A Call to Action
Two New Jersey candidates, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla and Jersey City activist Katie Brennan, are urging state lawmakers to pass the New Jersey Climate Superfund Act. This legislation aims to make fossil fuel companies financially accountable for the climate crisis they have contributed to.
Bhalla, who is running for the 32nd Legislative District, emphasized the importance of taking swift action. “We must act now,” he said. “With President Trump taking funding away from climate action, securing the funding this legislation will provide must be a high priority.”
Brennan, who is also running for the 32nd Legislative District, pointed out that climate change is having devastating effects on communities like Jersey City and Hoboken. “Climate change is a major threat to our communities, and the costs are already hitting us hard,” she said.
A History of Climate Action in N.J.
Hoboken was the first city in New Jersey to file a lawsuit against Big Oil, seeking to make these large fossil fuel corporations financially accountable for the climate crisis they are responsible for creating.
The city joined at least 19 other cities in September 2020 in filing similar lawsuits against ExxonMobil and other major oil companies.
The State of New Jersey had previously filed a similar claim, but it was dismissed in February.
What the Climate Superfund Act Does
The Climate Superfund Act (S3545/A4696) would enable the state to charge fossil fuel companies for their fair share of the costs associated with climate change.
These compensatory payments would be used to fund essential climate change adaptation and resiliency projects.
“This legislation is about fairness and common sense: the same fossil fuel companies that caused this crisis should help pay to protect us from it,” Brennan said.
Support for the Climate Superfund Act
The Climate Superfund Act has garnered widespread support across New Jersey, with 32 legislative cosponsors and endorsements from 12 municipalities statewide, including Hoboken and Jersey City.
Major advocacy organizations, including Food & Water Watch, New Jersey Sierra Club, and Climate Revolution Action Network, have all rallied behind the legislation.
“We can’t afford to wait,” Brennan said.
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