University of Hawaii Relases Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan UPDATE Report

The Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan UPDATE Report was unveiled this month by the University of Hawaii's College of Social Sciences Public Policy Center at the Hawaii State Capitol. In short, the report makes the following recommendations:

• Incorporate the Plan definition and goals of sustainability as a new section into the Hawaii State Planning Act.
• Develop and implement policies based on common themes voiced by citizens across the counties in the cross sector dialogs.
• Support the continuing public-private collaboration, community discussions, and efforts on sustainability initiatives.
• Adopt measures of accountability, including data and data sources, indicators and benchmarks.
• Develop a sustainability coordinating entity to carry forward the H2050 Plan; i.e., creating a sustainability council as a continuing government organization (previously introduced by the legislature in 2008).

In 2008, the Hawaii State Legislature passed legislation (Act 225) that required the Policy Center to review the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan prepared in 2007.

The governor allowed the bill to pass in protest without her signature. Her reasons for not supporting the bill were because "[t]wo years and $1.7 million dollars of State funds" were previously spent by the Legislature on the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan and the "bill continues the discussion, rather than implements actions that are needed to transform our economy[.]"

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