Hawai‘i Mayor Roth announces Climate Action Plan

In honor of Earth Day, Mayor Mitch Roth announced the release of the County of Hawaiʻi’s Integrated Climate Action Plan.

The Integrated Climate Action Plan is a cross-departmental effort that aims to chart the County’s responsibility to reduce its contribution to global climate change and make its services and facilities resilient to the effects of a changing climate.

It will also identify actions the County can take and will be used as a tool to hold the County accountable for climate action.

The Integrated Climate Action Plan will be available to the public on May 1.

“Adapting to a changing climate is an integral part of fostering a sustainable Hawaiʻi Island where our keiki can raise their keiki for generations,” said Mayor Roth. “As an island, we are incredibly susceptible to adverse impacts on our natural environment, and as government, it is our responsibility to act accordingly to preserve and protect our natural and cultural resources.”

The Integrated Climate Action Plan will build on the County’s history of commitment to climate action and includes several initiatives, including electrifying the Hele-on fleet, expanding its services, and reducing the cost of energy for County facilities.

It also adds to ongoing County sustainability initiatives, including its Sustainability Summits, ongoing participation in the Hawaiʻi Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, and the establishment of research-based shoreline setbacks to reduce risk to coastal hazards for Hawaiʻi Island.

The Integrated Climate Action Plan will be available in tandem with a Hawaiʻi Island Sustainability Dashboard that tracks the County’s greenhouse gas emissions and can be found at rd.hawaiicounty.gov. There, viewers can also find the Energy Analysis for Hawaiʻi County Buildings.

This report is the first example of Integrated Climate Action Plan implementation and the County’s first step towards zero emissions conversion for its buildings and facilities.

The County of Hawaiʻi encourages all residents to review the Integrated Climate Action Plan and provide feedback through Konveio, an interactive online platform. The link to the Konveio site is coh.planning.konveio.com.

The County will accept public feedback from May 1 to June 1.