Advocates to File Legal Petition Demanding Murphy Administration Produce a Real Plan to Meet its Obligations to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Media Advisory
July 12, 2021

What: As the climate crisis deepens this summer with extreme heat waves and record shattering temperatures across the globe, advocates will hold a video press conference demanding New Jersey do more to uphold its climate commitments. The Empower NJ coalition and its allies across the State will be releasing and discussing their submission of a formal Petition for Rulemaking to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) demanding that New Jersey live up to its legal, moral, and political commitments and meet undeniable scientific necessity by adopting rules that set a 50% greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target by 2030 from 2005 levels. NJDEP also must map out and implement how that reduction is to be achieved, which will require the restriction of the issuance of operating permits for new fossil fuel infrastructure projects and the ratcheting back of current pollution sources.

This is no ordinary petition. Under the NJ Administrative Procedures Act, NJDEP is legally required to publish this petition, hold a formal public comment process on the petition, and publish as to how and why it will or will not act on the petition’s call for rulemaking to reduce GHG emissions by 50% by 2030. The press conference will also serve as the official launch of the coalition’s campaign to get New Jersey to catch up to the Biden Administration and at least a dozen states, all of whom have made stronger commitments than New Jersey in terms of cutting GHG emissions by 2030 to address the climate crisis. 

When: 11:00am ET Wednesday, July 14

Where: Register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining.

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* Founded in 2018, Empower NJ is a coalition of 120+ environmental, civic, faith, and progressive organizations, led by BlueWaveNJ, Clean Water Action, Environment NJ, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Don’t Gas the Meadowlands Coalition, Food & Water Watch, and Sierra Club, calling on Governor Murphy to enact an prohibition on all new fossil fuel projects in New Jersey, and urgently implement policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 45% from 2010 levels by 2030. www.empowernewjersey.com