MAYOR BHALLA APPLAUDS PRESIDENT BIDEN’S EXECUTIVE ORDER ON PARIS AGREEMENT

Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla today applauded President Joe Biden’s executive order tonight rejoining the United States into the Paris Agreement.

“I am grateful that President Joe Biden is taking immediate action, on the very first day in office, to rejoin the Paris Agreement,” said Mayor Bhalla. “Nowhere is climate change more real than coastal communities like Hoboken, where rising sea levels threaten the very future of our City. The President, in his address before a world stage, said America will lead, ‘not merely by the example of our power, but by the power of our example.’ Thank you to President Biden for putting those words into action today.”

Mayor Bhalla is a member of the Climate Mayors, a bipartisan network of over 470 U.S. mayors working to combat climate change through meaningful actions in their communities.

The City of Hoboken has been a regional leader in climate change adaptation:

• On Earth Day in 2019, Mayor Bhalla signed an Executive Order adopting Hoboken’s Climate Action Plan, which committed the City to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 through a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Hoboken’s Climate Action Plan seeks to exceed the goals of the Paris Agreement.
• Hoboken became one of the first municipalities in the tri-state area to begin purchasing 100% clean, non-polluting renewable electricity for municipal facilities in April of 2019.
• Hoboken is adapting to the effects of climate change and rising sea levels through the implementation of its $230 million Rebuild by Design project.
• To adapt to more frequent rainfall flooding, the City is currently constructing one of the country’s largest resiliency parks in Northwest Hoboken at 5 acres, which will withhold up to 2 million gallons of rainwater through underground flood infrastructure and above ground green infrastructure.
• The City of Hoboken was recently certified as the first LEED Gold city in New Jersey by the U.S. Green Building Council in January of 2019. The certification was granted for Hoboken’s commitment to sustainability efforts.
• Hoboken passed one of New Jersey’s strongest plastic bag bans in March of 2020, banning all carry-out plastic bags and styrofoam products.
• In partnership with the Hoboken Green Team, expanded composting options to four drop-off locations in Hoboken in June of 2020, after the City implemented one of New Jersey’s first composting program in 2015.
• Installed LED energy efficient lighting in City parks including Church Square Park and installed energy efficient upgrades in 11 municipal buildings in January of 2019, resulting in cost savings of $100,000 per year.