Sustainable Jersey is a certification program for municipalities in New Jersey that want to go green, control costs and save money, and take steps to sustain their quality of life over the long term. The innovative new program is an initiative of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities’ Mayors’ Committee for a Green Future, the Municipal Land Use Center at the College of New Jersey, the New Jersey Sustainable State Institute at Rutgers University, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the Rutgers Center for Green Building, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, and a coalition of New Jersey non-profits, state agencies, and experts in the field.

New Jersey is one of the first states in the nation to have a municipal certification program for sustainability. Sustainable Jersey identifies actions that define what communities must achieve. It provides tools and guidance to enable communities to make progress and links incentives for municipalities that are making progress toward the actions.

"There is more direct accountability when municipalities are involved. So much environmental degradation is caused by individual actions, from the cars we drive to the food we eat," said Fred Profeta, Chair of the Mayors Committee for a Green Future (MCGF). "As Sustainable Jersey reaches the 566 municipalities in New Jersey, these towns provide direct access to inspire and educate residents, businesses and everyday folk that need to hear the message." The mayors on the MCGF have been speaking at green conferences, local fairs and town councils to rally the troops. With 36 speaking appearances in two months, this group’s dedication is clear.

The 43 actions of the Sustainable Jersey program are ambitious, covering areas such as energy and efficiency, health and wellness, land use and transportation, waste reduction, local economies, natural resources, diversity and equity, to name a few. The program is in line with other statewide goals, for example, it should help achieve Governor Corzine’s order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 20% by 2020. Fifty percent of the Sustainable Jersey actions that municipalities would do to become certified primarily impact energy and global warming.

To learn more about the Sustainable Jersey certification visit Sustainable Jersey's website.