Hawai'i launched the Aloha+ Challenge, a statewide commitment to sustainability, with the leadership of the Governor, four county Mayors, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, State Legislature, and Hawai‘i Green Growth public-private partners across the state. The Aloha+ Challenge: He Nohona ‘Ae‘oia, A Culture of Sustainability builds on Hawai‘i's history of systems thinking, Hawaiian culture and values, and successful track record on sustainabiliy to outline six ambitious goals to be achieved by 2030 in clean energy transformation, local food production, natural resource management, solid waste reduction, smart sustainable communities (incuding climate resilience and livability), and green workforce and and education.

Hawai'i's elected officials formally signed the Aloha+ Challenge Declaration at a press conference on July 7th 2014. The State Legislature unanimously endorsed the Aloha+ Challenge with a Senate Concurrent resolution (SCR69). Hawai‘i Green Growth, the public-private partnership platform that serves as the backbone organization for the Aloha+ Challenge, is developing shared measures and a joint policy and action agenda to track progress, provide accountability, and drive implementation on Hawai‘i's 2030 goals.

The Aloha+ Challenge was inspired by the Global Island Partnership and other island commitments like the Micronesia Challenge and Caribbean Challenge, broadening the focus to include the environmental, economic and social pillars of sustainable development. The Hawaiian name for the Aloha+ Challenge is He Nohona 'Ae'oia: A Culture of Sustainability; Aloha+ was chosen to represent Hawai'i's unique, integrated approach to sustainability rooted in Hawaiian culture, values, and knowledge.

Learn more about Hawai‘i's 2030 sustainability goals, and visit the online Aloha+ Challenge Dashboard.

 

Enjoy this video featuring Hawai‘i's leadership on the Aloha+ Challenge

 

 

Global Challenges, Local Solutions

In September 2015, the United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), setting a powerful global 2030 agenda for the next 15 years. The Aloha+ Challenge is a place-based model that can be scaled with islands, coastal communities, and sub-national to help advance locally appropriate implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Hawai‘i and the US Department of State jointly announced the Aloha+ Challenge as an example of US action for green growth at the 2014 United Nations Conference on Small Island Developing States in Samoa. The Aloha+ Challenge continues to be recognized internationally as a unique local model that supports economic growth, environmental stewardship, and community resilience.

 

                  

 

Interviews with Aloha+ Challenge signatories and leaders:

• Governor David Ige 
• Mayor Kirk Caldwell
• Mayor Billy Kenoi
• Mayor Alan Arawaka
• Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr.
• Ka Pouhana Kamanao'pono Crabbe, Office of Hawaiian Affairs 
• Former Governor Neil Abercrombie
• University of Hawaii President David Lassner
• Jacqueline Kozak Thiel, former Sustainability Coordinator for the State of Hawai'i
• Hawai'i's Elected Leaders Commit to Sustainability: July 7, 2014
• Honorable Ronny Jumeau, Seychelles Ambassador for Climate Change and Small Island Developing State Issues

Learn More about Hawaii Green Growth Targets

News Slider:

1. Photo Courtesy of Tyler Kruse, Office of the Governor
2. Photo Courtesy of Grady Timmons, The Nature Conservancy
3. Photo Courtesy of Bree Chun
4. Photo Courtesy of MA'O Organic Farms

Targets:

1. Photo Courtesy of Blue Planet Foundation
2. Photograph by Rae Huo, Courtesy of Hawai'i Department of Agriculture
3. Photo Courtesy of Air Maui Helicopters/The Nature Conservancy
4. Photo Courtesy of Noah Pomeroy, NOAA
5. Photo Courtesy of UH SeaGrant
6. Photo Courtesy of Blue Planet Foundation

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Title: The Role of Islands in Global Sustainability Issues: Washington Place Reception for Ambassador Jumeau
Date: September 10, 2013
Location: Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Host: State of Hawaiʻi and Hawaiʻi Green Growth

Governor Neil Abercrombie accepted Ambassador Jumeau's invitation to join the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA) and "step up and step forward as an island leader" with an international commitment to sustainability at a GLISPA high-level event in 2014. Over 130 diverse leaders attended the Washington Place reception to honor Ambassador Jumeau and highlight The Role of Islands on Global Sustainability Issues.

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Title: Bright Spots in Hawaiʻi Leadership: Building Partnerships for a Sustainable Future
Date: July 17, 2013
Location: Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Host: Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference

Hawaiʻi Green Growth (HGG) and partners highlighted the importance of building local and international partnerships for a sustainable future at the 2013 Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference. HGG highlighted "bright spots," inspiring examples of collaborative initiatives that are advancing sustainability in Hawaiʻi. The HGG organized event brought together the conservation community and key leaders from other sectors to participate in interactive round-table discussions focused on collaboration.

Department of Land and Natural Resources Chair, William J. Aila Jr.'s keynote address "Laulima: Conservation's Role in Inspiring New Partnerships for a Sustainable Future" highlighted the important role the conservation community can play in building new partnerships. Kanu Hawaiʻi encouraged participants to make tangible "I will" commitments that helped transform discussion ideas into action.

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Title: Island Summit at United Nations' Convention on Biological Diversity, Conference of the Parties (CBD COP-11)
Date: October 16, 2012 Location: Hyberadad, India
Host: Global Island Partnership

Hawai'i's international leadership in green growth was featured at the Island Summit held at the United Nations' Convention on Biological Diversity, Conference of the Parties (CBD COP-11) on October 16, 2012. William Aila, Chair of Hawai'i's Department of Land & Natural Resources, led a four-person Hawai'i delegation to share lessons with other islands in GLISPA's interactive event on Island Innovations: Celebrating Bright Spots, Leadership and Successes in Island Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods.

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Title: World Conservation Congress 2012
Date: September 6-15, 2012 Location: Jeju, South Korea
Host: International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Hawaiʻi Green Growth helped shape Hawai'i's message for its international debut at the 2012 World Conservation Congress (WCC) in Jeju, South Korea. Organized by Chipper Wichman, Hawai'i brought a delegation of over 40 leaders and conservation professionals to showcase trend-setting work on the essential connection between nature conservation and food security, climate change, economic development, people and governance. Hawai'i hosted a successful VIP reception for conservation leaders around the world, where Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz, University of Hawai'i President MRC Greenwood, and Chair of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Colette Machado demonstrated high level and diverse political support for Hawai'i's bid to host the next World Conservation Congress in 2016. If successful, the 2016 Congress would be an outstanding opportunity to focus attention on progress on our sustainability targets when the world "comes to visit".

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Title: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2011 & Green Growth Hawai'i Briefing with US Ambassador Tong
Date: August 9, 2011
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Host: APEC & Hawaiʻi Green Growth

"Hawaii has the potential to be a pioneer and advocate for green growth," said U.S. Ambassador Kurt Tong, Senior Official to APEC, at the APEC 2011 and Green Growth Hawaii Briefing in Honoluly on August 9, 2011.

The briefing was attended by Hawaii leaders from government, business and civil society in key positions to help Hawaii build a green economy for the future. Organized by Hawaii Green Growth and the Global Island Partnership, the briefing provided an opportunity to learn about U.S. priorities to promote green growth with APEC partners and to explore opportunities for Hawaiʻi to engage in this national and international agenda.

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Hawai'i Green Growth set ambitious targets in the areas of clean energy, local food, natural resource management, waste reduction, smart sustainable communities and green workforce to build a more secure, sustainable and resilient economy for Hawai'i by 2030.

HGG 2030 Target: Natural Resources
Reverse the trend of natural resource loss mauka to makai by increasing watershed protection, community-based marine management, invasive species control, and restoration of native species.

2030 Target Background
The Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) has committed to conserve 30% of priority watershed by 2030, and is working with partners to develop specific, measurable sub-targets for invasive species and marine resource management.

Leadership in Natural Resource Management
The Rain Follows the Forest— "Hahai nō ka ua i ka ululāʻau" is DLNR's watershed plan to conserve priority watershed forests. It is strongly supported and actively implemented by nine watershed partnerships across the state, the Hawai'i Conservation Alliance (HCA) and its members; many large landowners, including Kamehameha Schools; and non-profits organizations, such as The Nature Conservancy (TNC).

The Hawai'i Invasive Species Council (HISC) and the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (CGAPS) work with inter-agency partners to address critical invasive species prevention, control, and management.

The Department of Aquatic Resources (DAR) within the DLNR is working with many partners -- including the Polynesian Voyaging Society, Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, H.K.L. Castle Foundation, Hawai'i Fish Trust -- to strengthen ocean and fisheries resource management across the state.

All these groups guide HGG's work in natural resource management.

Measuring Progress

Many leadership organizations listed above track progress on their lands, waters and internal natural resource management targets. In recent years, these stakeholders came together to develop shared indicators that could track statewide progress on conservation. The Hawai'i Conservation Alliance, Natural Resource Data Solutions LLC, and the Department of Land and Natural Resources are leading this initiative, starting with indicators for our watershed and marine resource management goals across the state.

HGG's Sustainability Measures Start-Up Project is working with these partners, the Counties and others statewide to agree on a credible set of practical, public statewide sustainability indicators to inform decision-makers and the public on progress on our six sustainability targets.

Bright Spots

A bright spot is an inspiring example of a successful collaboration for sustainability that demonstrates how working with new or diverse partners accelerates and broadens success.

Learn more about natural resource management bright spots in Hawai'i.