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About New Jersey Natural Gas
This is NJNG’s third year participating in the Green Teams program. Their company’s mission is to “promote increased emphasis on personal energy awareness and sustainable energy behaviors.” NJNG aims to promote a more responsible use of energy as well as working together to create a positive change
Deliverables
- Summary of ideas from the brainstorming session (NJNG and Interfaith Neighbors would decide on which strategies to pursue at this time)
- Drafted a framework for strategies to be implemented (e.g. responsibility, lead time, budget)
- Event planning
- Provided feedback on any quick hit strategies that might be implemented this summer, including recommendations for any future events
- Generated a map highlighting overburdened communities within the territories that New Jersey Natural Gas serves
About NNJCF
The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF), a nonprofit, 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt organization, with the mission to improve community life through its work in education, public health, the arts, the environment, civic engagement, and philanthropy. Central to its success is fostering collaboration among local governments, school districts, businesses, non-profits, and community groups.
Deliverables
- Compiled and analyze existing data sets related to fluvial and tidal surge river flow.
- Analyzed how rain gardens and rain barrels could decrease runoff flow rates.
- Model estimated flood depths near the USGS gages at New Milford, Oradell, and Hackensack.
- Developed infographics describing the environmental and flooding impacts of stormwater runoff.
- Created fact sheets for municipalities and residents to initiate action, particularly collaborative efforts.
- Developed public education materials promoting the benefits of rain barrels and rain gardens including information on native plants and organic gardening for residents living within the river’s floodplain to help decrease runoff and benefit water quality.
- Generated a report containing data-driven recommendations for future flood preparedness and effectiveness of rain barrels, rain gardens, etc.
- Created a timeline of recommended actions and potential results of implementation.
- Contributed to the design of a small demonstration rain garden at the boat launch site with signage for plants.
About The Trust for Public Land
“The Trust for Public Land was founded in 1972 by a diverse coalition that believed all people need and deserve access to nature and the outdoors, close to home, in the cities and communities where they live, as a matter of health, equity, and justice. While many conservation organizations set aside wildlands for biodiversity or habitat restoration, The Trust for Public Land’s founders sought to bring the benefits of parks and nature to the places, people, and communities that needed them most” (www.tpl.org).
Deliverables
- Conduct Research and Create a Database on existing national and international participatory / interactive / nature play exhibits at parks, playgrounds, museums, environmental education centers, arboretums, botanical gardens, zoos, aquariums, etc.
- Conduct impact evaluation and identify existing research on these sites
- Develop a library of images on the existing programs identified
- Identify Prospective Partners
- Develop a contact database for these prospective partners
- Engage with exhibit designer partners and community stakeholders to develop potential questions the exhibit(s) can explore
- Engage and collect data or information/preferences from potential users
- Conduct in-person and online surveys
- Conduct interviews
- Focus groups
- Map and Assess Assets and Access Barriers
- Mapping of neighborhood assets:
- Physical features (viewsheds, safety needs, physical accessibility, topography)
- Social and cultural resources
- Connectivity of site to local neighborhoods through identification and mapping of common pedestrian travel routes
- Map of STEM learning resources in the area / STEM learning ecosystem – the experience begins before reaching the park
- Co-plan meetings that would take place with partners (initial project introduction through ideation)
- Develop a list of possible exhibits both site-specific and not site-specific
- Advance one possible exhibit to concept sketch
About New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition
The New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition (NJBWC) was founded in 2009 and “is the only state-wide advocacy organization for bicyclists and pedestrians” (njbwc.org/about/). The NJBWC is a collective voice for everyone who believes that a safer, more rideable and walkable New Jersey means a more livable, sustainable New Jersey.
Deliverables
- Students will assist New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition to prepare for a community outreach phase of the Essex Hudson Greenway project by: collecting data, conducting analyses, and developing related maps at a fine scale, building from recent high-level, course resolution studies conducted for sites along the Essex Hudson Greenway. These deliverables include the following:
- Conducted research and develop an analysis of the demographics, transportation preferences, and open space options and uses by communities adjacent to the proposed Essex Hudson Greenway focusing on three locations:
- Bloomfield corridor / rail line – a suburban neighborhood
- Northern Newark – an urban and commercial region near the Passaic River
- Kearny Marsh and Saw Mill area – a freshwater marsh with floating island technology in an area where the Keagan Landfill is closing and there will be new open access to wildlife area
- The above analyses should determine how best to incorporate the cultural and community identity into the Essex Hudson Greenway project development, and barriers to outreach and recommendations to remove them.
- Developed and reported on strategies for outreach.
- Presented and created a report with overall recommendations for engaging communities and developing aspects of the Essex Hudson Greenway that align with the cultural identities and social and economic needs and preferences.
- Conducted research and develop an analysis of the demographics, transportation preferences, and open space options and uses by communities adjacent to the proposed Essex Hudson Greenway focusing on three locations:
About NJTransit
NJ TRANSIT is New Jersey’s public transportation corporation. Covering a service area of 5,325 square miles, NJ TRANSIT is the nation’s third largest provider of bus, rail and light rail transit, linking major points in New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia” (www.njtransit.com). This is NJ TRANSIT’s second year participating with the Green Teams.
Deliverables
- Built a marketing campaign that demonstrates the environmental benefits of NJ TRANSIT and how to best communicate and visualize emissions savings and other benefits
- Developed visuals, slogans, and other media to promote the environmental benefits of NJ TRANSIT and sustainability at NJ TRANSIT.
- Told NJ Transit what information/framework they would need to provide to their IT department and app development partner to be able to implement an emissions savings calculator that showed the standard rider what their carbon emissions savings looks like versus a single passenger vehicle when you buy a ticket for a bus, light rail, or rail trip. NJ Transit wants this built into their existing NJ Transit app.
About AvalonBay Communities
The first hosting organization, AvalonBay Communities, has a long-term track record of developing, redeveloping, acquiring and managing distinctive apartment homes in some of the best U.S. markets, and delivering outsized, risk-adjusted returns to shareholders. With equal parts experience and vision, they’ve established a leadership position rooted in building value for the long term.
Deliverables
- Reporting:
- SEC / EU Taxonomy / TNFD
- Help map against frameworks listed above
- SEC / EU Taxonomy / TNFD
- Green Building:
- Embodied Carbon
- Help define embodied carbon goal based on competitors and industry organizations (CLF, WorldGBC, Architecture 2030, etc.)
- What are our competitors achieving / what goals are they setting
- Water Goals
- Provide consumption reduction opportunities outside of what has been completed
- Assist in developing path for meeting consumption-based water goal
- Biophilia/Biodiversity
- Competitor analysis / best in class approach
- Material Health
- Competitor analysis / best in class approach
- Embodied Carbon
- Resident Energy
- Green Energy options for Residents
- Provide lists of the programs/utilities that allow residents to purchase green energy directly
- Water Risk
- Current Climate Risk Assessment / WRI comparison
- Compare the 2 different risk overlays for similarities and differences to determine gaps or flaws in our current assessment
About Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center
The RWJ Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center is committed to the ongoing improvement of the health, quality of life, and vitality of communities. They strive to bring the best healthcare to meet the evolving needs of residents in New Jersey. RWJ Barnabas Health is advancing innovative strategies in high-quality patient care, education and research to address both the clinical and social determinants of health.
Deliverables
- Developed a baseline environmental assessment of specific areas within the medical center to inform sustainability strategies/practices.
- Developed inventory of types of environmental data available and source locations.
- Examined availability of emissions data.
- Develop a gap analysis for areas that data should be gathered in the future, with the intention of submitting to Practice Greenhealth.
- Conducted a competitor analysis.
- Outlined and began drafting a sustainability report.
About New Jersey Resources
New Jersey Resources (NJR) is a Fortune 1000 company that provides natural gas and clean energy services, including transportation, distribution, asset management and home services. With its demonstrated leadership as a premier energy infrastructure and environmentally-forward thinking company, NJR is committed to meeting customers’ expectations for safe, reliable service; delivering value for our shareowners; strengthening our communities and supporting a transition to a clean energy future.
Deliverables
- Identified small-scale renewable natural gas (RNG) projects in New Jersey through wastewater treatment facilities and food waste anaerobic digestion.
- Developed a model to assess costs and environmental benefits based on the variety of RNG/H2 processing methods.
- Researched Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), Renewable Thermal Credit (RTC), and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) markets
- Conducted a policy analysis which consolidates information on a number of policies that NJR could draw on to make low carbon fuels more financially feasible for utilities in New Jersey.
About Weeks Marine Inc.
A proven leader in maritime construction, Weeks has successfully completed projects throughout North and South America, from inland waterways to off-shore sites in the Pacific and the Atlantic. Weeks has three key divisions—Construction, Dredging and Marine Services.
Deliverables
- Collected data and made a database of the company’s current generator inventory
- Used the created database to calculate the company’s current carbon footprint
- Researched and proposed other equipment and technology that the company could utilize in order to help reduce their carbon footprint
About PSEG
Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (PSEG) is a diversified energy company headquartered in Newark, New Jersey. Established in 1903, the company has long had a key role in fueling New Jersey’s economy and supporting the state’s quality of life. This is PSEG’s seventh consecutive year participating with the Green Teams.
Deliverables
- Conduct research and provide recommendations for carbon offsetting to better inform stakeholders about the benefits of using carbon offsetting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Compile and report on PSEG’s efforts to support biodiversity, develop KPIs to address IUCN and requirements for other biodiversity frameworks, include information about bees