New Jersey Climate News

News Aggregation from the NJ Climate Change Resource Center

Policy

NJ climate change conference brings together broad coalition of experts focused on adaptation and mitigation

SEBS/NJAES OFFICE OF PUBLIC OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATION – Local and national experts representing a wide range of stakeholders gathered on the Rutgers University-New Brunswick campus for the conference, “Sustaining Innovation in New Jersey Climate Policy – Past, Present and Future,” on March 21.

Hosted by the New Jersey Climate Change Resource Center at Rutgers University, the day-long conference featured an impressive agenda covering New Jersey’s state climate policies and climate goals, and the challenges and opportunities to accelerate addressing climate change in New Jersey.

The center was established by statute in 2020 to advance equitable and science-informed climate change solutions to communities, state and local decision-makers and the private sector in the Garden State.

“This event is in keeping with our mission to help New Jersey adapt, mitigate and prepare for climate change,” said Lucas Marxen, Executive Director of the Environmental Analysis and Communications Group at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers and co-director of the center with Marjorie Kaplan, Senior Associate Director of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute.

Panelists at the conference included, clockwise from upper left, Shawn LaTourette, Commissioner, NJDEP; Christine Guhl-Sadovy, President, NJ Board of Public Utilities; NJ Senators Bob Smith and Andrew Zwicker; Kathryn Zyla, executive director, Georgetown Climate Center; Jesse Jenkins, assistant professor, Princeton University; Clinton Andrews, Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean for Research, Bloustein School; Jennifer Senick, Sr. Executive Director, Center for Urban Policy Research, Bloustein School; Melissa Miles, Executive Director, NJ Environmental Justice Alliance; and Dale Bryk, Director of State & Regional Climate Policies, Harvard Law School, among others.

The conference, which brought together leading local and national experts, happened at a critical juncture for the state of New Jersey.

“We are at an important inflection point in our state as we will be electing a new Governor in just eight months,” said Kaplan in her welcome to the more than 200 attendees. “This is the right time to take stock of where we are and have a thoughtful and civil dialogue on climate change in New Jersey. States like New Jersey can continue to be laboratories for innovation and move forward in the absence of federal leadership,” noted Kaplan.

Clinton Andrews, Distinguished Professor and the associate dean for research at the Bloustein School, provided context for New Jersey climate innovations that included a series of historical timelines on demography and infrastructure; adaptation, technology, and mitigation. Throughout the day participants provided feedback on poster-sized versions of the timelines identifying actions they viewed as most positive and most negative for New Jersey as well as on how New Jersey can set the lead going forward on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Sessions with experts and state leaders focused on accelerating greenhouse gas emissions reductions in the sectors that contribute the most to New Jersey’s emissions (transportation, energy generation, and commercial and residential buildings), as well as innovations in adapting to climate change.