New Jersey’s Interagency Council on Climate Resilience is developing a series of plans outlining how the state’s agencies will incorporate climate resilience into their policies, programs, and regulations. The series of documents, known as Resilience Action Plans, will build on the Statewide Climate Change Resilience Strategy released in 2021 and provide more detail on how the strategy’s recommendations are being implemented.
The state plans to develop one to two Resilience Action Plans per year, each focusing on a specific climate threat. Twenty-two state agencies will collaboratively develop the plans with guidance and feedback from subject matter experts and stakeholders. The Interagency Council has developed guidance and templates for agencies to follow to ensure that sufficient detail is provided across each action in the Resilience Action Plans. This guidance includes certain considerations that span several topics and actions, including environmental justice and equity, funding, research needs, and interagency coordination.
The first Resilience Action Plan, to be released later this year, will focus on state agency efforts to address increasing extreme heat events resulting from climate change. The state seeks public feedback through March 17 on extreme heat priorities and concerns, as well as a scoping document that addresses the Resilience Action Plan’s purpose, development process and content.
The Resilience Action Plan initiative and scoping document will be presented at a webinar on February 9, with a second webinar on March 2 seeking public input on potential extreme heat issues. If your state is interested in the webinars, see here.
