Trenton, NJ — More than 100 environmental, faith, labor and community organizations across New Jersey are calling on Governor Murphy and state lawmakers to pass the Climate Superfund Act — a bill that would require the world’s biggest fossil fuel corporations to pay for the climate damages they’ve caused to the state.

The sign-on letter — organized by the EmpowerNJ coalition — urges swift passage of the legislation, which has already cleared the environmental committees in both legislative chambers and gained support from nearly 40 legislators and over three dozen municipalities.

“For far too long, New Jersey communities have shouldered the growing costs of climate disasters — from floods and fires to deadly heat waves,” said Matt Smith, New Jersey State Director at Food & Water Watch. “This bill makes a simple demand: Polluters should pay, not the public. With the federal government slashing climate funding, there’s no excuse for inaction. Governor Murphy and the legislature must lead — and make Big Oil clean up the mess they made.”

“32 BJ SEIU is proud to endorse the Climate Superfund Act because it’s about one of our fundamental tenets – fairness. The large oil and gas companies that polluted our environment are speeding up climate change – and they should pay for the damages they inflict. We see climate change as an environmental issue, an economic opportunity and a political challenge that harms our communities and members. We are proud to be a leader for the green economy, but we also need justice for the climate polluters that created this mess in the first place,” said Ana Maria Hill, Vice President and NJ State Director of 32BJ SEIU.

“Climate change disproportionately impacts Latino communities, resulting in economic, health, and social costs as Latinos are more likely to live in areas prone to extreme weather events, face job losses in climate-sensitive sectors, and experience higher healthcare costs related to heat exposure,” said Latino Action Network President Javier Robles. “It is high time that big oil companies pay for the cost of climate change instead of hard working New Jersey taxpayers.”

“We hear all the time from our members in all walks of life that they are worried about climate change and extreme weather. And more local officials we work with are worried about the increased costs climate change is wreaking on municipal budgets. The time is now for the Legislature to pass the Climate Superfund Act to ensure that we are holding the largest oil and gas companies accountable for their pollution and charting a path forward for our communities to be able to adapt to climate change impacts,” said Winn Khuong, Executive Director and Founder of Action Together.

New Jersey has experienced 75 billion-dollar climate disasters since 1980, with costs mounting each year. The Climate Superfund Act (S3545/A4696) would hold major fossil fuel companies — like Exxon, Shell and BP — financially liable for their share of the damage. That funding would be used to fortify infrastructure, support frontline communities, and create thousands of jobs across the state.

The legislation is modeled after similar laws recently enacted in New York and Vermont.