2024-09-25 PL-INT-2024-008759 GP 2045 Draft Comments - D. Thompson

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Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Climate Adaptation Actions t _ter Integrated Climate Action Plan for the Island of Hawaii Build Local Resilience to Climate Change .rplfr�� Ere a VISION, GOALS, AND ALIGNMENT Hawaii Island has long held a reciprocal relationship between land and people. As an island community, we can tangibly experience the cascading effects of our actions on the people and places surrounding us. Island communities such as Hawaii Island are at the forefront of climate change, as we experience impacts such as sea level rise and coral bleaching. Our small population and island geography make us feel more deeply the cascading effects of any impact on the health and the land of the people. The ICAP is a first step by Hawaii County to address the causes and effects of climate change. The County has a dual role to play: reducing the County's contribution to global climate change; and building the resiliency of our programs, policies, and infrastructure to climate change. The actions outlined in the ICAP will help the County achieve the following vision and goals, in alignment with existing State and County priorities. Vision We ensure a just transition to a climate resilient island by addressing the causes and impacts of climate change through incorporating equitable climate mitigation and adaptation priorities into policies, programs, infrastructure, and decision making. coals O Improve County capacity to implement climate action. O Reduce the County's contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions. O Increase the resilience of County infrastructure, assets, and services to climate change impacts. Alignment Several commitments at the State and County level have set mandated and non-mandated greenhouse gas emissions goals for select industries (Figure 2). Targets have been set for greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy standards, and transportation reform. However, clear and explicit goals codified at the County level are needed to emphasize the urgency and commitment this plan requires. To demonstrate the County's commitment to climate action, the County should codify climate mitigation and adaptation goals. This plan recommends that the County codify mitigation goals in alignment with State renewable energy goals, County renewable energy for transportation goals, and the County's zero waste resolution. This plan recommends that the County codify adaptation goals in alignment with the Climate Adaptation Priority Guidelines defined in the State Planning Act. Vision,Goals and Alignment 1