A Guidance Document for Advancing Environmental Justice Across State Government directs executive branch departments and agencies to apply the principles of environmental justice to their operations, participate in the newly-formed Environmental Justice Inter-Agency Council and create assessments and action plans to improve the agencies’ effects on environmental justice communities.

DEP will release a report that assess how the department currently achieves environmental justice and what EJ gaps exist. The initial assessment report will give way for an action plan detailing next steps for EJ implementation.

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View DEP’s completed projects that further environmental justice.

New Jersey Protecting Against Climate Threats (PACT) is a targeted regulatory reform effort to update air quality and environmental land use regulations to enable governments, businesses and residents to effectively respond to current climate threats and reduce future climate damages.

Executive Order No. 89 appointed a Chief Resilience Officer and established a Climate and Flood Resilience Program within DEP. It also establishes an Interagency Council on Climate Resilience to develop a Statewide Climate Change Resilience Strategy to promote long-term climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience in New Jersey.

To protect municipalities from flooding, New Jersey is working to build a comprehensive system of flood hazard risk reduction measures.

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is part of Governor Murphy’s goal to achieve 100% clean energy by 2050. Shifting to clean and renewable energy sources reduces greenhouse gas emissions that are already causing climate impacts in New Jersey, particularly in economically disadvantaged communities.

Resources on water suppliers to consumers, private well owners and schools, and public water systems; and rules on lead.

The Department is committed to working with Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) permittees and CSO communities to reduce or eliminate CSOs. The individual CSO permits encourage collaboration on projects that will provide urban redevelopment opportunities, improve water quality, beautify neighborhoods, and improve the overall quality of life in our urban communities.

Urban & Community Forestry programs ensure more livable communities through the care and management of trees. Neglect and urban stress limit the life span of the average downtown tree to only ten years. With proper care, trees live longer, look better, and increase in value as they age.