Launched on May 17, 2014, the Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage is taking the Hokule'a, shown here with Hikianalia, on a journey to spread the message of sustainability and "caring for our island earth."

By: Celeste Connors and Neil Hannahs

America's upcoming political transition has many waiting for the policy implications of a sharply different presidential perspective. Delegates at November’s United Nations climate talks in Marrakesh and last month’s Biodiversity Conference in Mexico expressed concern that the U.S. will pull out of the global climate treaty, potentially rolling back eight years invested by the Obama administration in public and private sector engagement and high-level multilateral policy on climate change and clean energy, backed up by aggressive federal action.

Fortunately,  the  people  of  Hawaii  have  not  depended  upon  offshore  direction  when  it  comes  to understanding the trends and risks to an environment that we cherish. Instead, we have drawn on ancestral wisdom and independent analysis of scientific data to assess risks, set priorities and invest in the health of the aina that will sustain us and future generations.

Thanks to such values, Hawaii has:

• Launched partnerships across the state to steward water resources.
• Accepted responsibility to heal the bomb-ridden island of Kahoolawe.
• Committed to end fossil fuel imports and produce 100 percent of our electricity from renewable sources.
• Restored  ecosystem  services  in  our  forests,  riparian  ways,  field  systems,  fishponds  and  coastal environments.
• Increased production of locally grown food.
• Convened   business,   environmental,   cultural   and   educational   leadership   to   establish   the   six interconnected Aloha+ Challenge sustainability goals.
• Supported Hokule‘a’s worldwide voyage to carry the message of Malama Honua around the globe.

It is not local style to make loud, attention-getting claims of leadership. We prefer to let our actions speak for themselves and share our aloha aina with residents and visitors. We did just that last September when we hosted 10,000 guests who participated in the IUCN World Conservation Congress. They spoke enthusiastically about our initiatives and placed Hawaii at the cutting edge of the sustainability movement.

As a result, our state and counties were invited to join the Global Island Partnership, a network of island leaders committed to a more sustainable future. Hawaii also signed agreements with Jeju and Okinawa, island communities connected to the major economies of Korea and Japan. And Gov. David Ige backed this with local action, announcing several initiatives to advance the Aloha+ Challenge, Hawaii’s statewide 2030 sustainability goals.

In  addition,  Honolulu  recently  joined  the  Rockefeller  Foundation’s  100  Resilience  Cities  initiative, connecting the county to other cities around the world that are serious about addressing climate-related risks. Mayor Kirk Caldwell attended the West Coast Mayors Summit in December, joining other leaders in signing a letter to President-elect Donald Trump calling for increased investment in resilient infrastructure to mitigate the threat of natural disasters.

Hawaii has been asked to share its story in forums such as the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National Governors Association. Many more opportunities to engage loom on the horizon, such as the Pacific Coast Collaborative and the C40 and global Climate Vulnerable Forum.

Hawaii not only has a place at the table at high-level global policy platforms, but the IUCN showed that we are now in a position to invite others to take a seat at our table. And in doing so, we can drive the change needed to secure a more sustainable future for the planet.

The Malama Honua Worldwide  Voyage and the Aloha+ Challenge  together form Hawaii’s  Sail Plan, inspiring collective action on sustainability for generations to come.

While Hawaii may not have all of the answers, our collective efforts show promise and present a long-term course for action.  To  quote  Nainoa  Thompson,  Hokule‘a  navigator  and  president  of  the  Polynesian Voyaging Society, “Hawaii is moving toward the balance. And when Hawaii achieves it, it becomes that starlight for the rest of the world to see and know that it can be done; that’s the gift.” Time to shine, Hawaii!

This op-ed was originally published in the Editorial: Island Voices section of the Honolulu Star Advertiser (http://ow.ly/7kf5308qp3F). 

At the COP13 Conference on Biological Diversity in Cancun, Mexico, the Voices of Future Generations Initiative screened an inspiring short film about the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goal agenda. The film features an amazing group of child authors and ambassadors with a mission to educate their peers on the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.  Click here to learn more about Voice of Future Generators and watch the 5:00 video. 

Hawai‘i has made great strides toward contributing to the global Sustainable Development Goals through the Aloha + Challenge, which has been recognized by the international community as a globally replicable model. By committing to the UN definition of sustainable development, “…meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” the Aloha + Challenge promotes a sustainable and resilient future for Hawai’i and its keiki.  

Hawai‘i Green Growth is preparing for the official launch of the sixth and last Aloha + Challenge goal, Green Workforce and Education , which will focus on equipping Hawai‘i’s youth with the tools necessary to carry on the Aloha + Challenge and future sustainability initiatives. 

article originally published on University of Hawai'i News website: http://www.hawaii.edu/news/2016/10/17/educational-partnership-to-create-next-generation-sustainability-leadership/ 

By: Kelli Trifonovitch

A new agreement will involve Hawaiʻi’s students in critical planning for green education and sustainability. A memorandum of understanding signed by University of Hawaiʻi, Kamehameha Schools and Hawaiʻi Green Growth bridges educational missions and begins to create pathways for local students to help define and develop Hawaiʻi’s statewide green workforce and education goal as part of the Aloha+ Challenge.

The public-private partnership between Hawaiʻi Green Growth and two leading educational institutions in Hawaiʻi seeks to bring students from private and public schools, the university and the community to the forefront of decision making in developing Hawaiʻi’s statewide sustainability framework.

“Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders, and it is vitally important that our youth be given the opportunity to help the state to craft its sustainability goals,” said UH President David Lassner.

“This partnership has the potential to transform how we as a community approach education and our workforce, where our keiki, our culture and our ʻāina are positioned at the center of our decision-making,” said Jack Wong, CEO of Kamehameha Schools. “I’m grateful that we get to participate in the process and with partners who share the same values.”

Celeste Connors, executive director of Hawaiʻi Green Growth said, “The next generation will be the leaders that carry the Aloha+ Challenge forward to 2030. We are committed to working with Hawaiʻi’s youth to address global challenges through place-based knowledge, education, and practical workforce development programs and curriculum.”

The Aloha+ Challenge

The outcomes of the new agreement should help define Hawaiʻi’s green workforce and education 2030 goals as part of the Aloha+ Challenge statewide sustainability framework.

The Aloha+ Challenge is a statewide commitment to sustainability, launched in 2014 with the leadership of the governor, four county mayors, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, State Legislature, and Hawaiʻi Green Growth public-private partners across the state. It builds on Hawaiʻi’s history of systems thinking, Hawaiian culture and values and successful track record on sustainability 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 (including climate resilience and livability) and green workforce and and education.

Details of the new agreement

Under the new agreement, there are four primary areas of collaboration

• Youth Engagement: Create platforms for youth leadership and engagement in the Aloha+ Challenge Green Workforce and Education goal development process, as first step to involving youth leadership on all six Aloha+ Challenge sustainability goals;
• Leadership Building: Create practical internship or workforce opportunities for UH and KS students with Hawaiʻi Green Growth and other network or local partners;
• Educational Pathways: Develop an understanding of current and emerging workforce opportunities around sustainability and develop degree and certificate programs, including bridging from K12 to higher education, that prepare students for successful careers in these fields;
• Statewide Action: Coordinate joint action on Hawaiʻi’s 2030 sustainability goals, including the online Aloha+ Challenge dashboard to track progress, provide accountability, develop shared policy and initiatives to drive implementation, and the adoption of the Aloha+ Challenge as a statewide sustainability framework.

He lono moku was published on August 18, 2016

With the IUCN World Conservation Congress being held in the United States for the first time, Hawai'i's environment and sustainability efforts are on the world stage. He lono moku recognizes this global momentum and highlights priorities for environmental equilibrium in Hawai'i. This State of the Environment report shares our advances in freshwater security, renewable energy, and community-based marine management--as well as where our efforts fall short. Each year, He lono moku will track and share progress on a variety of environmental topics. 

To see this year's report, go to He Lono Moku: The State of the Environment.