The finalized Extreme Heat Resilience Action Plan, developed by the New Jersey Interagency Council on Climate Resilience, with significant public input, is only the third of its kind in the nation. The plan sets 136 specific actions to be implemented by individual agencies (or across multiple agencies) to mitigate the effects of extreme heat, one of the deadliest climate-related hazards facing New Jersey residents.

“In just the last few weeks, we have seen the dangers of increasingly hotter days for longer periods of time,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “We must continue to combat climate change while best preparing our residents with the knowledge and resources to protect themselves from extreme heat. The Extreme Heat Resilience Action Plan lays out a critical roadmap that will help the State take the necessary steps to safeguard New Jerseyans.”

“The facts are indisputable – New Jersey is among the fastest warming states and the impacts of extreme heat are becoming more profound, affecting the quality of life and health of our residents,” said Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. “Through the Extreme Heat Resilience Action Plan, the Murphy Administration has established a clear set of goals and actions that will better protect New Jerseyans from the worsening impacts of climate change.”

The Evidence Heats Up

The New Jersey Scientific Report on Climate Change (2020) and the Human Health & Communities Addendum (2022) demonstrate that New Jersey is warming at an accelerated pace compared to the Northeast region and globally, with the third-hottest summer recorded in 2022 and six of the hottest summers on record occurring in the last ten years. These reports also demonstrate clearly that extreme heat poses immediate and long-term health risks, compromises air quality, and strains food and water supplies.

Moreover, as presented in the Scientific Report on Climate Change, the average annual temperature in New Jersey has increased by 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit since the National Weather Service began record-keeping in 1895. Over the same period, the average annual temperature for the Northeast region has increased by 2 degrees Fahrenheit to 3 degrees Fahrenheit.

And, according to a recent report by the nonprofit research organization Climate Central, New Jersey is the third fastest warming state in the nation – and the fastest warming state in the Northeast – due to a number of factors, including the urban heat island effect caused by having large expanses of paved areas and buildings.

Just this summer, New Jersey has experienced multiple heat waves, characterized by three consecutive days with temperatures at or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, prompting public health alerts and the opening of cooling centers across New Jersey to safeguard the well-being of residents.

An intense and unusually early heat wave hit the Northeast and New Jersey at the end of June. According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the June 17-24 heat wave tied or broke many previous records, and temperatures over 100 degrees were recorded in various areas throughout the state. The Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist also reports that this past June was the 7th consecutive month with temperatures above the 1991–2020 averages.

Why is New Jersey So Vulnerable?

Among the primary reasons for New Jersey’s disproportionate warming are land use patterns and development density that make for conditions that set up the urban heat-island effect. Heat islands are urbanized areas that experience higher temperatures than outlying areas. Structures, roads and pavement collect, absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat more than natural landscapes, such as forests and water bodies, leading to warmer temperatures.

Those living in more densely populated areas with less tree cover are considered especially vulnerable and considerably more likely to experience the worst and longest-lasting impacts of a heat wave. Other vulnerable populations include the elderly, people who work outdoors, low-income families who cannot afford air conditioning, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and people with pre-existing conditions or those taking medications that affect the body’s ability to thermoregulate.

Murphy Administration Takes Action

The Interagency Council on Climate Resilience was formed as part of Executive Order No. 89 issued by Governor Murphy in 2019. Working under the direction of the Governor’s Office and New Jersey’s Chief Resilience Officer, the Interagency Council on Climate Resilience is tasked with developing short- and long-term action plans that will promote the mitigation, adaptation, and resilience of New Jersey’s economy, communities, infrastructure, and natural resources.

In April, the state marked the start of Earth Week by releasing the council’s draft Extreme Heat Resilience Action Plan. Since then, the Council has collected valuable public feedback that resulted in modifications and the release today of the final plan.

“The robust input we received during this process demonstrates just how important the issue of extreme heat is to our residents and many stakeholders,” said Nick Angarone, New Jersey’s Chief Resilience Officer. “I am grateful for the commitment and hard work by all of the agencies on the Interagency Council on Climate Resilience as we developed this plan over the last year, and I look forward to continuing our collaboration as we move these measures into action.”

In releasing the draft Extreme Heat Resilience Action plan, the DEP also released an updated Heat Hub NJ, which provides the public with key information on extreme heat’s impact on daily life and the environment, its adverse effects on human health and well-being, and guidance for protecting those particularly vulnerable to its effects.

New to the Earth Day’s Heat Hub NJ release are a series of videos outlining the physical and mental impacts of extreme heat and how best to protect yourself and your community; new information on the toll extreme heat has on mental functioning and resources to address those stresses; and Chill Out NJ, an interactive mapping feature to help New Jerseyans find public places to escape the heat. Heat Hub NJ also has a new focus section on identifying and dealing with extreme heat emergencies, or heat waves, dangerously high temperatures over a period of time which are projected to increase in frequency due to climate change.

The Extreme Heat Resilience Action Plan in Detail

Extreme heat poses immediate and long-term health risks, compromises air quality, strains food and water supplies, and depletes the longevity of infrastructure and the stability of habitats. State department and agency leaders have responded by developing agency-led initiatives, policies, and programs to address these challenges.

The Extreme Heat Resilience Action Plan is organized thematically into twenty focus areas and further organized to align with the priorities outlined in the foundational policy framework of New Jersey’s Climate Change Resilience Strategy. Action commitments address the activities completed, underway, or recommended in individual agencies, as well as efforts that cut across several state agencies.

While addressing activities across the full range of the foundational policy priorities outlined in the Resilience Strategy, the plan heavily prioritizes building resilient and healthy communities and strengthening the resilience of New Jersey’s ecosystems.

Priority 1: Build Resilient and Healthy Communities includes more than 80 actions organized into thirteen focus areas. A selection of agency-led extreme heat resilience efforts included in the Plan are listed below:

• Emergency Preparedness and Response: Encourage County-Level Extreme Heat Planning Focused on the Needs of Seniors
• Cooling Centers: Expand Network of Local Cooling Sites and Provide Support to Operators
• Housing and Residential Cooling: Conduct Study on Air Conditioning Access in NJ
• Urban Tree Canopy and Community Forestry: Expand Urban Community Forestry Program to Increase Tree Canopy in Urban Areas
• Worker Safety and Health Illness Prevention: Develop Interagency Guidance & Resource Compilation for Workplace Heat Illness Prevention
• Energy Infrastructure: Assess Grid Reliability in Extreme Heat Events
• Transportation: Improve Bus Shelter Design
• Urban Heat Islands: Launch an Urban Heat Island and Air Quality Project in Collaboration with Overburdened Communities

In addition to the highlighted agency actions, Priority 1 includes recommendations for legislative action related to expanding cooling center networks and developing heat-related worker safety standards.
Priority 2: Strengthen the Resilience of New Jersey’s Ecosystems features an additional 20+ actions, a brief selection of which are listed below:

• Agriculture: Promote Climate-Smart Practices
• Harmful Algal Blooms: Respond to the Impact of Harmful Algal Blooms on Recreation

In addition to the variety of matters pertaining to the well-being of communities and natural areas, the Interagency Council has numerous efforts underway to ensure that state agencies and departments, can leverage their respective areas of authority and programmatic leadership, to collaborate and advance resilience efforts.

Priority 3: Promote Coordinated Governance, Priority 4: Invest in Information and Increase Public Understanding and Priority 5: Promote Climate-Informed Investments and Innovative Financing describe state agency actions to ensure effective coordination. The more than 30 actions organized under these three Resilience Strategy priorities advance state agency-led efforts to identify support and resources needed for stakeholders across various levels of government to improve our collective readiness to withstand the impacts of extreme heat in New Jersey.