The Hawaiʻi Climate Advisory Team releases policy paper of recommendations on climate disaster resilience, recovery and funding

By Climate Advisory Team

The Climate Advisory Team (the “CAT”) has released a policy paper of recommendations for the 2025 legislative session. The policy paper describes actions Hawaiʻi can take immediately while simultaneously building the foundation for long-term policies that will help Hawaiʻi survive and respond to future disasters.

The CAT conducted extensive research throughout the summer and fall of 2024 to inform the now-available policy paper, which includes six primary findings and recommendations grouped into five major segments—financial commitment, government kuleana, thriving environment, community resilience, and financial recovery. In this paper, the CAT suggests various funding models that have been developed as potentially viable ways to finance the policy recommendations. The CAT recommends near-term policy changes and financing approaches as essential starting points—a down payment on the full investment required by the state to fully address the challenges ahead.

The policy paper is now available at www.hawaiiclimateadvisoryteam.org/solutions. The CAT welcomes comments from the public via the online portal at the link above, and is inviting the public to learn more at a virtual presentation by the CAT members on Friday, January 10, at 9:30 a.m. Please visit www.hawaiiclimateadvisoryteam.org for more information and to pre-register for the webinar. 

Read the press release on the Governor’s official newsroom website