Hawaii Gov. David Ige (D) is leading a group of legislators and staffers to the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) now underway in Glasgow, Scotland, pledging to reduce to zero-carbon emissions.
The meeting of world leaders discussing how to deal with global climate change is described as the most consequential since the world climate summit was held in Paris in 2015.
“I want to make it clear that government action at the sub-national level is needed, doable and in line with how our society can and should function,” Ige said, according to Big Island Now. “Climate change is an existential threat, and like traditional navigators in Hawaiian voyaging canoes, we can see storm clouds ahead.”
The Climate Commission is comprised of state legislators and representatives from 20 county and state departments.
Hawaii was the first state to adopt goals in the Paris Accords and created a state-run Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission to oversee the process. Hawaii is also the first in the world to adopt a 100% clean energy goal, the report said.
“We are grateful that rejoining the Paris Agreement has enabled our country to renew its pledge to keep global warming under two degrees,” Ige said, according to Big Island Now. “The Hawaii delegation to COP26 will continue to push for climate action and demonstrate that islands, such as the Hawaiian Islands, can lead the way.”
Suzanne Case, cochair of the Climate Commission, said a “zero-emission” target goal is to be accomplished over the next 24 years.
“To do this, we need to capture emissions directly from the air through natural and working lands,” she told Big Island Now. “Our target is to sequester more than we emit no later than 2045, if not sooner.”
Rising seas from global warming threaten Hawaii’s economy, which depends on tourism. Earlier this year, the Hawaii State Senate issued a resolution declaring a climate emergency in the state.
"We are embracing big ambitions because we know they lead to big actions," Ige told the Commission. "Reversing the climate crisis is critical to preserving our unique biodiversity, culture and economy. Hawaii is all-in to address our climate crisis, and this is the message we will be taking to COP26."