The State We're In

Sep 12, 2025

By Alison Mitchell, Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation

Shouldn’t a clean and healthy environment be a guaranteed right, as essential as the right to free speech or voting?

That’s the idea behind the Green Amendment – a proposed addition to New Jersey’s state constitution that would guarantee every resident the right to pure water, clean air, a stable climate, and a healthy environment.

The state constitution is a powerful document that belongs to the people of New Jersey. Just like the U.S. Constitution sets the supreme law of the land at the federal level, New Jersey’s state constitution is the highest legal authority within the state. It’s like the rulebook for all other laws and policies in New Jersey.

New Jersey was the first state in the modern era to propose a Green Amendment back in 2014, but it has yet to become law. Despite repeated hearings and majority votes in committees, legislative leaders have repeatedly blocked the amendment from progressing.

Pennsylvania, New York, and Montana all have versions of the Green Amendment in place, and there are proposals under consideration in another 20 states.

How might a Green Amendment change things? In Pennsylvania, a toxic site was left unaddressed for over 30 years, despite three corporations being responsible for its cleanup, until advocates invoked the Green Amendment there. A legal action was brought against the State, challenging its inaction as an unconstitutional violation of residents’ rights to clean water and a healthy environment. The court ultimately compelled the State to take action, prompting a cleanup effort that is now underway.

In a landmark lawsuit in Montana, 16 young people challenged a state law barring government officials from considering climate impacts when making decisions impacting the public. The court ruled in favor of the young plaintiffs, finding that the state law violated Montana’s Constitution and clarifying that officials must analyze impacts of greenhouse gas emissions going forward. It’s the first time a Green Amendment was used to protect the people from the impacts of climate change.

Passing the Green Amendment in this State We’re In requires a vote in both houses of the legislature. Then it goes to the voters as a statewide ballot question. Maya van Rossum is the founder of Green Amendments For The Generations, an organization leading the effort, and the head of the nonprofit Delaware Riverkeeper Network. She emphasizes that, at the end of the day, “it’s not up to legislators whether or not to amend the state constitution. It is up to the people to decide.”

One powerful way to urge the legislature to get the ball rolling again is by passing municipal resolutions – official statements passed by town or city councils – that declare support for enshrining the right to a clean and healthy environment in the state constitution.

These local resolutions don’t themselves change state law, but they send a strong message to elected officials that environmental rights are a priority. Proposing a municipal resolution in your community is a step that any resident can take to help advance the Green Amendment!

Ask your local officials to pass a Green Amendment resolution! Start by reaching out to a member of your town council or municipal committee through email, a phone call, or public comment at a meeting to share why the Green Amendment matters to you and ask them to consider adopting a resolution.

“This is a grassroots movement,” says Shaelyn Parker, Environmental Rights Advocacy Associate for Green Amendments For The Generations. Green Amendments For The Generations can guide you through the process and help amplify your voice. Visit their site for resources, hands-on training, and support at https://forthegenerations.org/.

To learn more about how you can help preserve New Jersey’s natural resources, visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation at www.njconservation.org or reach out to us at info@njconservation.org.