On June 19th and 20th, more than 180 people met in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to discuss and exchange information on climate change and one of its most immediate impacts, sea level rise.

ACCO's inaugural Rising Seas Summit brought together professionals from national and local government, industry, academic institutions and environmental NGOs to highlight the interrelationships between sea level rise, climate change and extreme events.  Understanding, anticipating and adapting to water related threats is critical to national security and a stable economy.  Sea level rise will continue to damage coastal ecosystems and inland water systems, and the recent catastrophic impacts of Hurricane Sandy have demonstrated the risks faced by all coastal communities on the U.S. eastern seaboard.  These new environmental challenges require that stakeholders share knowledge and work together to reduce and mitigate environmental and social degradation induced by climate change.

Those who were unable to attend the Summit can catch a portion of the discussion through C-SPAN's coverage of the June 20th plenary session.  White House Council on Environmental Quality Chairman Nancy Sutley talked about the federal government’s efforts to help state and local communities, and officials from Florida spoke about how fresh water supplies and property are being threatened by sea level rise.

Introductory Remarks:

• Katy Sorenson — President and CEO, The Good Government Initiative (Former Miami-Dade County, Florida, Commissioner)

A Conversation with Federal and Local Leaders: 

• Nancy Sutley — Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality    
• Mayor Kristin Jacobs — Broward County, Florida    
• Representative Mark S. Pafford — District 86 (West Palm Beach), Florida House of Representatives    
• Moderator: Daniel Kreeger — Executive Director, Association of Climate Change Officers

Presentation materials from other sessions are available online and a Summit recap report will be published.

The 2014 Rising Seas Summit will be held in New York — Program details will be updated at: www.RisingSeasSummit.org.