JERSEY CITY CLIMATE ACTION

Climate change threatens public health, the economy, safety, and quality of life. The City of Jersey City recognizes that extensive efforts must be made in order to mitigate the effects of climate change on both local and global communities.

Climate Action Planning 2020

What is a Climate Action Plan?

With the completion of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory in 2019, Jersey City is now developing a plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout the city. The Climate Action Plan (CAP) is a detailed and strategic framework for measuring, planning, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and related climatic effects.

The goal of the Climate Action Plan is to develop and implement roadmaps for Jersey City’s highest priority climate actions. The Plan will bring together our City’s leaders, experts, community members, and advocates. We want to ensure that every member of the community has a chance to engage and contribute their ideas to the plan in a way that’s convenient and accessible for them.

The City created the Climate Action Steering Committee to provide key input and direction in the development of the Climate Action Plan. In addition, four working groups were formed to create strategies and action items for each of the major greenhouse gas emissions sectors: Energy, Transportation & Land Use, and Waste. The fourth group Equity & Outreach was created to maximize benefits and reduce barriers for communities of color and low-income populations. Find out more about these groups by visiting the Climate Action Steering Committee and Working Groups page.

CAP TIMELINE

October 2019: CAP Steering Committee launch
November 2019: First public meeting and launch of Working Groups
Winter 2019/2020: Public meetings, Working Groups meetings, and Steering Committee meetings
Spring 2020: Draft final report
Summer 2020: Final report release and presentation to Municipal Council

Upcoming Community Meetings

The next round of public meetings will take place in March 2020. The meetings will take place at the following times and locations:

Tue, 3/3, 6:30-8:00 p.m., 176 West Side Avenue, Congregation B’nai Jacob
Sat, 3/14, 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m., City Hall Council Chambers
Wed, 3/18, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Cunningham Branch Library, 275 MLK Drive
Thu, 3/19, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Pershing Field Community Center, 835 Summit Ave.
Mon, 3/23, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Gallo Center, Lincoln Park

Other Ways to Stay Engaged

If you missed our first meeting, check out the following links to catch up:

Survey #2: Through this survey, you can review the proposed action items for each sector and note your priorities and concerns. Your participation in our surveys is an integral part of the Climate Action Planning process. (See below for results of survey #1).
Meeting in a Box: Interested in helping us extend community outreach? Consider hosting your own meeting with friends, family, or a community organization. This toolkit provides all the resources you need to help you host your own event at a time and day that’s convenient for you.
Climate Action Plan Presentation Slides: View the CAP presentation for more information on climate change and the planning process of the Plan.
Raffle Rules: Find out how you can participate in our weekly raffle!

Survey #1 Results

The first Climate Action Plan Survey closed on January 24th, 2020. There was a total of 218 responses. Thank you to every one who participated and shared the survey with others.

View the results of Survey #1 here.

Take survey #2 here.

Previous Community Meetings

On November 7, 2019, Jersey City held the first public meeting for the Climate Action Plan. The community was invited to learn about climate change in Jersey City and the development of the City’s first Climate Action Plan. In total there were about 40 attendees.

Our Climate Commitments

Jersey City has made several important commitments to address global climate change.

In 2015, the Jersey City Council passed Resolution 15-485 to Fight Climate Change.

In 2017, Mayor Steven M. Fulop joined the “Mayors for Climate” Coalition following President Trump’s Withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.

In 2017, the Jersey City Council passed Resolution 17-517 Reaffirming the Paris Climate Agreement.

In 2018, Mayor Fulop signed a letter of commitment officially joining the City of Jersey City to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy.

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As a member of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, Jersey City has committed to aggressive, measurable action to address the climate crisis, including conducting a city-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory, developing public emissions targets, and creating a roadmap for achieving those targets. The graphic below provides an overview of the municipal actions required by the Global Covenant of Mayors.

Steps for the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy

A Timeline of City, State, and Global Climate Actions

GHG Emissions Inventory

In partnership with the PSEG Institute of Sustainable Studies at Montclair State University, Jersey City completed a Communitywide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory for the baseline year of 2016. A community-wide GHG emissions inventory measures the amount of greenhouse gases that are being emitted city-wide and identifies what sources they are coming from.

Funding for this report was provided by the Sustainable Jersey Grants Program and the Gardinier Environmental Fund.

Read the report.