National newspaper outlets and nonprofits alike have praised Hoboken for its strong climate initiatives. Under the leadership of Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla, the city has developed a robust Climate Action Plan, held a climate stocktake, and built infrastructure designed to combat storm damages.
Bhalla established the Hoboken Climate Action Plan (CAP) in 2019, one year after taking office. It determined a baseline carbon footprint for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and identified clear goals for the city to work towards for reduction. The most ambitious targets set Hoboken to be net zero by 2030 and carbon neutral by 2050. Net zero refers to producing or purchasing at least as much renewable electricity as is consumed. Carbon neutral means that the city will reduce or offset all of its carbon footprint. To achieve each goal, CAP proposes many actions to improve Hoboken’s collective carbon footprint, ranging from phasing in Compressed Natural Gas buses into the bus service fleet to using anaerobic digester technology to convert wastewater into biogas that could generate electricity.
Flash forward to November 2023: The New York Times recognizes and applauds Hoboken for its climate incentives. However, instead of focusing on the holistic efforts undertaken by the city, they concentrated on its resistance to storm damage, especially compared to our sister city across the Hudson — a pertinent conversation after the metro area observed the wettest day on record in 2023. The key to Hoboken’s preparedness lies in two often overlooked sections in the CPA. The first addresses the Rebuild by Design initiative. After Hurricane Sandy, the Department of Housing and Urban Development created a Rebuild by Design competition for locally contextual solutions to increase resilience in affected regions and awarded grant money to implement winning ideas. New Jersey received compensation for their proposal for the Hudson River Project: Resist, Delay, Store, Discharge. The project was a flood risk reduction strategy that spanned Hoboken and some parts of Jersey City. The first phase, an upgrade for the sewer system, was already completed.
The second section expanded upon the Rebuild by Design project by reporting Hoboken’s plan to use resiliency parks to combat stormwater flooding. A resiliency park is a park designed to withstand and recover from natural disasters. The city invested in three parks fitted with underground collection ponds and pumps, allowing them to store water during a storm effectively. One new park, ResilenCity Park, stands firm at 12th and Madison as the largest resiliency park in New Jersey, featuring a size larger than five acres and the ability to detain two million gallons of water. It employs a flood pump that can transport thirty million gallons of water daily to the Hudson River.
Recently, Hoboken hosted its first Climate Stocktake & mini-COP to evaluate the city’s environmental initiatives. COP stands for Conference of the Parties, referring to the 197 nations that agreed to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992. Following their agreement, these nations meet annually to discuss how to address climate change. Similarly, Bhalla convened almost fifty stakeholders to identify weaknesses in the Climate Action Plan and potential updates. Attendees varied from representatives of academic institutions, volunteer organizations, and business leaders. City planners will analyze feedback to help guide future policies and local projects. The collaborative event will also help Hoboken representatives better prepare to participate in the Dubai-hosted COP28 United Nations climate talks, starting on November 30.
As a result of the city’s expansive climate efforts, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) labeled Hoboken as an A List City, the top score offered to only 119 global cities in 2023. To put into perspective, Hoboken has undertaken around four times as many climate initiatives as non-A List cities. The CDP is an international non-profit that collectively works with financial institutions with $136 trillion in assets, providing an environmental disclosure system for companies.
You do not have to be a massive multinational organization to appreciate the high environmental standards that Hoboken is holding itself to. The national attention is a testament to the skilled leadership of Mayor Bhalla, the dedication of city planners, and the supportive community that collectively strives to make Hoboken a beacon of climate action. Every small step we take towards sustainable living echoes Hoboken’s initiatives, helping us inch closer to combating climate change.
