We were disappointed to see that when Gov. Phil Murphy gave his Jan. 9, 2004, State-of-the-State Address, he mentioned the climate crisis and the environment just once each throughout the entire 6,000 word talk, which was covered by innumerable media outlets and witnessed by people across New Jersey.
The governor’s statements were more focused on harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to foster a new industry in New Jersey. AI got mentioned 18 times during his address. We feel the governor wasted a massive opportunity to make the case for stronger environmental action.
The governor did mention AI once in the context of helping us find solutions to the climate crisis, but that's pie in the sky compared with the many underutilized tools already out there. For example, when Murphy adopted the Inland Flood Protection Rule in October 2023, a lot of hard work on coastal flood protections was put into cold storage.
It was, therefore, extremely heartening on February 15, 2024, to hear the governor announce support in a press conference for many existing initiatives that would further climate change protections in New Jersey for its residents. He said we could anticipate movement on coastal and riverine flood protections that, among other things, will change the floodplain map and put new buildings on higher ground.
All New Jerseyans have witnessed the devastating impacts of inland and coastal flooding in our state, and the floodplain rules are one of the most important mechanisms to keep our residents and property safe from severe weather events.
The governor also announced a target to install zero-carbon-emission space heating and cooling systems in 400,000 residential units and 20,000 commercial units, along with an accelerated effort to reach 100% clean energy in New Jersey by 2035, 15 years ahead of the governor’s original schedule.
Combined with more investment in electric vehicles, funded by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and support for Advanced Clean Cars II, which has the potential to get more electric vehicles on the roads sooner in New Jersey, the governor showed that he has not forgotten about making our state a sustainable place to live.
Many tools are available to us now to combat the existential threat of climate change, and we need the governor’s strongest possible leadership to make the best use of all of these.
The year 2023 was the hottest year on record, and New Jersey experienced climate events ranging from wildfires, to tornadoes and freak natural disasters, to increased water emergencies inland and along the coast.
There are only two years left in Gov. Murphy’s term, with much needed work to be done. New Jersey must continue to push forward for 100% clean energy, making clean transportation accessible, and fighting for environmental justice, clean air and water, and green space for all.
Ambitious goals make our communities safer and healthier, but we need stronger leadership on climate initiatives from our governor.