Article by Gregory Lawrence and Grace C. Wung
The Act establishes New Jersey as a leading state addressing global warming.
Earlier this month, New Jersey Governor Corzine signed "The Global Warming Response Act" (the Act) making New Jersey the state with one of the strictest emissions reduction laws to date. The Act requires greenhouse gas emission (GHG) levels for the state to be reduced to 1990 levels by the year 2020 (a 16 percent reduction), and further requires that emission levels not exceed 80 percent of 2006 levels by 2050. The Act tasks the state Department of Environmental Protection (the department) with establishing an inventory of the 1990, 2006 and current statewide GHG emissions and requires the department to adopt a GHG emissions monitoring and reporting program by January 1, 2009. GHG emissions to be inventoried and capped include carbon dioxide (CO2) methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, hydroflurocarbons and polyflurochemicals (such as those found in
