Climate change has arrived in the Garden State in the form of extreme heat, frequent heavy precipitation, and increased wildfire risk. Nowhere has the magnitude of accelerating climate impact been clearer than during Hurricane Sandy, when the state faced lasting major damage to critical infrastructure like roads, buildings, and energy systems that make New Jersey a linchpin of the northeast regional economy.

Safeguarding New Jersey against the future effects of climate change will require significant, coordinated investments in key infrastructure upgrades across the state’s varied economic sectors, including in energy and electricity, public and private buildings, water systems, roadways, and waste processing. All of these projects have the potential to generate significant in-state jobs. When these jobs are paired with a guarantee to generate high-quality, family sustaining, union careers, New Jersey has the chance to turn the economic risk posed by the climate crisis into a true economic opportunity to uplift working class people and build a resilient, thriving state.

As federal commitment to climate action dwindles, the Garden State must lead on pursuing a vision that not only makes the state safer for its residents, but also more affordable, healthy, and prosperous for all workers. The following report outlines a number of key policy pathways that would not only tackle the state’s climate responsibilities, but also generate high-quality jobs for New Jersey’s unions and workforce to create a more resilient future for New Jersey.