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NJ Climate Change Alliance

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About the NJCCA

Climate change is increasing temperatures, causing heavier rainfall events, and rising sea levels affecting the health, welfare, and economy of New Jersey. The New Jersey Climate Change Alliance is a network of diverse organizations that share the goal of advancing through outreach and education science-informed and evidence- based climate change strategies and tactics at the state and local levels in New Jersey, with regard to 1) adapting to changing climate conditions, 2) eliminating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through source reduction, and 3) mitigating any remaining GHG emissions through nature-based sequestration and other emerging technologies.

Alliance participants include representatives of public, private, and non-governmental organizations from sectors including transportation, emergency management, business, energy, engineering, farming, insurance, environment, health, community planning, environmental justice, natural resource management, and others working on advancing climate change solutions in New Jersey The Alliance does not work to influence political outcomes or specific pieces of legislation; rather, the work of the Alliance serves to integrate research and science with evidence and diverse points of view through the voices of Alliance participants for the purpose of informing short and long-term climate change strategies and outlining policy options for New Jersey.

All organizations participating in the Alliance commit to the following six principles and goals:

Awards and Honors

As a demonstration of the breadth of its reach, the Alliance has been recognized with various awards including:

2018 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award for Environmental Education

• 2018 Coastal and Ocean Champions Award from the Urban Coast Institute

• 2017 Public Health Advocates for the Year Award from the New Jersey Local Boards of Health Association

• 2017 James W. Hughes Applied Research Award from the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association

• 2016 Outstanding Floodplain Management Award, New Jersey Association for Floodplain Management. 

1. Support science-informed and evidence-based strategies to advance net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, nature-based systems sequestration, and long-term adaptation to changing climate conditions;

2. Promote equitable climate change solutions that focus on ensuring delivery of benefits to populations and communities disproportionately affected by climate change impacts and the emissions that contribute to climate change;

3. Promote climate change solutions that are not biased toward any particular political group;

4. Further climate change strategies that promote economic growth, improved health outcomes, natural solutions, and sustainable communities;

5. Share and promote Alliance analyses, reports, tools, educational materials, and other outputs within their networks; and

6. Maintain thoughtful, respectful and meaningful dialogue among participants in accordance with the following practices:

◦ Participants are free to use information received via Alliance discussions but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any participant, may be revealed;

◦ Participants will not distribute or publish any materials disclosed by other participants without prior approval of the participant providing the information;

◦ Participants will treat each other with respect, assume good intentions on the part of other participants, and allow fellow participants flexibility to explore and consider potential positions without prejudice or recrimination;

◦ Participants will participate personally rather than send a representative to the maximum extent possible;

◦ Participants value the diversity of Alliance participants, their perspectives, and the organizations they represent;

◦ Participants will manage efficient meetings, stick to the agenda, honor time limits, and focus use of email for administrative and informational purposes rather than iterative dialogues; and

◦ Participants generally agree that Alliance outputs will use the following language in public products: This product has been reviewed by the Steering Committee of the New Jersey Climate Change Alliance. While individual participants of the Alliance do not necessarily agree with each and every insight outlined in this product, the Steering Committee concurs that the content of this product presents critically important issues facing New Jersey. The views expressed do not necessarily represent the official positions of participants of the New Jersey Climate Change Alliance or funders who supported this work. Rutgers University serves as the facilitator of the Alliance and recommendations in the report do not represent the position of the University.

Since its inception in 2011, the Alliance’s work has involved:

• Leading demonstration projects that can be replicated throughout New Jersey;

• Identifying evidence-based state and local policy options relevant for New Jersey;

• Conducting outreach and education to state and local officials, communities, leaders, and the general public;

• Linking natural and social scientists, engineers, and other experts to decision-makers, communities, and leaders to inform policy and practice;

• Developing tools, guidance and analyses to inform planning and decision-making in the public, private, and nongovernmental sectors;

• Creating a forum that engages a diverse set of perspectives to advance evidence-based climate strategies and policy in New Jersey;

• Identifying gaps and areas for further applied scientific and policy research, planning, and policy analysis.

Equity is a critically important principle of the New Jersey Climate Change Alliance as is a dedicated focus on ensuring that climate change strategies are designed to benefit those communities and populations that are disproportionately affected by climate change emissions and impacts. The Steering Committee ensures that all work of the Alliance considers the implications of its efforts on communities and populations that are most affected by changing climate conditions both regarding sources of climate emissions and impacts of a changing climate.

Originally formed as the New Jersey Climate Adaptation Alliance, the Alliance changed its name in 2018 to better reflect the breadth of its work. The Alliance is facilitated by Rutgers University through the Rutgers Climate Institute and the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. 

Meet the Climate Corps

Angel Alguera, Rutgers Climate CorpsAngel Alguera
I am a first-year Atmospheric Science master’s degree student in the Department of Environmental Sciences, and my work focuses on meteorology and applications of climate change resiliency. My professional interests include severe weather forecasting and community preparedness regarding weather-related disasters. I work with Dr. James Shope at the NJ Climate Change Resource Center to produce applied research and reports relevant to New Jersey stakeholders. I currently assist with climate change data analysis, large dataset management, and report writing.

Daniel GilkesonDaniel Gilkeson
I’m a second-year master’s student in the City and Regional Planning Program with a concentration in environmental planning. As a planner, I hope to build more resilient communities in the face of increased risk due to climate change. With the Climate Change Resource Center, I am working on a project to aid the state in an update of its floodplain buyout program, known as Blue Acres, to be more proactive and comprehensive. Prior to this position, I interned in the Community and Economic Development Office at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Association. I’m also an AmeriCorps alum, having completed a year of service working on affordable housing in Nashville, Tennessee.

Benjamin GoldbergBenjamin Goldberg
I am a second-year Master of City and Regional Planning student concentrating in climate adaptation and resiliency planning, with experience in sustainable food systems. I joined the Climate Corps last summer to help develop a GIS-based food waste recovery tool, and currently support community resilience through flood vulnerability analysis. I hold a B.A. from Middlebury College and a Certificate in Ecological Horticulture from UC Santa Cruz.

Surya Jacob, Rutgers Climate CorpsSurya Jacob
I am a graduate student in the Master of City and Regional Planning program at the Bloustein School concentrating in community development, focused on housing, land and finance, as well as pursuing the Real Estate Development/Redevelopment Certification. Prior to Bloustein, I worked as an architect and interior designer in India and Canada and am pivoting towards a career in urban planning to engage in extensive projects at the macro level. My interests include affordable and mixed income housing, urban redevelopment, and housing finance, and I am deeply passionate about climate resilience in community planning. Being part of Climate Corps is a foundational step towards helping to solve equity issues in vulnerable communities along the coastal region.

Vineesh Das Kodakkandathil, RutgersVineesh Das Kodakkandathil
I am an urban planner with five years of professional experience in community-led ecotourism development and land use and environment management planning in ecologically sensitive areas. I have worked on and conducted extensive environmental sensitivity analyses, flood and landslide vulnerability assessments, and human impact assessments with the help of GIS tools. I’m currently pursuing my master’s in City and Regional Planning at Bloustein School with a concentration in Transport Planning and GIS.

Douglas LeungDouglas Leung
I am working with the Climate Change Resource Center to identify vulnerable communities and places affected by climate-induced flooding in coastal New Jersey municipalities. I am a Master of City and Regional Planning candidate at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. As a planner, I want to develop strategies and solve problems affecting our cities and communities that enable more equitable outcomes in housing and transportation. I am also a recent Army veteran, having served as a company commander of recruiting in the northern suburbs of Chicago and as a reconnaissance platoon leader in the 10th Mountain Division. For fun, I enjoy weightlifting, running, reading fiction, and board games.

Nihar MhatreNihar Mhatre
I am a master’s candidate in city and regional planning at Rutgers University’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, focusing on urban design and land use planning. Before being accepted at Rutgers, I worked as an architect at JD Studio and had my own architectural practice, Vastu Insights. My research interests revolve around designing and developing climate change adaptation and resilience strategies to promote equity in urban landscapes. Having the opportunity to work on real-world projects through Climate Corps will be an essential step in the development of my understanding of addressing climate change issues in vulnerable regions.

Justin MorrisJustin Morris
Justin is a master’s student at Rutgers University studying discovery informatics and data sciences. He is working under Professor Mark Rodgers to develop an optimization model that will act as a decision support tool for university financial investments with the end goal of eliminating Rutgers’ scope 2 emissions. He is excited to apply his background in data analytics and mathematical programming to help the university fight climate change.

Josephine O'GradyJosephine O’Grady
I am a first-year student in the Master of Public Policy program. Through the Coastal Climate Risk and Resilience (C2R2) certification, I am focusing a significant portion of my graduate coursework on topics including coastal geomorphology, environmental justice, and hazard mitigation planning. Before beginning my studies at the Bloustein School, I received my bachelor’s degree in public health from Kean University, where I first became interested in how coastal dynamics shape lived experiences. I previously served as an intern at the New Jersey State Policy Lab and currently work for the Megalopolitan Coastal Transformation Hub (MACH) team.

Jessica Parineet Jessica Parineet
I am a first-year Master of Public Policy student at the Bloustein School with a strong interest in climate change policy and related topics. In my previous work, I gained experience in a number of dimensions of climate change issues through carbon capture storage research, urban heat island research, and community level engagement as I am currently on the Student Advisory Board for the Rutgers Office of Climate Action. I am excited to expand on my interests in environmental justice and local level resilience planning through my involvement in the Climate Corps.

Dillon Patel Dillan Patel
I am a second-year Master of City and Regional Planning student concentrating in Environmental Planning and International Development. I have previously worked as an economist performing cost-benefit analysis and conducting monitoring and evaluation for renewable energy in developing countries. I have also spent a summer in western Massachusetts mapping stormwater infrastructure and working with planners to identify suitable places for green stormwater infrastructure.

Moira Sweeder, Rutgers Climate CorpsMoira Sweeder
I am a graduate student enrolled in the Master of City and Regional Planning program at the Bloustein School. My concentration is environmental planning with a focus on coastal resilience. Before pursuing my master’s degree at Rutgers, I studied sustainability at Stockton University. During this time, I interned for the PSEG Institute of Sustainability Studies, the Jacques Cousteau National Estuary Research Reserve, and NJ Audubon. I am thrilled to now be a part of the Climate Corps, researching coastal resilience as a part of the Megalopolitan Coastal Transformation Hub (MACH) team.

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