The CAT proposed fourteen actionable policy solutions for consideration by Governor Green and the Hawaiʻi State Legislature. These fourteen policy recommendations represented specific ideas, born out of the 60+ in-depth interviews conducted by the CAT during its research phase, together with the combined expertise of the CAT members and consultants. Three of these ideas specifically required legislative action. They included: 

• Establish a new Hawaiʻi Climate Resilience Fund, which would provide substantial and stable financial support for prioritized environmental and infrastructure resilience projects.

• Ensure disaster recovery funds will be available to provide financial assistance to the most vulnerable residents after disasters occur.

• Support, expand, and appropriately resource the Office of the State Fire Marshal and community programs to adapt to fire risk.

The policy paper provides a conceptual overview of how these funds can be administered equitably and transparently. The Climate Advisory Team suggests a system where applicants to the resilience fund are required to describe how they intend to maximize the investment dollar they are requesting. Through reporting and tracking, the administrator or commission overseeing the fund can see how those investments are benefiting the public and the environment. The CAT does not provide a detailed mechanism for administering the funds as this will be the kuleana of our elected officials who will decide what to do with these recommendations and how to encapsulate them into laws.

Sign up for email updates at www.hawaiiclimateadvisoryteam.org; the CAT sent key information and action alerts throughout the legislative session.

If you have specific questions, please contact us using the inquiry form on the CAT website here: https://www.hawaiiclimateadvisoryteam.org/contact. We will do our best to get you the information you’re looking for.

While the immediate issues were assigned to the Property Insurance Task Force, our recommendations were meant, in part, to look at the long-term work needed to bend the curve back on property insurance. Other states and areas have determined that significant resilience work, especially in the form of conservation and improving built environments, is important for long-term positive impact on the insurance market.

The renewable energy transition is critical to disaster resilience and addressing vulnerabilities in our local communities. The transition to renewable energy allows us to be solely responsible for our resources and energy independence at every level, which amplifies resilience. At the household level, every home with rooftop solar is more independent after a storm and can help the neighbors around them. By supporting the expansion and development of resilience hubs, which should include a microgrid, communities will be more prepared and resilient in the event of a disaster. While decarbonization and climate mitigation were not the primary focus of the CAT, we recognize that the renewable energy transition is critical to disaster resilience moving forward.

The CAT was convened as a short-term advisory team with the specific task of formulating policy recommendations in advance of the 2025 legislative session. The CAT recognized the need for oversight, accountability and continuity in implementing these recommendations, which is one of the key reasons the Policy Paper recommended a permanent Hawaiʻi Resilience Office. Such an office would lead Hawaiʻi’s coordinated strategic approach to improving resilience and preparedness for climate-related disasters.

A permanent Hawaiʻi Resilience Office (HRO) would provide the necessary leadership and coordination of a strategic, integrated approach to improve Hawaiʻi’s resilience and preparedness pre-disaster. This mandate differs from the role of the temporary Hawaiʻi Office Recovery and Resiliency (HRO), which is focused largely on post-disaster and long-term recovery efforts rather than resilience planning. The interagency State of Hawaiʻi Climate Commission, attached to the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), has the important kuleana of coordinating and gathering the latest science and information on climate change impacts on Hawaiʻi and focusing on the long-term “stressors” or pressures that make climate events more likely and severe. A permanent Hawaiʻi Resilience Office (HRO) would complement the Climate Commission’s work and build on the work of the existing temporary HI-ORR by focusing on preparing the state to minimize the negative effects of disasters by coordinating pre-disaster resilience efforts across state agencies, the four counties, private organizations and community groups. Working together, the Climate Commission and the proposed HRO will build a stronger, more disaster-ready Hawai’i.

The Climate Advisory Team received very helpful expert feedback from the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DLNR-DOFAW) on its desired adjustments to the proposed spending in the CAT policy paper. DOFAW’s proposed adjustments to spending were based on the fact that the mauka watersheds have more area, current organizational capacity and direct conservation actions that can be taken. Additionally, they noted that mauka work is often recommended as the main action to protect coastlines and reefs from sedimentation. 

We believe $55 million per year should be allocated for the fortification of natural makai and mauka protection. DOFAW recommends that a quarter ($13.75 million) be spent on priority coral reefs, beaches, dunes and fishponds and three quarters ($41.25 million) be spent on enhancing forest and watershed protection. This is because of the magnitude of work needed in the mauka areas, which are estimated to cost around $2,000/acre. Examples of these projects are here: https://arcg.is/0GOfL10.

Please see Appendix E of the Climate Advisory Team’s Policy Paper for more information.