Tracking Progress on the Aloha+ Challenge
The Hawai'i Green Growth (HGG) Sustainability Measures Start-up Project is developing joint indicators to track progress and facilitate collaboration on the Aloha+ Challenge – an unprecedented statewide commitment to sustainability with six shared targets to be achieved by 2030 to advance clean energy, local food production, natural resource management, waste reduction, smart growth/climate change adaptation, and green workforce/education. The Governor, the Mayors of all four Counties and the elected Chair of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) jointly launched the Aloha+ Challenge on July 7, 2014.

Beginning in January 2014, the HGG Sustainability Measures Start-up Project works with state agencies, four Counties and partner organizations across the state to achieve two major outcomes:

• Develop a shared set of practical, public sustainability indicators for at least two statewide sustainability targets and a process to add more indicators in the future.
• Initiate a statewide sustainability network and strengthen county-based collaborative action networks.

Indicators: What Gets Measured Gets Done

Coordinated and institutionalized sustainability indicators help move the needle in the right direction by providing a tangible mechanism to measure progress, maintain accountability and provide transparency. This will benefit and empower key decision makers, state and county government, private sector leaders and Hawai'i residents who all have an important role in working towards sustainability goals.

Indicators are an invaluable resource to the state and counties to:

• Evaluate implementation strategies
• Identify critical gaps and drivers (e.g. funding, policies, capacity to implement)
• Highlight achievements and entrepreneurial/partnership opportunities
• Justify funding requests and rationale for policy change to support successful strategies and address gaps

Hawai'i Green Growth: Legislative Progress & Achievements

2015 Legislature - Priorities & Outcomes

See complete list of HGG/Aloha+ Challenge 2015 Legislative Priorities and 2015 Priority Outcomes.

The following priority recommendations for the 2015 Hawai‘i State Legislature were selected through an extensive consultation process with public and private sector leaders from Hawai‘i Green Growth. These recommendations can significantly advance the Aloha+ Challenge targets, possess widespread support across sectors, have no known opposition, and are ready for action.

Five legislative recommendations are uniquely positioned to drive major advances on three or more Aloha+ Challenge targets:

• Statewide Sustainability Coordination
• Aloha+ Challenge Dashboard
• Environmental Response, Energy & Food Security Tax (aka Barrel Tax)
• Invasive Species Management & Watershed Protection
• Native Hawaiian Sustainability Leadership

To achieve each Aloha+ Challenge target, the Legislature can kick start significant progress with these widely supported recommendations:

• ALOHA+ CLEAN ENERGY:
  • Adopt a Community-Based Renewable Energy Program
• ALOHA+ LOCAL FOOD:
  • Support Local Food Procurement by State Programs
  • Facilities & Create two Farm-to-School Coordinator Positions
• ALOHA+ NATURE:
  • Fresh Water Security: Storm Water Management
  • Marine Resource Management: Critical Positions
  • Native Plant Restoration: Increase Hawaiian Plants in Public Landscaping
• ALOHA+ WASTE REDUCTION:
  • Fund a Statewide Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan
  • Expand the Electronic Recycling Device Program
• ALOHA+ SMART SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES:
  • Include Hawaiian Crops and Small-Scale Farms
• ALOHA+ GREEN WORKFORCE & EDUCATION:
  • Establish a Sustainability Office in the University of Hawai‘i System
  • Require Native Hawaiian Law Training Courses

2014 Legislature - Priorities & Outcomes

See complete list of HGG 2014 Legislative Priorities and HGG 2014 Priority Outcomes.

A resolution endorsing the Aloha+ Challenge passed 2014 Legislature with strong support from both the Senate and House. Over 45 people submitted testimony supporting the Aloha+ Challenge resolution, including 25 Hawai'i Green Growth Working Group members. Influential Working Group members co-authored an editorial on the Aloha+ Challenge resolution in the Star Advertiser.

HGG members agreed on top legislative actions that will significantly advance sustainability in Hawaiʻi and already have widespread support across sectors:

• Environmental Response, Energy and Food Security Tax (Barrel Tax)
• Watershed Initiative funding (Rain Follows the Forest)
• Invasive Species
• Aloha+ Challenge Resolution
• State Sustainability Coordinator Position

2013 Legislature - Priorities & Outcomes

During the Hawai'i 2013 Legislature, Hawai'i Green Growth mobilized multi-sector support for two major green funding mechanisms:

• Reallocating the barrel tax on imported oil to support high priority clean energy and food security projects (additional $16 million annually).
• Securing a reliable source of funding (ca. $11 million annually) for the state's new Rain Follows the Forest watershed initiative, including invasive species control.

Influential Working Group members co-authored two well-timed editorials:

• Honolulu Star-Advertiser: Legislature should put self-sufficiency back on priority list
• Honolulu Weekly: The New Big Five—Local food, energy, water, habitat, jobs: They're all connected, so support these crucial bills

Though dedicated funding was not passed in 2013, the Legislature provided major increases in the biennium budget.

Program and Lead Agency	Funds Requsted	Annual Increase in FY14-15 Biennial Budget
Watershed Management – DLNR Invasive Species Control – DLNR	$11 million/year $2million/year	$3.5M GF; $5M CIP (FY14) No GF; 2.5M CIP (FY15) $750K GF (FY14)
Agriculture & Local Food Security – HDOA	$ 8 million/year	$7.4M GF (biennium) $48.5M CIP (biennium)
Clean Energy – DBEDT	$ 8 million/year	No Increase
Oil Spill Clean-Up – DOH	$1.2 million/year	No Increase

GF = General Fund; CIP = Capital Improvement Program; SFA = Special Fund Authority

Hawai'i Green Growth members agreed on annual top legislative actions that will significantly advance sustainability in Hawai'i. These recommendations can significantly advance the Aloha+ Challenge targets, possess widespread support across sectors, have no known opposition, and are ready for action.

2015 Legislative Priorities

The following priority recommendations for the 2015 Hawai‘i State Legislature were selected through an extensive consultation process with public and private sector leaders from Hawai‘i Green Growth.

Five legislative recommendations are uniquely positioned to drive major advances on three or more Aloha+ Challenge targets:

• Statewide Sustainability Coordination
• Aloha+ Challenge Dashboard
• Environmental Response, Energy & Food Security Tax (aka Barrel Tax)
• Invasive Species Management & Watershed Protection
• Native Hawaiian Sustainability Leadership

To achieve each Aloha+ Challenge target, the Legislature can kick start significant progress with these widely supported recommendations:

• ALOHA+ CLEAN ENERGY:
  • Adopt a Community-Based Renewable Energy Program
• ALOHA+ LOCAL FOOD:
  • Support Local Food Procurement by State Programs
  • Facilities & Create two Farm-to-School Coordinator Positions
• ALOHA+ NATURE:
  • Fresh Water Security: Storm Water Management
  • Marine Resource Management: Critical Positions
  • Native Plant Restoration: Increase Hawaiian Plants in Public Landscaping
• ALOHA+ WASTE REDUCTION:
  • Fund a Statewide Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan
  • Expand the Electronic Recycling Device Program
• ALOHA+ SMART SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES:
  • Include Hawaiian Crops and Small-Scale Farms
• ALOHA+ GREEN WORKFORCE & EDUCATION:
  • Establish a Sustainability Office in the University of Hawai‘i System
  • Require Native Hawaiian Law Training Courses

See complete list of HGG/Aloha+ Challenge 2015 Legislative Priorities and 2015 Priority Outcomes.

 

Hawai'i Green Growth: 2015 - 2017 Legislative & Policy Priority 

Annual Aloha+ Challenge priorities for joint action agreed and advanced by state and county governments, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, University of Hawai‘i and higher education institutions, federal agencies, and private sector and non-profit leaders.  At least one major statewide sustainability initiative announced at the 2016 World Conservation Congress that leverages public and private funding. 

Hawai'i Green Growth: 2012-2014 Legislative Objective
Hawai'i Green Growth supports increases to green funding and other priority legislation for tangible progress toward HGG 2030 targets.
By fiscal year 2015, HGG's goal is to secure the following long-term increases* from the State Legislature to support action on Hawai'i's statewide sustainability targets:

• $11 million/year for at least 10 years for DLNR's the "Rain Follows the Forest"
• $4 million/year for DLNR's invasive species management
• $8 million/year to DOA for food security & agricultural development
• $8 million/year to DBEDT's clean energy initiative
• $1.2 million/year for DOH's oil spill response

*Increases will be gauged from FY12 budget as baseline

In 2013, the Working Group identified three new initiatives to explore and scope over the next year. Teams were formed led by new WG members

1. Fisheries & Ocean Management
Objective: Identify two cross-sector priority projects to increase local seafood production within two years

2. Green Job & Business Creation Team:
Objective: Develop an integrated strategy to promote local green business models and local green jobs.

3. Waste:
Objective: Identify and convene organizations and experts interested in statewide waste reduction to collaborate on two pilot projects:
a. Support Department of Health (DOH) E-Waste bill.
b. Pilot organic waste reduction programs in homes and school institutions, and identify statewide policy gaps for food waste.

Hawaiʻi Green Growth's top priority is to launch the Aloha+ Challenge, a statewide sustainability commitment with measurable 2030 targets supported by state, county, business and community leaders.

Hawai'i has a unique opportunity to build a more secure, sustainable and resilient economy at a manageable scale while sharing and learning with other islands around the world. Hawai'i can position itself internationally as a pioneer and innovative example of green (and blue) growth and to use this role to:

• accelerate action at home on state, county and private sector sustainability plans
• Increase support from key public and private partners
• Create new economic opportunities in clean energy, food security, natural resource management, waste reduction, climate resilience, smart growth and green workforce development.

Hawai'i Green Growth's international objective is to strengthen Hawai'i's international partnerships and engagement through:

• Catalyzing a Global Island Partnership(GLISPA) commitment by Hawai'i leadership to accelerate action on sustainability at home
• Facilitating Hawai'i participation & hosting of international events & exchanges focused on sustainability