Project Spotlight: City of Hollywood FGBC Silver Recertification (2025)

In 2025, CodeGreen partnered with the City of Hollywood Florida to successfully achieve Silver recertification under the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) Green Local Government Standard. The project included a full upgrade from Version 4 to Version 5.

About the Program: FGBC Green Local Government

The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) Green Local Government certification recognizes cities and counties that demonstrate strong environmental stewardship through sustainable operations, policies, and community programs. The certification targets improvements in energy and water efficiency, waste reduction, resilient infrastructure, fleet management, and environmentally responsible planning, helping governments operate more efficiently while reducing long-term costs. Achieving FGBC certification signals a local government’s commitment to sustainability, fiscal responsibility, and quality of life for residents, using Florida specific standards designed for the state’s unique climate and environmental conditions.

Client Objectives

The City of Hollywood, Florida was originally certified under the FGBC Green Local Government Standard in 2012, achieving Silver certification. FGBC certifications follow a five-year cycle, requiring recertification to maintain status. The city continues to advance and validate its sustainability leadership, achieving recertification in 2017 under FGBC Version 4.

For the 2025 cycle, the city engaged CodeGreen to support recertification under the updated FGBC Version 5 standard. In addition to maintaining certification status, the city sought to evaluate pathways to strengthen overall performance within the current cycle.

The Challenge

Under typical circumstances, FGBC recertification using the same standard version follows a simplified approach verification. The 2025 resubmission, under an updated version, required full submission, which provided an avenue for the City of Hollywood to advance their sustainability and resiliency policies.

To further support strategic planning, the city and CodeGreen collaborated to develop a pathway to achieve a higher level of certification, making the certification process much more comprehensive and complex than initially anticipated.

CodeGreen’s Approach

1) Comprehensive Credit Review

• Conducted a full audit of 451 available points under Version 5.

• Evaluated feasibility, documentation requirements, and implementation considerations for each credit.

2) Collaborative Engagement

• Led monthly milestone meetings with city leadership and key stakeholders.

• Held weekly working sessions with city staff to explain credit requirements, assess pros and cons, answer technical questions, and document compliance.

• Maintained clear, action‑oriented tracking tools to support transparency, coordination, and progress.

3) Data‑Driven Pathway Selection

• Modeled multiple scoring scenarios to inform the best pathway fit for this recertification cycle.

• Prioritized achievable, high impact credits that reinforce long-term sustainability goals.

Project Results

As the Silver level of certification was achieved under this much stricter Version 5, the city is well positioned to build on momentum for future cycles.

What this Means for the Hollywood Florida Community

This certification strengthens operational efficiency, supports long-term fiscal responsibility, and advances sustainable practices that benefit both municipal services and residents. Clear documentation and improved processes also position the city for a smoother, more efficient recertification process in future cycles.

Advance your Sustainability Goals with the Right Partner

Green certification and recertification can strengthen sustainability performance and operational efficiency, but navigating evolving requirements takes the right expertise. CodeGreen provides clear, strategic certification pathways, combining technical insight with collaborative project management to support both immediate goals and long-term planning.

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