Preparing New Jersey for Climate Change:
A Workshop for Decision Makers

Hosted by the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
November 29, 2011

The invitation-only workshop—organized by Clean Air-Cool Planet in partnership with Rutgers University—convened practitioners in the State of New Jersey for one day to better understand the risks and economic impacts to New Jersey from climate change, and served as a forum for participants to begin a dialogue on how to most effectively prepare for climate impacts on:

• New Jersey's built infrastructure;
• Public health, including impacts on vulnerable populations;
• Coastal and water-adjacent communities; and
• Agriculture and natural resources.

"Preparing New Jersey for Climate Change: A Workshop for Decision Makers" served to increase awareness of climate change impacts and issues. Building upon the workshop will mean creating a network for information exchange, best practice development, and public communications related to climate change adaptation and preparedness in New Jersey.  We look forward to bringing practitioners together in the future and, with our experts, beginning to plan concrete next steps for the benefit of New Jersey and local communities.

View full proceedings of the workshop here.

For further information please contact Roger Stephenson, rstephenson@cleanair-coolplanet.org, 603-570-7504; Jeanne Herb, jherb@ejb.rutgers.edu, 732-932-4101 ext. 677; or Marjorie Kaplan, kaplan@envsci.rutgers.edu, 732-932-9800 ext. 6231.

Background Resources

Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability (Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007)

New Jersey Climate Impacts Assessment (Union of Concerned Scientists)

Preparing for a Changing Climate: A Northeast Focused Needs Assessment (Clean Air-Cool Planet)

Thirsty for Answers (Natural Resources Defense Council)

Climate Change in New Jersey (a presentation by Dr. David Robinson, NJ State Climatologist)

Water Policy and Climate Change (New Jersey Clean Water Council Report)  

CEQ Climate Change Adaptation Task Force 

NOAA Coastal Climate Adaptation  Resources

Adapting to Climate Change: A Planning Guide for State Coastal Managers (NOAA)

US EPA State and Local Impacts and Adaptation Resource

US DOT’s Transportation and Climate Change Clearinghouse on Adaptation

US DOI Climate Change Adaptation

Preparing for Climate Change: A Guidebook for Local, Regional and State Governments (written by the Center for Science in the Earth System [The Climate Impacts Group] Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean University of Washington and King County, Washington in association with ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability) 

Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange

Helping Communities Adapt to Climate Change (Georgetown Climate Center)

The Rutgers Climate and Environmental Change Initiative