New Jersey to become first state to require building contractors to consider climate change impact

New Jersey will become the first state in the U.S. to require builders to consider the impact of climate change in order to gain project approval.

The governor said the state will not sign off on a proposed building project if it does not align with broader efforts to combat climate change. A non-compliant plan would have to be amended or it would not be approved.

Murphy’s plan employs seven key strategies for emissions cuts. These include expanding use of electric vehicles, accelerating the growth of the state’s renewable energy sector, strengthening energy efficiency standards, and expanding the clean energy economy.

The governor also signed a new executive order for new regulatory reforms to make the Garden State more resilient to future climate change impacts. Among them: Reform land use rules to further reduce development in flood-prone areas and to restore wetlands.

New York City has two very large buildings dedicated to answering the 911 calls of its five boroughs. With more than 11 million emergency calls annually, it makes perfect sense. The second of these buildings, the Public Safety Answering Center II (PSAC II) is located on a nine-acre parcel of land in the Bronx. It’s an imposing 450,000 square-foot structure—a 240-foot-wide by 240-foot-tall cube. The gleaming aluminum cube risesthe equivalent of 24 stories from behind a grassy berm, projecting the unlikely impression that it might actually be floating. Like most visually striking structures, the building has drawn as much scorn as it has admiration.