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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 2020
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. The next public meeting will take place in February 2020 so keep a lookout for any announcements.
If you missed our first meeting, check out the following links to catch up:
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- Survey #1: Through the survey, our community has the opportunity to share their ideas and concerns to help inform how the City of Jersey City might address climate change. Your participation in this survey is an integral part of this process.
- 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!
What is a Climate Action Plan?
With the completion of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, Jersey City will be 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.
CAP Steering Committee and Working Groups
In order to support the development of the Climate Action Plan, a Climate Action Steering Committee and four Working Groups were formed. Over 80 people are participating in the Climate Action planning process through one of these groups.
The Climate Action Steering Committee (CASC) is made up of 20 representatives from local, regional, and state agencies. The role of the CASC is to provide input and guidance on the planning process and finished documents for the Climate Action Plan. So far the CASC has had two meetings, with more expected in 2020.
The four Working Groups are: Energy, Transportation & Land Use, Waste, and Equity & Outreach. Each working group is made up of about 15 stakeholders relevant to the particular sectors, including subject matter experts, and interested members of the public. The Working Groups have met twice so far and will next meet in January 2020. Priority actions identified by the Working Groups will be presented to the public for input in February.
Follow the links below for a list of the group members:
TIMELINE
- October 2019: CAP Steering Committee launch
- November 2019: First public meeting and launch of Working Groups
- Winter 2019: Public meetings, Working Groups meetings, and Steering Committee meetings
- Spring 2020: Draft final report
- Summer 2020: Final report release and presentation to Municipal Council
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, the Jersey City Council passed Resolution 17-517 Reaffirming the Paris Climate Agreement.
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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.
Jersey City Climate Action Planning Bulletins
The following four bulletins provide a quick intro to Jersey City’s GHG inventory, climate commitments, and next steps.
