Limiting single-use plastics is just one target in the Murphy administration’s environmental goals. Gov. Phil Murphy also pledged to slash New Jersey’s greenhouse-gas emissions by 50% by 2030 — one of the most ambitious state goals in the nation. But Empower NJ, a coalition of more than 135 groups opposed to fossil fuel projects, is accusing the administration of paying lip service.
In a new report, Empower NJ says greenhouse-gas emissions have increased nearly 20% due to projects approved by the governor over the last four years. And it says that several pending fossil fuel projects will not only derail the climate goals but raise emissions significantly if approved and completed.
In response to the EmpowerNJ report, Murphy’s office told NJ Spotlight News the governor remains committed to meeting his lofty clean-energy goals.
“Over the last four years, the Governor has turned New Jersey into a leader in renewable energy with the ongoing development of the New Jersey Wind Port, the prioritization of New Jersey’s first utility-scale offshore wind farms, and extremely successful electric vehicle and solar incentive programs,” Alyana Alfaro Post, Murphy’s press secretary, said in a statement. “Governor Murphy’s FY2023 budget proposal continues to prioritize fighting climate change, with a $30 million investment in electrifying the state’s vehicle fleet by 2035, as well as millions in funding for first-in-the-nation climate change education standards.”
Anjuli Ramos-Busot, New Jersey director for the Sierra Club and member of Empower NJ, discusses the report.
