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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 Change and Jersey City
Jersey City is already experiencing climate change and its impacts. As a dense urban area and coastal community, Jersey City is particularly vulnerable to the many effects of a changing climate. Jersey City has already experienced these effects locally in the form of extreme weather events such as Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, which caused power outages, severe flooding, and property damage resulting in millions of dollars in losses to the city’s local economy. The impacts of these climate risks are projected to increase as more greenhouse gases (GHGs) are emitted.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has compiled excellent data on the current and projected impact of climate change within the State. Please see their website at https://www.nj.gov/dep/climatechange. Read about the New Jersey’s changing climate and find the 2020 New Jersey Scientific Report on Climate Change on the DEP’s website HERE.
Another excellent resource for understanding climate change impacts in coastal municipalities like Jersey City is the recent report from Rutgers: New Jersey’s Rising Seas and Changing Coastal Storms: Report of the 2019 Science and Technical Advisory Panel. Read it HERE.
Taking Action
Jersey City is taking action both to mitigate and to adapt to Climate Change. The City has committed to the Paris Climate Agreement and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy. A City-wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory was completed in 2019, and the City recently completed its first plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout the city. This Climate and Energy Action Plan (CEAP) is a detailed and strategic framework for measuring, planning, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and related climatic effects. Read below for more information on all of these actions.
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
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 2019 Climate Action Planning Bulletins
Four bulletins were created in 2019 to provide a quick intro to Jersey City’s GHG inventory, climate commitments, and next steps.
These bulletins were created to complement the GHG Emissions Inventory in partnership with students from the PSEG Institute for Sustainable Studies. Grant funding for this project was provided by the Sustainable Jersey Grants Program funded by the Gardinier Environmental Fund.
Jersey City Climate and Energy Action Plan
The Jersey City Municipal Council recently adopted Jersey City’s first-ever Climate and Energy Action Plan. The Climate and Energy Action Plan lays out implementable roadmaps for Jersey City’s highest priority climate actions. Review the completed plan HERE.
Because extensive public outreach and stakeholder engagement are essential components in the preparation and creation of a successful Climate and Energy Action Plan, the Office of Sustainability engaged the public throughout the process. You can read more about our public process in Appendix E of the plan and on the Climate and Energy Action Plan Public Process page.
Key Takeaways from the Plan
Read this two-pager if you want a quick overview of the Jersey City Climate and Energy Action Plan.
