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New Jersey Climate Action Information
There have been significant recent developments – a watershed period in climate change public policy direction – arguably the most comprehensive climate regulatory approach in New Jersey history.
Executive Order Number 89 on Statewide Climate Change Resilience Strategy
In October 2019, Governor Murphy signed Executive Order Number 89 to establish:
- Statewide Climate Change Resilience Strategy (with Climate Action Plans required of each State Department)
- Interagency Council on Climate Resilience comprised of 16 state agencies
- Climate and Flood Resilience Program within NJDEP institutionalizing a climate regulatory focus
- Chief Resilience Officer (Dave Rosenblatt)
- Scientific Report on Climate Change due by late April 2020
- Statewide Strategy to be Developed with a Coastal Resilience Plan
DEP release of Rutgers Rising Seas & Changing Coastal Storms Study
- Highlights the critical need to Plan for Dramatic Sea-Level rise up to: 1.1 feet by 2030, 2.1 feet by 2050, and 6.3 feet by 2100
- NJ Adapt Updated Flood Mapper tool: an extremely informative GIS tool to demonstrate potential sea level rise/flooding impacts at your favorite location at the Jersey Shore (https://www.njfloodmapper.org)
NJ Climate Change Resource Center (A4162)
Assembly Number 4162 facilitates collaborative research focused on both climate mitigation and adaptation:
- Rutgers to conduct a Statewide Vulnerability Assessment
- Conduct collaborative research amongst academic institutions
- Form private sector partnerships: agriculture, health, water resources, built environment (extremely important to bring the private sector to the planning table)
- Develop technical guidance
- Conduct pilot projects
- The New Jersey Climate Change Alliance will be part of this center
New Jersey Energy Master Plan
The Draft 2019 New Jersey Energy Master Plan proposes the goal of achieving 100 percent clean energy by 2050, greenhouse gas emissions reductions of 80 percent below 2006 levels by 2050, and 100% carbon neutral electric generation and maximum electrification in the transportation and building sectors. Utilizing seven strategies, including:
- Reducing Energy Consumption and Emissions from the Transportation Sector
- Accelerating Deployment of Renewable Energy and Distributed Energy Resources
- Maximizing Energy Efficiency and Conservation, and Reducing Peak Demand
- Reducing Energy Consumption and Emissions from the Building Sector
- Decarbonizing and Modernizing New Jersey’s Energy System
- Supporting Community Energy Planning and Action in Underserved Communities
- Expanding the Clean Energy Innovation Economy
Read the news release on unveiling the Energy Master Plan.
Executive Order Number 100 on Protecting Against Climate Change
Issued on January 27, 2020, Executive Order Number 100:
- Includes 26 “whereas” clauses providing a descriptive template of the state of climate change and what we are doing to address it in NJ
- Coins Gov. Phil Murphy’s phrase, “Protecting Against Climate Threats” (PACT)
- Gives NJDEP 2 years to adopt PACT Regulations
- Calls for several NJDEP core action items, including establishing a Greenhouse Gas Monitoring and Reporting Program; developing specific criteria to reduce black carbon, hydrofluorocarbons and methane; and integrating climate into all NJDEP permitting programs
Administrative Order 2020-01
Issued on January 27, 2020, Administrate Order 2020-01:
- DEP state of climate report due by June 30, 2020 on needed regulatory measures
- Propose reformed regulations within 12 months or by June 30, 2021 and adopt those regulations (in most areas) in 2 years
- Align all grants, loans, contracts, planning and outreach messaging with the new regulations, including a stakeholder engagement process
- Conduct stakeholder engagement sessions on February 21 and 25 on air emissions and March 2 on land use
- Land use: integrate climate change considerations, such as sea level rise, including encouraging energy efficient buildings and green infrastructure, re-vegetating riparian areas, avoiding flood prone areas, and restoring inundated wetlands
- Air emissions: establish a monitoring and reporting program to identify all significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide, methane and other climate pollutants; monitor the progress of emissions reductions to reach the state’s target of 80 percent below 2006 emission levels by 2050, as required under New Jersey’s Global Warming Response Act and adopt new regulations under the Air Pollution Control Act to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and air pollution
Review the NJ PACT Fact Sheet (PDF).
Related New Jersey Climate & Energy Developments in 2019 to 2020
Electric Vehicle Legislation. In January 2020, Governor Murphy signed legislation to increase the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road, increase publicly accessible charging infrastructure, electrify fleets and provide an EV rebate program.
Executive Order No. 92 on Offshore Wind. In late 2019, Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 92 to more than double New Jersey’s offshore wind goal from 3,500 megawatts of offshore wind-generated electricity by 2030 to 7,500 megawatts by 2035.
Transportation & Climate Initiative (TCI). The State is a member of the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI), a regional collaboration of 12 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and the District of Columbia seeking to improve transportation, develop the clean energy economy and reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector.
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). New Jersey rejoined the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) in 2019 after establishing a market-based program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.