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Jersey City Climate and Energy Action Plan

Status

Start: November 2020
End: April 2021
Client or funder: State of New Jersey Department of Energy
Collaborators: City of Jersey City Office of Sustainability

Context

Jersey City New Jersey has a long history of incorporating economic, social, and environmental sustainability into its policies and programs.  The City recently updated its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory and actively engaged with a group of committed community stakeholders to chart the course for Jersey City’s continued sustainability efforts. Working towards the completion of Jersey City’s first-ever Climate Action Plan, the city seeks assistance to create a targeted Community Energy Plan component of the City’s proposed Climate Action Plan that will align City energy and climate goals with the 2019 New Jersey Energy Master Plan, an updated energy action plan that coincides with an 80 by 50 climate strategy. The completion of the integrated Jersey City Community Energy & Climate Action Plan will provide the Jersey City government and community with a roadmap of strategic actions that will increase clean energy production, reduce energy use, and reduce GHG emissions.

Photo by Edward Mer on Unsplash

Project Activity

Jersey City contracted ICLEI to create a Community Energy plan that aligns with the 2019 New Jersey Energy Master Plan. This project intended to review previous efforts across city departments, compile outcomes of equity-focused community engagement, and model a series of community-identified, high-impact climate measures.

The Jersey City CAP used ICLEI’s Global GreenClimateCities methodology. For this project, the planning process was primarily completed by City staff. ICLEI then aligned planning efforts with the GCC structure and the state energy and climate priorities. The final report integrated the 3 pillars of climate planning, forming the outline.

Jersey City has been working on climate action for years; however, the city did not previously have the planning structure to deliver an implementation schedule, a project funding source, department staff assignments for implementation projects, nor the language to articulate the integrated nature of climate planning. Jersey City can now pursue state aligned climate planning; implement an action schedule; pursue state & other funding opportunities; and move into a community involved implementation process focused on equity.

Outcomes

A completed Climate Action and Energy Draft Plan: https://jcclimateaction.konveio.com/ceap

Those Involved

Jersey City, NJ