Hawaii is poised to take a momentous step in the recognition of the severity of climate change with the adoption of the State Senate Concurrent Resolution 44. Under the new bill, Hawaii will officially declare a state of emergency in response to the threat of climate change. 

Although this may sound dire, we cannot hope to solve a problem we do not recognize, so the state’s actions are a move to legitimize and catalyze the effort to mitigate and reverse climate change. Under the new bill, the state “acknowledges that an existential climate emergency threatens humanity and the natural world, declares a climate emergency, and requests statewide collaboration toward an immediate just transition and emergency mobilization effort to restore a safe climate.”

In addition to recognizing the magnitude of the issue, the bill also calls for investment in clean energy, quality jobs, and a statewide commitment to a climate emergency mobilization effort in order to combat the issue. 

Although Hawaii is the first state to declare a climate change state of emergency, 144 districts or cities within the US have taken similar measures. We hope that Hawaii’s move will motivate other states to pursue similar actions and prioritize the establishment of a green economy.