Photograph by Rae Huo, Courtesy of Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture

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Strengthen political support for action on Hawai"i's emerging green (and blue) growth initiatives:

• Aloha+ Challenge launched jointly by Hawai'i's six elected Chief Executives (Governor, four Mayors, and Chair of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs) with shared commitment to achieve six sustainability targets by 2030 - in clean energy, food self-reliance, natural resource management, waste reduction, smart sustainable communities and climate resilience, and green jobs and education.
• Passed Aloha+ Challenge Resolution with unanimous support at the Hawai'i State Legislature and strong multi-sector testimony.
• Aloha+ Challenge Dashboard launched to track progress on Hawai'i's international commitment to achieve six sustainability targets by 2030. The Dashboard is an online platform designed for decision makers, and currently features the first two Aloha+ Challenge targets - clean energy and solid waste reduction. The dashboard will be completed with indicators for all six targets by 2017.
• Assisted State government to establish and recruit first Hawai'i State Sustainability Coordinator, and partnered with State to engage county, state, federal and international leaders in the Aloha+ Challenge.
• Green funding mechanisms & legislation supported by diverse, community leaders at the Legislature and in editorials. In 2015, 11 of 16 HGG legislatives priorities made progress and in 2014, 9 of 15 HGG legislative priorities passed or received additional funding.
• Aloha+ Challenge Report to Legislature prepared by the State of Hawai'i and over 100 statewide experts with full set of recommendations on Aloha+ Challenge next steps and legislative actions.

Develop multi-sector partnerships to achieve ambitious Hawai'i green growth targets by 2030:

• First multi-sector collaboration formed in 2011, engaging more than 60 public and private sector leaders from 45+ organizations in the energy, food, environment, and related green sectors.
• Successfully recruited HGG's first Executive Director and Measures Coordinator in May 2015 to lead the multi-sector partnership and development of the Aloha+ Challenge Dashboard.
• Enterprise Honolulu (O'ahu Economic Development Board) becomes HGG's new fiscal sponsor in July 2015. Enterprise Honolulu will significantly strengthen HGG's capacity as its new fiscal sponsor, including increasing engagement with business leaders and supporting the new expanded HGG team.
• Designed and facilitated the Statewide Sustainability Measures Start-up Project, a partnership of all four counties, multiple state departments, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the University of Hawai'i System, Hawai'i Green Growth, and private sector members. By the end of 2014, more than 100 sustainability professionals participated in four statewide HGG Measures Team meetings. The objective of this multi-sector HGG Measures Team is to create and launch the Aloha+ Challenge Dashboard, an online platform for decision-makers and the public to track progress and inform action on the six sustainability targets.
• Initiated, hosted, and facilitated county Sustainability Briefings on Kaua'i, Maui and Hawai'i Island to share the new Aloha+ Challenge leadership commitment broadly and highlight local and statewide sustainability action. Each briefing was attended by approximately 100 island and statewide leaders, including legislators, council members, and government, non-profit, business, and community members.
• Initiated collaboration with business and environmental leaders to design a roundtable process to develop shared, specific targets and indicators for the smart sustainable communities target, including a special focus on sustainable economic growth.
• Facilitated strategic Hawai'i participation in Micronesia Biosecurity Plan to address regional invasive species threats.
• Hawaiʻi Bright Spots - outstanding examples of cross-sector partnerships to build a more sustainable future – featured at the Hawai'i Conservation Conference and Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit, county Sustainability Briefings.

Build Hawaiʻi's international "brand" as an island example of integrated green growth:

• Hawai'i joined the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA), highlighting the Aloha+ Challenge and Hōkūle'a's Worldwide Voyage at the Third UN Conference on Small Island Developing States (UNSIDS 2014).
• International recognition of Hawai'i leadership at major international meetings (2012 World Conservation Congress, UN Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties in 2012 & 2014, Pacific Island Forum 2014 and UNSIDS 2014).
• Hawai'i commitments to the Majuro Declaration for Climate Leadership welcomed by the U.S. State Department, United Nations and Pacific island leaders (2013).
• Established partnership relationship with U.S. State Department, with Hawai'i representatives included on the U.S. delegation to the 2014 Pacific Island Forum and UNSIDS Conference.
• Joined government, non-profit, and private sector leaders in shaping and promoting the Promise to Pae'āina o Hawai'i – a set of 20 commitments to improve Hawai'i's marine environments by 2017, when the Hōkūle'a and Hikianalia return from the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage.
• Strategically engaged international island partners and developed messages to strengthen Hawai'i's bid to host the 2016 World Conservation Congress.
• Hawai'i hosted the Honorable Ronald Jumeau, Seychelles Ambassador for Climate Change and Small Island Developing State Issues at a Washington Place Reception attended by 130+ sustainability leaders from Hawai'i, the US & the Asia Pacific region.
• APEC 2011 & HI Green Growth Briefing with U.S. Ambassador Kurt Tong advanced discussions with the U.S. State Department for a special role for Hawai'i as a U.S. example of green growth.
• Hawai'i Green Economy analyzed in the first report on Economic Trends in Hawai'i Agriculture, Energy and Natural Resource Management, prepared by the University of Hawai'i's Economic Research Organization (UHERO), 2012.

HGG activities for FY13 - FY15 were fully funded by HGG members, advisors and partners.