EWING, NJ … The College of New Jersey announced that the Economic Development Association of New Jersey (EDANJ) selected Sustainable Jersey as the recipient of the 2012 Sustainability Award. The award was presented at the EDANJ Annual Meeting and Awards ceremony on Friday, December 14, 2012 at The Palace at Somerset Park in Somerset. Sustainable Jersey is a program that is administered by the Sustainability Institute at The College of New Jersey.
“On behalf of Sustainable Jersey’s 378 participating communities and Board of Trustees, we are pleased to receive the EDANJ 2012 Sustainability Award,” said Donna Drewes, co-director of the Sustainability Institute. the EDANJ Sustainability Award recognizes innovative programs that engage citizens in building sustainable communities.
EDANJ is a non-profit professional association that promotes the best use of New Jersey’s resources in meeting today’s economic growth challenges. “Like EDANJ, Sustainable Jersey works with diverse stakeholders to promote public-private collaborations that will enhance New Jersey’s economy,” said Adam Farrah, president-elect of EDANJ and vice president of UCEDC. “We are proud to recognize Sustainable Jersey’s consensus oriented, science-based, politically relevant effort to align the interest and resources of all actors from state and local, to public and private, for the common purpose of achieving a sustainable New Jersey and world.”
“The Sustainable Jersey certification program encompasses the three equal, interrelated components of sustainability—environment, economy and social equity,” added Randall Solomon, who co-directs the Sustainable Jersey program with Drewes. “One focus of this award is the work we do to enable New Jersey towns to support their local economy and use community resources.” Sustainable Jersey has a set of actions designed to improve the local economy that towns complete in order to achieve certification. The local economy actions include developing buy local and green business recognition programs and implementing green jobs and economic development initiatives.
TCNJ President R. Barbara Gitenstein said: “This award illustrates our commitment to be a significant resource to the State of New Jersey as it aims to find innovative solutions and approaches to some of our society’s most pressing challenges.”
ABOUT: The Sustainability Institute at the College of New Jersey is a “Think and Do Tank” that works to build societal capacity to address issues of sustainable development. Working with Sustainable Jersey Inc, they created and administer the Sustainable Jersey certification program for municipalities in New Jersey. Sustainable Jersey’s partners include the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU).
Website: www.SustainableJersey.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SustainableJersey
Twitter: www.twitter.com/SJ_Program