Alliance members are working to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping temperature increases below 1.5 degrees Celsius by reducing emissions, accelerating action, centering equity, and tracking progress. 

Explore Hawai'i's policies and actions across the Alliance's 10 key policy areas. Numbers presented below only reflect the number of policies in this database and thus may not reflect all climate policies pursued.

hawaii

GHG Targets + Governance

Just Transition + Equity

Industry

Pricing Carbon + Valuing Damages

Electricity

Transportation

Resilience

Natural + Working Lands

Climate Finance

Buildings

total

HB 242: Relating to Electric Vehicle Batteries

Establishes a working group within the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office to examine how to maximize the recycling and reuse of electric vehicle batteries and recommend electric vehicle battery management practices. Requires a report to the Legislature.

There is established within the Hawaii state energy office an electric vehicle battery recycling and reuse working group to examine how to maximize the recycling and reuse of electric vehicle batteries and recommend electric vehicle battery management practices.

The working group shall:
1. Develop a plan for best management practices for the recycling, reuse, or repurposing of electric vehicle batteries;
2. Coordinate with any other organization, working group, or relevant entity within or outside of the State that has similar objectives as the working group, or is researching the recycling, reuse, or repurposing of electric vehicle batteries; and
3. Develop policy recommendations for the legislature to implement based on the working group's findings.



Electric Vehicle Battery Recycling and Reuse Working Group

transportation

Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Plan & Facility-wide Cap

Hawaii’s HAR 11-60.1 (Chapter 60.1, Subchapter 11) establishes a statewide greenhouse gas regulatory program administered via the Department of Health’s Clean Air Branch. The regulation sets a goal to return statewide GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 (original statutory target) and further implements carbon reduction objectives. It designates “affected sources” (large stationary sources with CO₂-equivalent emissions ≥ 100,000 tons per year) that must submit GHG emission reduction plans and incorporate GHG caps, monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting obligations into their air permit. Hawaii also integrates GHG emissions into its annual fees for covered sources, and the rules provide for public participation, permit transparency, and confidential treatment where justified.

Hawai'i Launches Energy Efficiency Workforce Training Program

The Hawai‘i State Energy Office (HSEO) is launching its Training for Residential Energy Contractors (TREC) program in January 2026 as a statewide initiative designed to grow Hawai‘i’s energy contractor workforce and prepare local professionals to deliver home energy upgrades under the state’s Home Energy Rebates program. The TREC program will partner with Hā Sustainability, Everblue, and Hui o Hau‘ula to provide hands-on training and nationally recognized certifications for contractors, builders, and tradespeople across Hawai‘i, ensuring that the state’s workforce is ready to meet rising demand for home energy retrofits and electrification projects. 

SB 1396: Relating to economic development

Hawaii SB 1396 establishes a major climate and economic resilience funding framework by increasing the state’s Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) and creating dedicated special funds for climate and economic development. Beginning in 2026, the bill raises the TAT rate and expands taxation to cruise ship cabins, generating a new “green fee” from visitors. The additional revenue is directed to newly established (July 1, 2025) Climate Mitigation and Resiliency and Economic Development and Revitalization Special Funds, which finance projects addressing climate adaptation, disaster mitigation, natural resource protection, and sustainable tourism. The legislation also appropriates substantial state funds and earmarks portions of TAT revenue to these funds, creating a recurring, visitor-funded revenue stream for climate and resilience investments.

Key financing tools include earmarked tax revenues, special-purpose funds, direct legislative appropriations, and expanded fund uses that allow for debt service and financing agreements. By tying climate finance to the visitor economy, the state effectively internalizes climate and environmental externalities into a stable funding source, supporting infrastructure resilience, natural resource protection, and sustainable economic development. Overall, SB 1396 represents a structural shift toward a dedicated, place-based climate finance model that leverages tourism taxes to fund adaptation and resilience at scale.

Hawaiʻi Energy Security and Waste Reduction Plan

The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) announces the release of its final Energy Security and Waste Reduction Plan, following a 65-day public review process and incorporating extensive stakeholder feedback.

The plan provides a roadmap for the transportation sector to meet the statewide emissions reduction targets established by the Legislature in 2018. The 2030 target is to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 50% from 2005 levels. The 2045 target is for Hawaiʻi to capture more carbon that we emit; thereby achieving net-negative emissions.

Despite Hawaiʻi’s leadership in rooftop solar and electric vehicle adoption, Hawaiʻi currently produces 10.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) each year, and HDOT’s Energy Security and Waste Reduction Plan found that number will likely remain the same without additional emissions reduction policies, actions and investments. HDOT’s Energy Security Plan balances reducing emissions with two other pillars – affordability for kamaʻāina and local energy security.

5% VMT reduction compared to projected baseline or business-as-usual scenario for 2030.

10% VMT reduction compared to projected baseline or business-as-usual scenario for 2035.

15% VMT reduction compared to projected baseline or business-as-usual scenario for 2040.

20% VMT reduction compared to projected baseline or business-as-usual scenario for 2045.