Hawai'i County Mayor Mitch Roth signed Bill 48 into law on July 26, which established the new Office of Sustainability, Climate, Equity, and Resilience (OSCER) for the county. Roth said on social media that he is "most excited" about the equitable practices the bill contains.
Roth posted on Facebook July 26 that he had signed the bill alongside "colleagues Council Chair Heather Kimball and Councilwoman Rebecca Villegas, the authors and champions of this critical legislation.
"After 2 years of development, the Bill aims to curb the rising challenge of climate change with a specific climate-focused office that blends scientific knowledge with culturally-aware practices in the protection of Hawai'i Island's rich culture and ecosystems," Roth said in the post.
The bill is intended to address the county's responsibility in mitigating climate change while increasing resiliency in both its facilities and services to the effects of climate change, according to reporting by Big Island Now in May. It would bring together a variety of stakeholders to share expertise and insights, the report states, and "serve as a roadmap for the County’s climate action goals and identify the key actions that must be taken to achieve these objectives. It also will provide a framework for accountability and transparency and serve as a tool to ensure that the County remains on track in its efforts to address climate change," Big Island Now reported.
Roth, in his Facebook post, said he is "most excited" by the measure's equitable practices that will lift up Native Hawaiian and other "marginalized communities" while also securing "environmental and cultural justice for our island home."
"As your leaders, we are committed to ensuring that this is a Hawaiʻi Island where our keiki will be able to raise their keiki for generations," Roth said in the post, "and the OSCER will be a critical component to ensuring that vision is made a reality.
"Mahalo to all who continue to make the sustainability of our island and its most precious resource, its people, a priority."