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

Aloha+ Challenge Announced

The Aloha+ Challenge was launched in 2014 with the support of the governor and legislature. This initiative supports six “environmental and sustainability goals to be achieved by 2030.”

SB 3077: Relating to Statewide Community Planning

Designates the Office of Planning as the lead state agency for transit-oriented development coordination. Establishes the Hawaiʻi Interagency Council for Transit-oriented Development within DBEDT to coordinate effective and efficient transit-oriented development planning on a statewide level. Appropriates moneys. Allows the Department of Education to use school impact fees from projects within a county-designated transit oriented development zone for various purposes, including construction of new school facilities in new or existing sites statewide.

The Career and Technical Education program serves schools and communities by designing programs to meet the needs of Hawai'i's labor workforce,   The state’s pilot program for 2023-2024 school year provided a framework for incorporating career exploration, including those in clean energy, into high school curricula.

Career and Technical Education Program

just_transition

Hawaii Joins National Building Performance Standard Coalition

Governor Josh Green announced that Hawaiʻi has joined the National Building Performance Standard (BPS) Coalition, a nationwide effort led by the Institute for Market Transformation to improve energy efficiency in large commercial buildings, supported by an $18 million federal investment. Through this partnership, Hawaiʻi commits to retrofitting state buildings, engaging local communities, and advancing legislation by 2026 to help meet its 2045 energy savings goals. Projects like the Pearl City Public Library renovation and statewide energy audits demonstrate Hawaiʻi’s leadership in sustainability. Participation in the coalition will strengthen existing standards like the Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (EEPS), create local jobs, lower energy costs, and contribute to nationwide goals of reducing carbon emissions and investing $132 billion in building upgrades by 2040.

SB1051: Statewide Environmental court

Hawaii is one of only two states to develop a statewide environmental court. It was created by legislative action in July 2015, with the stated purpose to “promote and protect Hawaii’s natural environment through consistent and uniform application of environmental laws by establishing environmental courts.”

On June 29, 2016, Governor David Ige signed into law Act 130, SLH 2016 (SB 3077) which designates the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development (OPSD) as the lead State agency to coordinate and advance smart growth and TOD planning in the State. Act 130 also established the Hawaiʻi Interagency Council for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD Council).

The purpose of the TOD Council is to coordinate and facilitate State agency TOD planning, and to facilitate consultation and collaboration between the State and the counties on smart growth and TOD initiatives. 

With representation from State and county governments and the community, the TOD Council serves as the State’s forum for TOD planning and policy development. The Council is co-chaired by the directors of the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development and the Hawaiʻi Housing and Finance Development Corporation (HHFDC).