work every day, from the reef to the roadway,” said Steven Vollmer, Ph.D., director of ECOS. “We’re proud to help convene this conversation, putting our science faculty in the room with the practitioners shaping our region to help ignite even further action.”
ECOS researchers work on translating coastal science into local action — mapping vulnerable flood zones, modelling shoreline erosion, designing nature-based infrastructure such as living shorelines, and developing urban planning models that help local governments meet coastal resilience requirements. Two university faculty members join the Innovation Day panels: associate professor Sudhagar Nagarajan on how sensors, robots and drones are making cities more efficient and resilient, and associate research professor George Sklivanitis on artificial intelligence in government missions and infrastructure.
The summit’s other signature sponsor is the Florida Panthers, the back-to-back National Hockey League Stanley Cup champions.
FAKTA: Southeast Florida Climate Leadership Summit 2026
- What: The 18th Annual Southeast Florida Climate Leadership Summit, flagship event of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact.
- When: November 4–6, 2026; registration closes October 16, 2026.
- Where: Broward County Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.
- Theme: “Capitalizing on Climate: Action Through Innovation.”
- Keynote: Award-winning meteorologist Chase Cain, former NBC News climate reporter.
- Compact: A 2009 partnership between Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties coordinating regional climate mitigation and adaptation.
For more on upcoming climate gatherings, see the Climate desk’s full coverage.
