Activists rally at New Jersey State House for climate recovery bill

From Camden and Cherry Hill to Trenton and the Jersey Shore, what about life in New Jersey do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know.

Climate activists rallied outside the New Jersey State House on Thursday as lawmakers returned from summer recess, urging them to pass legislation that would require fossil fuel companies to help fund the state’s climate recovery efforts.

The rally follows a summer when New Jersey saw heavy rain, flash flooding and a heat wave that killed 29 people. In the wake of federal environmental rollbacks, organizers emphasized the need for the state government to ensure funding to fight climate change and rebuild from climate-related disasters.

“[The Federal Emergency Management Agency] has been dismantled, and the [Environmental Protection Agency] has been pretty much stripped down to the bones,” said Chris Sotiro, executive director for Climate Revolution Action Network. “New Jersey as it stands doesn’t have a dedicated funding source for climate resilience in our state budget. We desperately need to figure out something quick or else a lot of communities are going to continue facing problems.”

Climate change has already cost the state billions. From 2011 to 2014, the state experienced 14 disasters that cost taxpayers $7.9 billion, according to Rebuild by Design. A 2025 state report also warned that climate change threatens infrastructure, housing markets and the tourism industry.

The “Polluters Pay to Make New Jersey More Affordable Act” would apply to companies that have contributed more than 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases globally since 1995 and operated or sold fossil fuels in New Jersey. The bill aims to raise $50 billion for infrastructure and grid updates, flood protection projects and preventative health care programs.