Action Alerts


2025 ANJEC Lame Duck Session Actions

“Lame Duck” is an elected official or legislature still in power after an election but before the new officials take office, with limited influence or time to pass laws. Given these constraints, we have about 8 weeks to get critical policy actions passed. ANJEC has identified the following pieces of regulation and legislation that will strengthen environmental protection and restoration while building healthier more resilient communities. We need you to take action NOW to make these policies a reality for New Jersey.

 

 

 

1.New Jersey Protecting Against Climate Threats Resilient Environment and Landscapes (NJPACT REAL) Rules: Creates more resilient communities by strengthening land use planning and regulation to incorporate climate change/flooding impacts.

  • Contact Governor Murphy and ask him to sign these NJ PACT REAL Rules into Law
  • Text – 732-605-5455/Call – 609-292-6000

2. Clean Energy Act (S237/A1480) – Establishes New Jersey 100% Clean Energy standard by 2035 and directs BPU to establish clean electricity certificate program.

3. Food Waste Reduction Law (S2426/A2090):  Require every solid-waste management district in New Jersey to develop a plan by 2025 to cut at least 50% of the food-waste generated in 2022 — and set up new regulations for composting facilities.

4. Skip the Stuff Act (S3195/A5157): “Skip the Stuff” prohibits providing single-use utensils and condiments, except upon request, for take-out/delivery.

5. Open Space Conservation Tax Incentive Act (S3287/A197): Provides income tax deduction for sale of real property for conservation purposes. Encourages voluntary land protection, helps conservation compete with development without new state spending and it protects New Jersey’s natural future because it’s a win for open space, clean water and wildlife.

Please note: The list of actions will be updated as policies progress.

ANJEC staff will also be working on a larger portfolio of policies, including lobbying on legislation we may deem harmful to the environment, public health and safety.

 

Support NJPACT REAL Rules


Click here for links and resources to submit your comments, participate in hearings.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

New Jersey is the first and only state in the nation to incorporate the impacts of climate change using scientific modeling to understand the impacts of climate crisis related flooding on the Garden State through the year 2100. State regulations that have begun to address climate related flooding for freshwater areas of the state were adopted in 2022. Residents and businesses living in tidally influenced areas deserve the same protection. We need your help to make sure these rules are adopted.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) re-introduced a substantially revised version of the New Jersey Protecting Against Climate Threats Resilient Environment and Landscapes (NJPACT REAL) rules on July 21, 2025. This rule proposal has stronger protections against the impacts of flooding for both inland and coastal areas of New Jersey, but the revised rules were substantially weakened from the proposal published earlier this year.  Governor Murphy and his administration bowed to the requests of big developers and revised protections that make communities more vulnerable than the previous rules. We are calling for BOTH the adoption of the proposed NJPACT REAL rules and additional rules changes that will protect New Jersey residents regardless of their income.

Say No to Artificial Turf

Slides from Hour of ACTION  – July 23, 2025 Taylor McFarland, NJ Sierra Club

Resource Links from Hour of ACTION

Model Resolution

Urges DEP to cease funding synthetic turf field projects and prioritize investing in natural grass playing fields.

Model Ordinance

Sample model ordinances and moratoriums on use of Artificial turf

Sample Municipal Letter

Sample Letter to Municipal Leaders

Graphics for Social Media Posts below provided by NJ Sierra Club

Speak Out for the Environment!

ANJEC and New Jersey need your help fighting a science disinformation campaign designed to stop the adoption of climate regulations in New Jesey that will save lives.

We need everyone across the State to keep their eyes open for a municipal resolution that is factually wrong and being peddled by those who would make profit from killing these climate regulations, and we need you to please ask your municipal officials to vote NO.

Here are two actions we are asking of you this summer:

1.    Oppose the Climate Disinformation Resolution: You’ll know it’s disinformation if it says something such as “NJPACT relies on a sea level rise study with only a 17% likelihood 75 years from now” or it will “cost too much” This is factually incorrect. NJPACT REAL is based on data that tells us that there is an 83% likelihood that New Jersey will experience AT LEAST five feet of sea level rise by the year 2100. It costs too much for us to do nothing. “From 1980–2024 (as of September 10, 2024), there have been 72 confirmed weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each to affect New Jersey.” (National Center for Environmental Information)

Email us at info@anjec.org if you see a resolution like this making the rounds in your municipality, and we’ll work together to get the NJPACT REAL facts into the hands of municipal officials.

2.    Pass a Resolution in support of NJPACT REAL: Have your E pass a resolution in support of NJPACT REAL and ask your municipal governing body to do the same. A sample resolution can be found here.

If you or your municipal officials want to do more, reach out to Governor Murphy directly and ask him to “Adopt the NJPACT REAL rules as proposed.” https://nj.gov/governor/contact/all/

The Truth and Urgency of NJPACT REAL

WHAT: The New Jersey Protecting Against Climate Threat Resilient Environment and Landscape (NJPACT REAL) rules are science-based common sense regulations based on moderate greenhouse gas emissions scenarios (which are reductions below current emissions) and the impacts on global systems such as arctic ice melt and collapsing Gulf Stream. Scientists at Rutgers University have used that data to model the impact on New Jersey with a high degree of confidence. Scientists agree that there is an 83% chance that New Jersey will experience AT LEAST five feet of sea level rise by 2100.

WHERE: The NJPACT REAL rules will protect lives and property in tidally influenced areas  by requiring that NEW (not existing) development and redevelopment be constructed above the five feet sea level rise increase. Inland areas, aka non-tidally influence freshwater areas of New Jersey, are protected by the NJPACT rules adopted in 2023. People and businesses that live in coastal areas deserve the same protection for their families and their property.

WHEN: The NJPACT REAL rules were proposed and opened to public comment on August 5, 2024. The rules have gone through years of stakeholder input with more than 20 meetings of businesses, non-profits, scientists, community members, and more providing input. The rules have been through extensive scientific and legal review. Public comment is now closed. Governor Murphy has until August 4, 2025 to adopt NJPACT REAL or the rule proposal expires.

HOW: You can find out more at:

Op/Ed by Jennifer Coffey, ANJEC Executive Director: https://www.nj.com/opinion/2025/05/the-outrageous-ignorance-of-njs-climate-skeptic-lawmakers-puts-us-at-risk-opinion.html

NJDEP short videos on the TRUTH about REAL and fact v. fiction: https://dep.nj.gov/njreal/

NJDEP webinars: https://dep.nj.gov/njreal/webinars/

We encourage you to speak out for NJ’s Environment by contacting your elected representatives in the New Jersey Assembly and Senate on pertinent bills.

Find the NJ legislators that represent your town

 

FOOD WASTE REDUCTION ACTION NEEDED

Does your Environmental Commission support municipal food waste/compost recycling programs?  Your EC can help by urging your municipality to pass a resolution to have the NJ State Legislature pass and enact two legislative bills: (S2426/A2090) which calls for county-level food waste reduction planning and tiered permitting for composting operations; and (S1040/A2102) which allows for on-site composting in community gardens without excessive regulatory barriers.

A model resolution can be found HERE. 

 

Help Reduce Plastic Pollution

Support the Packaging Product Stewardship Act and pass Skip The Stuff laws.

See our list of model ordinances here

Have your municipality pass a resolution to support the Packaging Produce Stewardship Act –

Sample Resolution

 

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