The state’s Hawai‘i 2050 Sustainability Plan: Charting a Course of the Decade of Action (2020-2030) received a national Merit Award from the American Planning Association at a reception and awards celebration on Monday, May 2 at the San Diego Central Library. The state’s Sustainability Coordinator Danielle M. Bass accepted the award on behalf of Gov. David Ige and the State of Hawaiʻi.
The Hawaiʻi 2050 Sustainability Plan serves as the State of Hawaiʻi’s climate and sustainability strategic action plan. It recommends actions guiding the coordination and implementation of Hawai‘i’s sustainability and climate resilience in alignment with the crucial 2020-2030 Decade of Action, to meet the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals and goals of the Paris Agreement, locally.
The Sustainability Plan highlights the shared vision gathered through extensive public engagement and feedback that the COVID-19 pandemic offers a critical opportunity to reset and rethink Hawaiʻi’s near-term future to be more equitable, climate resilient, and sustainable.
The plan’s vision includes:
- A diversified economy that is rebuilt sustainably – not simply a return to “business as usual”
- Promoting a regenerative and sustainable tourism industry
- Increased self-sufficiency in the local agricultural and energy sectors
- Green workforce development
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the energy, transportation, agriculture, and waste sectors
- Advancing sustainable communities through strategies that improve land use
- Investment in communities – education and people
- Investment in local infrastructure to ensure climate-resilient adaptation and strong sustainable communities for Hawaiʻi’s future