Nocatee, Florida — A new Florida law that bars local governments from pursuing net-zero emissions goals took effect July 1, limiting the authority of cities and counties to set their own climate targets.
House Bill 1217, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis on April 22, prohibits municipalities from adopting net-zero policies, carbon taxes or fees, and emissions trading programs. It also bars local governments from purchasing vehicles or appliances based on the fuels they use and from steering public funds to outside groups with net-zero policies.
Nocatee, a community in the Jacksonville area of Florida, is among the municipalities now barred from setting local net-zero emissions goals under the new state law. Before the measure, at least 10 Florida cities and counties had adopted such policies.
At least 10 cities and counties had enacted net-zero commitments before the measure, including Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, and Leon County, home to the state capital. An attorney with the advocacy group Earthjustice said the law is likely to chill local climate efforts, though he noted its exact reach may be open to interpretation.
Representative Berny Jacques, a Clearwater Republican who sponsored the bill, said in a statement that the measure protects residents and businesses from added costs and that carbon taxes are not welcome in Florida. DeSantis characterized the banned policies as radical when he signed the measure.
Local governments must now file an annual compliance affidavit with the state Department of Revenue. The law states that net-zero policies, carbon taxes, and emissions trading are detrimental to the state's energy security and economic interests.
