For Immediate Release:
August 28, 2008
County going green!
Planning Board to address greenhouse gas emissions
A committee will be created to explore ways county can reduce energy
FREEHOLD – Monmouth County is going green!
In an effort to explore ways in which Monmouth County can lessen the carbon footprint it leaves on the world, the Board of Chosen Freeholders has directed the Planning Board to create an advisory committee comprising government, business and science professionals.
“Counties can play a unique role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions because of their regional perspective in transportation planning, water conservation and wastewater and solid waste management,” Freeholder John D’Amico Jr. said. “Monmouth County needs to address this important issue and take steps to promote energy efficiency.”
The resolution designating the Planning Board as the lead agency in the county’s go-green effort comes in the midst of a series of popular environmental lunch seminars hosted by D’Amico and Freeholder Barbara J. McMorrow. These monthly meetings are designed to share with municipal leaders and other agencies in the county ways in which they can reduce energy and associated costs.
“Cities and counties across the country are implementing green technologies – from installing proper lighting to buying hybrid vehicles or incorporating LEED technology into their building plans,” McMorrow said. “It is important that we collect and share this information with representatives in our municipalities, who otherwise might not learn about it. The luncheons have been very successful.”
LEED is an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable (green) buildings.
New Jersey has mandated a statewide reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, which amounts to a 20 percent reduction, followed by a further reduction of emissions to 80 percent below 2006 levels by 2050.
“The economic arguments for implementing climate stabilization solutions are compelling, from near-term gains of energy efficiency to long-term climate protection initiatives,” D’Amico said. “It all adds up to reducing the impact of greenhouse house emissions.”
Many governmental agencies throughout the country are working toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions through cooperative, bipartisan efforts with municipalities and state agencies to develop and implement programs that result in economic and quality-of-life benefits.
These include reducing energy bills, exploring alternative sources of energy, preserving open space and farmland, implementing better land use policies, promoting waste-to-energy programs, promoting the incorporation of LEED certification in construction, and fostering more economic development and job creation through energy conservation and new technologies.
The Planning Board’s advisory committee will produce a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan that will include the following tasks:
- create an inventory of the county’s operational greenhouse gas emissions;
- develop a plan for the implementation of policies, programs and operations to achieve significant, measurable and sustainable reductions of those operation greenhouse gas emissions;
- recommend steps to achieve New Jersey’s climate stabilization goals that promote energy efficiency in county facilities;
- recommend steps for municipalities to consider when planning for reduced emissions and increased energy efficiency; and
- work closely with local, state and federal governments and other stakeholders to share ideas and promote New Jersey’s climate stabilization goals.
“I think this is a very significant step for Monmouth County,” D’Amico said. “Through this initiative, the Planning Board and other county departments and agencies will be able to quantify the county’s greenhouse gas emission levels and begin to address ways to reduce them.”
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