State Climate Commission receives $3M grant for mitigation planning

Today, at a press conference as part of the Investing in America Tour, representatives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $3 million in federal funding to the State of Hawaiʻi for climate mitigation planning.

The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program, a two-phase initiative, provides grant funding to states, local governments, tribes, and territories to develop and implement plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution.

The Hawaiʻi Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, co-chaired by the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, is charged with coordinating efforts for the state to access implementation funds that will become available as part of Phase 2 in spring 2024.

“The goal is to create a highly inclusive, collaborative process to build strong project proposals to access the $4.6 billion pot of implementation funds,” said Leah Laramee, Climate Commission Coordinator. “We are hoping to receive funding for a wide range of projects, from large scale statewide implementation to community-led mitigation actions.”

Federal, state, and county leaders spoke at the event. Remarks covered climate challenges, excitement for the opportunity to work toward solutions to the challenging obstacles that climate change presents, and optimism at the collective resilience of state and local entities and groups.

“As co-chair of the State Climate Commission, I am inspired by the dedication of our partners and communities to work together for a healthier, more sustainable future,” said Department of Land and Natural Resources Chair Dawn Chang. “Environmental stewardship is a shared kuleana and lasting progress comes from cooperation.”