Hawai‘i Delegation Back From UN Climate Week

Climate activists discussed energy solutions at UN Climate Week in New York City, which was attended by a full Hawai‘i delegation during the first week of October 2019. PC: Pixabay

Climate activists from across the state spent the last week in the Northeast United States at a global summit.

Hawai‘i representatives from government, business and civil society participated in Climate Week during the United Nations 74th General Assembly in New York City. Various members presented on the Aloha+ Challenge, Hawai‘i’s local framework for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the newly formed Sustainability Business Forum initiatives on a carbon offset pilot and energy efficiency.

The group included representatives from the Hawai‘i Green Growth Local2030 Hub and statewide network, State of Hawai‘i, City and County of Honolulu, County of Hawai‘i, County of Maui, Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo, The Nature Conservancy of Hawai‘i, Conservation International Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Community Foundation, East-West Center, Blue Planet Foundation, and Sustainability Business Forum members Hawaiian Airlines and Pineapple Tweed.

Two Hawai‘i communities, Hui Maka‘āinana o Makana of Kaua‘i and Hui Mālama O Mo’omomi, were awarded the United Nations Development Programme 2019 Equator Prize with 20 other indigenous, local and rural communities around the world, a Hawai‘i Green Growth press release said.

The UN Development Programme Equator Initiative honors organizations for innovative, nature-based solutions for tackling climate change, environmental and poverty challenges using the collaborative power of communities.

The Hawai‘i communities were recognized for their community-based natural resource management, critical to achieving the Aloha+ Challenge and target for effectively managing 30% of nearshore waters by 2030.

Hawai‘i was recognized last year by the United Nations as one of the world’s first Local2030 Hubs, as part of the Local2030 partnership launched by the UN system to support local leadership advancing the SDGs.

The Hawai‘i Green Growth Local2030 Hub recognizes Hawaii’s locally and culturally driven SDG model through the Aloha+ Challenge, measured through an open-data platform with stakeholder-driven metrics, indicators and projects. Inspired by Global Island Partnership leadership commitments, the Aloha+ Challenge was announced as the US Commitment to the Samoa Pathway at the 2014 UN Small Island Developing States Meeting in Apia, Samoa.