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The latest updates and information about the work of the Green Fee Advisory Council.
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In Hawaii, new tourism tax aims to offset costs of climate change
By Gordy Megroz for Bloomberg
(Bloomberg) — As Hawaii nears the second anniversary of the Maui fires — which scorched 17,000 acres of residential and commercial buildings, cultural landmarks and vegetation, causing $5.5 billion of damage — its government is turning to tourism to mitigate future climate-related disasters.
A new “green fee,” proposed by Gov. Josh Green and passed through the legislature on May 2, is now the first of its kind in the country. It aims to raise some $100 million each year by marginally hiking tourism levies from 10.25% to 11%, costing Hawaii’s 10 million annual tourists an average of $2 per day. And unlike most tourism taxes, which fund such infrastructure as roads and public transportation, the revenue raised through the green fee will go exclusively to environmental projects, be they beach and coral reef restoration efforts or the removal of fire-prone grasses.
Column: Green fee is step toward sustainability
By Kainan Miranda for Honolulu Star-Advertiser
There are rare moments in public policy when government takes a bold step that demands attention. Seven years ago, Hawaii did just that with Act 15, committing the state to full decarbonization by 2045. With the passage of Act 96 this year, Hawaii once again stepped forward — taking bold, values-driven action. As climate change accelerates and many governments struggle to respond, Hawaii acted decisively. Our lawmakers made a clear, principled decision to invest in the long-term care of our environment and communities
Governor: I’ll Be ‘Agnostic’ On How Hawaiʻi Spends Its New Green Fee
By Marcel Honoré for Honolulu Civil Beat
Climate experts and proponents of Hawaiʻi’s new green fee will kick off next month what Gov. Josh Green has dubbed the “green fee initiative” — a process to decide how hundreds of millions of dollars for climate- and conservation-related projects will be spent.
Heading into the fall, that initiative will include community input and public meetings, Green said during the latest “Civil Cafe” event, which explored Hawaiʻi’s green fee, the first of its kind in the country, and how it might work.
Green pledged that when collections start next year state officials will provide monthly online accounting so the public can see how the money is being spent. Those state officials expect the fee to raise some $100 million annually from an additional 0.75% tax on local hotel stays and short-term stays, which will flow into the state’s general fund.
Hawai’i Has A ‘Blue’ Fee. What Can It Tell Us About The New Green Fee?
By Leilani Combs for Honolulu Civil Beat
As Hawaiʻi prepares to collect a first-of-its-kind green fee to protect the environment — one aimed mostly at short-term visitors — a similar conservation fee on ocean users established last year offers insights.
Since 2024, state land and water officials have been charging an extra $1 to people who parasail, take dolphin tours or join snorkel excursions, Waikīkī cruises and other recreational outings in Hawaiʻi’s waters. The money is intended to help offset their impacts on coral reefs, fish, turtles and other marine life.
A Year of Disaster Resilience: Hawaiʻi’s Climate Advisory Team Closes Out With a Call for Continued Action
By Climate Advisory Team
One year ago, Governor Josh Green, M.D., established the Hawaiʻi Climate Advisory Team (CAT). The Governor’s charge to our group was urgent and clear: develop policy recommendations that minimize the impacts of future climate-related disasters like the 2023 Maui wildfires, and speed recovery from the physical and financial damage they cause.
Throughout the year, our six-person team worked tirelessly to understand Hawaiʻi’s climate and disaster vulnerabilities, identify evidence-based solutions to mitigate these vulnerabilities, and advance legislation that ensures these solutions are funded and implemented. With the passage of Act 96, also known as the “Green Fee,” we are proud to have helped secure a sustainable funding stream of roughly $100 million per year for disaster resilience work in Hawaiʻi.
Hawaii gets first state fire marshal in 46 years
By Andrew Gomes for Honolulu Star-Advertiser
An Army combat veteran with high-level fire safety job experience in Arizona is Hawaii’s new state fire marshal.
A state council has appointed Dori Booth to the position leading an office resurrected by state lawmakers in 2024 in response to the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfire disaster, which killed 102 people and destroyed most of Lahaina.
Gov. Josh Green announced Booth’s selection Monday and said it marks a historic return to a centralized approach to statewide fire protection in Hawaii.
Hawaii Imposes the Nation’s First Climate Change Tax for Tourists — And It's Expected to Generate $100 Million Annually
By Charlotte Phillipp for People Magazine
Legislators in Hawaii are implementing a hefty tax on tourism that they believe will help the state government take action against climate change.
According to the Associated Press and USA Today, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green signed a bill on Tuesday, May 27, that increased a tax on hotel room, vacation rentals and cruise ships to raise money to be used for issues such as eroding shorelines, wildfires and more.
Known as the first ever "Green Fee" in the country, Hawaii's Act 96 will raise the state's current transient accommodations tax (TAT) by 0.75%, making the taxes on nightly lodging rates 11%. The tax will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, according to a press release from Green's office.
Waikiki tourists voice support for extra fee for ‘a good cause’
By Dan Nakaso for Honolulu Star-Advertiser
An upcoming increase in the state hotel room tax of less than 1% — or $3 more per night for a $400 room — won’t deter any of nearly two dozen Waikiki tourists from coming back, especially if it provides money to restore beaches, fight erosion and prevent future wildfires, they unanimously told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Wednesday.
“It wouldn’t discourage me,” Sam Powell, 33, of Roanoke, Va., said on Kalakaua Avenue in the middle of his first trip to Oahu with his wife, sister, brother-in-law and nephews. “It’s just another $3 a night.”
Visitors up and down Kalakaua and Kapahulu avenues unanimously supported the increase in the state’s Transient Accommodations Tax that begins Jan. 1 and was signed into law by Gov. Josh Green on Tuesday as Act 96.
Off the news: Green signs landmark state climate fee
By Honolulu Star-Advertiser Editorial Board
Gov. Josh Green signed “first-in-the-nation” legislation on Tuesday, adding 0.75% to Hawaii’s transient accommodations tax on hotel stays and cruise-ship port calls to raise funding for climate change-related projects, including wildfire threat reduction.
Hawaii enacts 'green fee' on tourists to raise $100 million annually for climate, ecology protection
By Ashley J. DiMella for Fox News
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat, has signed into law a "Green Fee" bill that will raise tourist taxes to help fund "climate-change" mitigation.
Senate Bill 1396 raises the tourist tax on Hawaii hotels to 11% starting Jan. 1 — which would then increase to 12% the following year, according to the text of the bill.
Portions of the revenue raised would go into the "Climate Mitigation and Resiliency Special Fund" and the "Economic Development and Revitalization Special Fund," according to the bill.
Hawaii Introduces Tourist Tax for People Visiting State
By Marni Rose McFall for Newsweek
Governor Josh Green has signed legislation boosting the tax on hotel rooms and vacation rentals as Hawaii seeks to raise money to help address the potential ramifications of climate change.
Known for its beautiful beaches and tropical climate, Hawaii has long been a popular tourist destination, and increasing numbers of Americans have visited the state since 2014. In 2022, 7 million American tourists went to Hawaii, according to Statista.
In August 2023, wildfires ignited across the island of Maui, with flames being spurred on by strong winds. The fires left 102 people dead and caused considerable damage to the city of Lahaina, with up to 80 percent of it destroyed. Green mentioned the state's need for additional firebreaks at Tuesday's bill signing.
Governor signs 'Green Fee,' raising hotel tax to 11% to fund climate resilience projects
By Ashley Mizuo for Hawaiʻi Public Radio
Gov. Josh Green has signed what’s being called the “Green Fee” into law. It raises the state’s transient accommodations tax by 0.75 percentage points, bringing it to 11%.
It also puts the tax on cruise ships, which have not been paying any hotel tax. The tax increase will go into effect in 2026.
The increased revenue will go toward climate resilience. Green explained that it’s a major step forward for the state to adapt to climate change.
Hawaii becomes first US state to charge 'Green Fee' on tourists
By Kathleen Wong for USA Today
Hawaii became the first U.S. state to establish a climate impact fee on Tuesday, placing an additional tax on tourists to fund climate change resiliency projects and environmental stewardship within the islands.
As the country's inaugural "Green Fee," Act 96 will raise the state's current transient accommodations tax (TAT) by 0.75% for a total of 11% placed upon the nightly lodging rate, effective Jan. 1, 2026, according to a press release by Governor Josh Green's office.
Hawaii's 'Green Fee' to raise hotel, cruiseship charges in January
By Elizabeth ʻUfi for Pacific Business News
Staying at hotel in Hawaii is about to get even more expensive. Beginning next year, visitors staying at a Hawaii hotel or short-term rental will have to pay an added .75% climate-impact fee to the state's existing transient accommodations tax, raising the state visitor tax bill to nearly 11%.
This means a $100 hotel room for one night would now cost an additional 75 cents, with the total charge being $115.5 including the increased TAT from $10.25 to $11 and $4.50 from base general excise tax and county surcharge fees.
The fee is the first-ever climate impact fee, coined the "Green Fee", signed into law by Gov. Josh Green on Tuesday. He said revenue from the fee is projected to generate $100 million annually and would be intended to fund climate protection and environmental resilience efforts, such as wildfire prevention and sea-level rise adaptation.
Hawaii climate impact fee becomes law
By Dan Nakaso for Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Everyone who stays in a Hawaii hotel, cruise ship or other lodging beginning Jan. 1 will pay an extra $3 for every $400 in overnight costs — or an additional $30 for every $4,000 spent to stay in the islands — to help Hawaii pay to address climate change and reduce the risk of future wildfires.
Gov. Josh Green signed Senate Bill 1396 into law as Act 96 on Tuesday while surrounded by representatives of Hawaii’s tourism and lodging industries who cheered on the new law, along with state legislators who navigated the bill through the legislative session that just ended.
Hawaii to make sweeping tourism changes in bid to combat climate change
By Audrey McAvoy for The Independent
Hawaii has enacted a law to increase taxes on hotel rooms and vacation rentals, with the goal of generating funds to combat climate change effects such as shoreline erosion and wildfires.
Signed into law on Tuesday by Governor Josh Green, the legislation is projected to generate around $100 million each year. These funds will support initiatives, including replenishing sand on Waikiki beaches, promoting the use of hurricane clips to secure roofs, and removing flammable invasive grasses that contributed to the devastating Lahaina wildfire.
Hawaii will tax vacation stays and use money to help counter climate crisis
By Guardian Staff and Agencies
Hawaii’s governor signed legislation that boosts a tax imposed on hotel room and vacation rental stays in order to raise money to address the consequences of the climate crisis.
It’s the first time in a government in the US imposes such levy to help cope with a warming planet.
Hawaii’s governor signs new hotel tax legislation to help cope with climate change
By Audrey McAvoy for The Associated Press
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii’s governor signed legislation Tuesday that boosts a tax imposed on hotel room and vacation rental stays in order to raise money to address eroding shorelines, wildfires and other consequences of climate change.
The signing, which comes nearly two years after a Maui wildfire killed 102 people and wiped out almost all of Lahaina town, marks the nation’s first such levy to help cope with a warming planet.
Governor signs ‘green fee’ into law to tackle climate change
By HNN Staff
Gov. Josh Green is signing into law a bill that creates a first-of-its-kind “green fee’ to help Hawaii address the impacts of climate change.
Senate Bill 1396 increases the tax visitors pay on hotels, vacation rentals, and cruise ships that dock at Hawaii ports by 0.75%.
The green fee would be added to each county’s 3% lodging tax and a 4.7% general excise tax. That would push a visitor’s tax bill to more than 18.7%, among the highest in the nation.
The fee is expected to raise about $100 million a year for projects to make the state’s infrastructure more resilient to the climate crisis.
Hawaiʻi Makes History As First State To Charge Tourists To Save Environment
By Marcel Honoré for Honolulu Civil Beat
Hawaiʻi has officially become the first U.S. state to enact a so-called “green fee” — a charge added onto hotel room stays and other short-term visits to help protect the local environment and address the growing impacts of climate change.
Gov. Josh Green signed the fee into law Tuesday after years of unsuccessfully urging the Legislature to pass it. Set to take effect next year, the fee could raise around $100 million annually, state officials estimate, a portion of which will go toward Hawaiʻi’s response to future disasters similar to the 2023 Lahaina wildfire.