New Jersey Resources announced a milestone five-year funding commitment of $560,000 from its charitable foundation to advance local environmental improvements in partnership with New Jersey Audubon on Wednesday.
The gift was made possible through NJR’s 2023 pledge to commit $2 million over five years through its charities, which support the work of its Coastal Climate Initiative on natural resources and environmental stewardship in the communities it serves.
The $560,000 in funding will support New Jersey Audubon’s efforts to preserve, restore and enhance the habitats and resiliency of the Hovnanian Sanctuary in Berkeley Township, Ocean County, part of the Pinelands National Reserve.
The announcement was one of the highlights of the company’s 2023 Corporate Sustainability Report highlighting the company’s progress on environmental, social & governance priorities and its sustainability agenda.
NJR CEO Steve Westhoven said the commitment to ESG matches the mission of the community.
“NJR’s milestone funding commitment and partnership with New Jersey Audubon punctuates our progress on sustainability issues,” he said. “Working together on this project helps restore an important local ecosystem, improving resiliency and sustainability in our communities for generations to come. Through commitments like this and our Coastal Climate Initiative, NJR is leading on environmental stewardship in our state.”
NJR’s charitable gift will help support:
- Restoration and enhancement of over 100 acres of upland forest in part to reduce the risk of wildfire to local communities and residents, improve water quality and enhance the climate resiliency of the forest;
- Enhancement and restoration of an additional 15-plus acres of Atlantic white cedar forest to help reverse the decline of this critical natural resource in the Barnegat Bay watershed that provides important ecological and weather resilience benefits to coastal areas; and
- Development of new and improved recreational opportunities for the area’s residents and visitors, including five miles of walking trails, public access points, mapping and signage.
Alex Ireland, CEO of New Jersey Audubon, obviously was pleased by the gesture.
“New Jersey Resources shares our commitment to the responsible and proactive stewardship of our environment, understanding these efforts result in stronger, more resilient communities,” he said.
“Working together under this partnership agreement, NJR and New Jersey Audubon are building a more sustainable future for New Jersey wildlife. The critical funding provided by NJR will help restore and preserve environmentally sensitive areas in the Pinelands National Reserve, with a focus on climate resiliency, water improvements and wildlife habitat restoration. We appreciate NJR’s continued commitment to these efforts through its Coastal Climate Initiative, enabling environmental stewardship in fragile ecosystems where attention is most needed.”
NJR’s fiscal 2023 Corporate Sustainability Report details progress on its sustainability agenda spanning environmental, social & governance initiatives — including emission reduction goals and decarbonization priorities — across the company.
Highlights within NJR’s 2023 Corporate Sustainability Report include:
- Completed North America’s largest capped landfill solar array and largest floating solar array — both located in New Jersey — solidifying NJR Clean Energy Ventures’ national leadership in innovative renewable energy;
- Achieved the highest single-year investment of $59 million in NJNG’s energy-efficiency programs — cutting carbon emissions by helping customers reduce their energy consumption;
- Continued to advance cutting-edge, lower-carbon energy solutions, including carbon capture technology and high-efficiency gas heat pumps in NJR’s own facilities;
- Engaged in dynamic partnerships with leading academic and industry research organizations to support our emissions reduction and innovation efforts, including:
GTI Energy’s Emerging Technology and Net Zero Infrastructure Programs; Stanford University’s Natural Gas Initiative at its Doerr School of Sustainability and Precourt Institute of Energy; Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; and Our Nation’s Energy Future (ONE Future); - Named one of America’s Most Responsible Companies by Newsweek for the fifth consecutive year — one of only 156 companies nationwide to be recognized every year since 2020; and
- Provided approximately 4,000 hours of volunteer service — nearly double the amount of the previous year.
The company also engaged in dynamic partnerships with leading academic and industry research organizations to support emissions reduction and innovation efforts, including:
- GTI Energy’s Emerging Technology and Net Zero Infrastructure programs;
- Stanford University’s Natural Gas Initiative at its Doerr School of Sustainability and Precourt Institute of Energy;
- Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment;
- Our Nation’s Energy Future (ONE Future).
Westhoven was thrilled by the report.
“New Jersey Resources is committed to delivering results for our stakeholders and leading with action on our sustainability initiatives,” he said. “Our company continues to drive cleaner energy innovation forward, while making a difference in the communities we serve.”
