Duke Energy awards $300,000 toward climate resiliency initiatives to support conservation and restoration in Florida – Duke Energy | News Center

Report on Duke Energy Foundation’s Environmental Grants in Florida and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

The Duke Energy Foundation has allocated $300,000 in grant funding to 13 Florida-based organizations. This initiative is designed to support environmental improvement, conservation, and climate resilience, directly contributing to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The funding targets a range of programs including water quality improvement, habitat restoration, species protection, and community conservation efforts. This report details the allocation of these funds and analyzes their alignment with specific SDGs.

Strategic Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The grants provided by the Duke Energy Foundation demonstrate a significant commitment to advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The funded projects directly support progress on goals related to environmental protection, climate action, sustainable communities, and education. The initiative fosters partnerships (SDG 17) between the corporate sector and mission-driven organizations to achieve tangible environmental outcomes.

Analysis of Funded Initiatives by SDG

1. SDG 15: Life on Land

   A majority of the projects focus on protecting, restoring, and promoting the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. This includes efforts to halt biodiversity loss and restore degraded land.

   • The Nature Conservancy: Funding supports the Gamble Place Preserve stewardship project, focusing on native habitat rehabilitation.
   • One Tree Planted: A project to plant 224,000 longleaf and Slash pine trees will restore 137 hectares of degraded land in the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest.
   • Bok Tower Gardens, Inc.: Grant supports the restoration of a critical scrub habitat at Shadow Bay Park.
   • Archbold Expeditions: The Avian Ecology Research Internship will collect critical data on the endangered Scrub-Jay, contributing to species protection.
   • Florida Wild Mammal Association: Funding provides operational support for a wildlife hospital, directly aiding in the conservation of local fauna.

2. SDG 14: Life Below Water & SDG 13: Climate Action

   Several grants target the conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems and enhance coastal resilience against climate-related hazards.

   • Tampa Bay Watch: Support is allocated for coastal resiliency projects in Pinellas County following recent hurricanes, focusing on Coquina Key Bird Island and Maximo Park.
   • OysterCorps: FloridaCorps: The program provides training and certifications for crew members to strengthen coastal resilience through hands-on fieldwork.

3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   Funding is directed towards making communities more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, with a focus on urban planning and public safety.

   • University of Florida Foundation Inc.: The Urban Futures program is supported to help small cities address urban redevelopment and storm resilience in opportunity zones.
   • High Springs Police Department: Project BRINC will be launched to integrate advanced drone technology into public safety operations, enhancing community resilience and response capabilities.

4. SDG 4: Quality Education

   The initiative invests in educational and community engagement programs to promote awareness and knowledge related to sustainability and conservation.

   • The School Board of Polk County: Funding supports the Polk County Agri Fest for 4th-grade students and associated classroom engagement on agricultural and environmental topics.
   • Conservation Florida Bioblitz & Community Events: Support for public events that engage citizens in species identification and conservation news, fostering environmental stewardship.
   • WEDU Public Channel (PBS): A contribution to the SUSTAIN program, which supports sustainability-focused public broadcasting initiatives.

Financial Overview and Long-Term Commitment

The current allocation represents a continued investment in Florida’s environmental future. The financial commitment is structured to support both statewide and local initiatives.

• Total 2024 Funding: $300,000
• Statewide Organization Allocation: $100,000
• Local Organization Allocation: $200,000
• Total Contribution Since 2020: Over $3.8 million in grant funding has been provided to organizations in Florida to advance climate resiliency and conservation.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – The article mentions initiatives aimed at making urban areas more resilient to climate-related challenges.
• SDG 13: Climate Action – A central theme is strengthening climate resilience through various environmental programs and conservation efforts.
• SDG 14: Life Below Water – The funding supports projects focused on water quality and strengthening coastal resilience.
• SDG 15: Life on Land – Several projects directly address habitat restoration, forestry, species protection, and conservation of terrestrial ecosystems.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – The entire initiative is based on a partnership between a private foundation (Duke Energy Foundation) and multiple non-profit and educational organizations to achieve common environmental goals.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

1. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.b: By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels.
     
     Explanation: The grant to the University of Florida Foundation Inc. for its “Urban Futures program” directly supports this target. The program brings “together Florida’s small cities to collaboratively address urban redevelopment… with a focus on storm resilience.”

2. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
     
     Explanation: The article’s overarching goal is to strengthen “climate resilience.” Specific projects like the “Urban Futures program” focusing on “storm resilience” and Tampa Bay Watch’s “coastal resiliency projects following Hurricanes Helene and Milton” are direct actions toward this target.

3. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans.
     
     Explanation: The funding for OysterCorps, which “provides training… to strengthen coastal resilience,” and for Tampa Bay Watch to “support coastal resiliency projects” in Pinellas County directly contributes to the protection and restoration of coastal ecosystems.

4. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • Target 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.
     
     Explanation: The grant to One Tree Planted for “planting 224,000 longleaf pine and Slash pine trees to restore 137 hectares of degraded land in the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest” is a clear example of reforestation and restoration of degraded land.
   • Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.
     
     Explanation: Several projects address this target. The Nature Conservancy’s project aims at “rehabilitating the site’s native habitat.” Bok Tower Gardens, Inc. works to “restore the area of critical scrub habitat.” Archbold Expeditions supports research to “collect data on the endangered Scrub-Jay,” which is a direct action toward protecting a threatened species.

5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.
     
     Explanation: The article describes a partnership where the Duke Energy Foundation, a private entity, provides “$300,000 to 13 mission-driven organizations,” including non-profits and university foundations. This collaboration is a model of a public-private-civil society partnership aimed at achieving sustainability goals.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. For SDG 11 & 13 (Resilience)

   • Implied Indicator: Number of local governments/cities adopting and implementing local disaster risk reduction strategies.
     
     From the article: The “Urban Futures program” brings together “Florida’s small cities” to address storm resilience, implying that the number of participating cities is a measure of progress.

2. For SDG 14 (Coastal Ecosystems)

   • Implied Indicator: Number of coastal restoration projects implemented.
     
     From the article: The support for “coastal resiliency projects following Hurricanes Helene and Milton in Pinellas County at Coquina Key Bird Island and Maximo Park” provides specific examples that can be counted.

3. For SDG 15 (Terrestrial Ecosystems)

   • Mentioned Indicator: Area of forest restored.
     
     From the article: The One Tree Planted project will “restore 137 hectares of degraded land.”
   • Mentioned Indicator: Number of trees planted.
     
     From the article: The project is “planting 224,000 longleaf pine and Slash pine trees.”
   • Implied Indicator: Number of projects aimed at protecting threatened species.
     
     From the article: The support for the “Avian Ecology Research Internship, to help collect data on the endangered Scrub-Jay” is a quantifiable action.

4. For SDG 17 (Partnerships)

   • Mentioned Indicator: Amount of U.S. dollars committed to public-private and civil society partnerships.
     
     From the article: The Duke Energy Foundation “allocated $300,000” in this grant cycle and has provided “more than $3.8 million in grant funding… since 2020.”
   • Mentioned Indicator: Number of partner organizations.
     
     From the article: The funding will benefit “13 mission-driven organizations.”

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

Source: news.duke-energy.com