Creating a high quality of life in New Jersey’s communities is a shared goal of government, residents and businesses. Though there are numerous factors that contribute to livable and desirable communities, the essential elements are: a healthy environment, a vibrant economy and a community that is inclusive, safe and effectively governed. A leading and growing strategy to help create such municipalities is the concept of sustainability or sustainable development. This approach came into general use after the 1987 UN World Commission on Environment and Development coined what was to become the most well-known definition: sustainable development is development that "meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." More simply, sustainability focuses on providing the best outcomes for both the human and natural environments now, and into the indefinite future.
This guide provides a series of fact sheets on a wide array of sustainable practices and technologies. Each fact sheet includes: the benefits from implementing the practice, how it relates to and helps us address a state goal or policy, a description of the practice or technology, sources of State government assistance, and sources of additional information.