The State of Hawai‘i’s Office of Planning and Sustainable Development (OPSD) announced the state’s Hawai‘i 2050 Sustainability Plan: Charting a Course of the Decade of Action (2020-2030) — received a National Merit Award from the American Planning Association. The association’s Sustainable Communities Division recognized the plan’s excellence in sustainability.

The American Planning Association presented the award during a reception and awards celebration on Monday at the San Diego Central Library in California. The state’s Sustainability Coordinator Danielle M. Bass accepted the award on behalf of Gov. David Ige and the State of Hawaiʻi.

“It is a tremendous honor for the State of Hawaiʻi to be nationally recognized for its commitment to a more sustainable future – sharing a collective vision to protect our islands through climate adaptation, resiliency, and sustainable practices,” said Gov. Ige. “The Hawaiʻi 2050 Sustainability Plan is the state’s first nationally recognized sustainability and climate plan.”

“Hawai‘i has long been at the forefront of sustainable practices from our Native Hawaiian worldview to mālama ‘āina and mālama Honua,” said Bass. “This ten-year plan for the 2020-2030 decade brings us all together, as the people of Hawai‘i — across sectors, governmental agencies, and communities with a shared vision, strategies, and actions to build a sustainable Hawai‘i. We are greatly honored for this national recognition.”

The Hawaiʻi 2050 Sustainability Plan serves as the State of Hawaiʻi’s climate and sustainability strategic action plan. It recommends actions guiding the coordination and implementation of Hawai‘i’s sustainability and climate resilience in alignment with the crucial 2020-2030 Decade of Action, to meet the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals and goals of the Paris Agreement, locally.

The Sustainability Plan highlights the shared vision gathered through extensive public engagement and feedback that the COVID-19 pandemic offers a critical opportunity to reset and rethink Hawaiʻi’s near-term future to be more equitable, climate resilient, and sustainable. 

The plan is grounded in Hawaiian and traditional ecological knowledge and values. Its vision includes:

• A diversified economy that is rebuilt sustainably – not simply a return to “business as usual”
• Promoting a regenerative and sustainable tourism industry
• Increased self-sufficiency in the local agricultural and energy sectors
• Green workforce development 
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the energy, transportation, agriculture, and waste sectors 
• Advancing sustainable communities through strategies that improve land use 
• Investment in communities – education and people
• Investment in local infrastructure to ensure climate-resilient adaptation and strong sustainable communities for Hawaiʻi’s future For more information on the Hawai‘i 2050 Sustainability Plan: Charting a Course for the Decade of Action (2020-2030), visit https://hawaii2050.hawaii.gov/.