This report examines how local climate narratives influence the understanding of climate change and the implementation of fair and effective climate responses. The study analyses the case of Miami-Dade County, Florida, an early adopter of climate policies that faces deep inequity and worsening climate impacts, to understand how local narratives influence climate governance.

Historic narratives

Miami has two long-term historic environmental narratives that shape the local climate debate. One focuses on economic growth, while the other focuses on environmental justice. The history of growth-focused environmentalism in Miami created practices that marginalised certain communities at the expense of economic gain for the few.

Contemporary narratives

Local climate narratives in Miami are divided along geographical and social lines of segregation. Contemporary narratives about emissions, sea-level rise, climate gentrification, and resilience reflect the various ways in which different groups talk about and experience climate change in the region. These narratives often reflect the needs and priorities of the people living in a particular area. Climate gentrification, for instance, is a topic that has gained traction in recent years, but its prevalence in policymaking circles is low.

Policy documents

The study analysed 188 policy documents related to climate change in Miami. Out of these documents, 47.5% of the narrative keyword instances identified were about sea-level rise, which has become increasingly frequent since 2008. Resilience, backed by the Rockefeller Foundation funding, makes up 33.4% of the total number of keyword instances, while mentions of emissions amount to 17.5%. Gentrification and climate gentrification are the least frequently mentioned terms in the document corpus at 1.6% of the total.

Decision-making, representation, and environmental justice

The study raises questions about power dynamics and realised policy priorities within cities. Despite increased attention to concerns related to equity, such as gentrification, the model of pro-growth development, shaped by the area’s long-standing Magic City narrative, remains dominant. The study suggests that the narratives that shape policymaking risk perpetuating these inequities, and without greater representation of marginalised groups in decision-making, this dynamic is unlikely to change.

The report highlights the need to identify local climate narratives and understand how they shape climate governance. To reduce the impact of climate change on the most marginalised in our society, policymakers must engage with the communities most affected and adopt policies that centre the needs of the most vulnerable rather than economic growth. By understanding how certain narratives have come to dominate, policymakers can look for alternatives and adopt a more equitable and sustainable approach to addressing climate change.