New Jersey § 52:27d-141

§ 52:27d-141.

The Legislature finds and declares that the burning of fossil fuels and other industrial

processes release harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which in turn contribute

to climate change; that, in the coming years, New Jersey is likely to experience

increased flooding, drought, and other severe weather effects caused by climate change;

and that, in order to help mitigate the serious impacts of climate change, the State

must drastically reduce its consumption of fossil fuels and its greenhouse gas emissions. The Legislature further finds that concrete is the most widely used construction material

in the world due to its low cost, strength, and durability; that the production of

ordinary Portland cement, the critical ingredient in concrete, is responsible for

almost eight percent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions; that ordinary Portland

cement requires significant amounts of energy to produce, resulting in high carbon

dioxide emissions; that modern technology allows concrete to be produced utilizing

less energy, and the emission of carbon dioxide from cement manufacturing can be greatly

reduced by capturing and utilizing carbon dioxide in the unit concrete product manufacturing

process, including the chemical reaction that results in strength and durability of

concrete; and that this process can sequester carbon dioxide in the unit concrete

product or chemically transform the carbon dioxide into mineral form, embedding it

into the concrete and preventing its release as a gas. The Legislature therefore determines that it is in the public interest to encourage

and support the purchase of unit concrete products that utilize carbon footprint-reducing

technology in the State; that unit concrete products that utilize carbon footprint-reducing

technology will greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the concrete and construction

industries; and that incentives for permeable pavers that are unit concrete products

that utilize carbon footprint-reducing technology will further help enhance stormwater

management, reduce stormwater runoff, and decrease the risk of flooding in the State.