The Aloha+ Challenge
Hawai'i launched the Aloha+ Challenge, a statewide commitment to sustainability, with the leadership of the Governor, four county Mayors, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, State Legislature, and Hawai‘i Green Growth public-private partners across the state. The Aloha+ Challenge: He Nohona ‘Ae‘oia, A Culture of Sustainability builds on Hawai‘i's history of systems thinking, Hawaiian culture and values, and successful track record on sustainabiliy to outline six ambitious goals to be achieved by 2030 in clean energy transformation, local food production, natural resource management, solid waste reduction, smart sustainable communities (incuding climate resilience and livability), and green workforce and and education.
Hawai'i's elected officials formally signed the Aloha+ Challenge Declaration at a press conference on July 7th 2014. The State Legislature unanimously endorsed the Aloha+ Challenge with a Senate Concurrent resolution (SCR69). Hawai‘i Green Growth, the public-private partnership platform that serves as the backbone organization for the Aloha+ Challenge, is developing shared measures and a joint policy and action agenda to track progress, provide accountability, and drive implementation on Hawai‘i's 2030 goals.
The Aloha+ Challenge was inspired by the Global Island Partnership and other island commitments like the Micronesia Challenge and Caribbean Challenge, broadening the focus to include the environmental, economic and social pillars of sustainable development. The Hawaiian name for the Aloha+ Challenge is He Nohona 'Ae'oia: A Culture of Sustainability; Aloha+ was chosen to represent Hawai'i's unique, integrated approach to sustainability rooted in Hawaiian culture, values, and knowledge.
Learn more about Hawai‘i's 2030 sustainability goals, and visit the online Aloha+ Challenge Dashboard.
Enjoy this video featuring Hawai‘i's leadership on the Aloha+ Challenge
Global Challenges, Local Solutions
In September 2015, the United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), setting a powerful global 2030 agenda for the next 15 years. The Aloha+ Challenge is a place-based model that can be scaled with islands, coastal communities, and sub-national to help advance locally appropriate implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Hawai‘i and the US Department of State jointly announced the Aloha+ Challenge as an example of US action for green growth at the 2014 United Nations Conference on Small Island Developing States in Samoa. The Aloha+ Challenge continues to be recognized internationally as a unique local model that supports economic growth, environmental stewardship, and community resilience.
Interviews with Aloha+ Challenge signatories and leaders:
- Governor David Ige
- Mayor Kirk Caldwell
- Mayor Billy Kenoi
- Mayor Alan Arawaka
- Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr.
- Ka Pouhana Kamanao'pono Crabbe, Office of Hawaiian Affairs
- Former Governor Neil Abercrombie
- University of Hawaii President David Lassner
- Jacqueline Kozak Thiel, former Sustainability Coordinator for the State of Hawai'i
- Hawai'i's Elected Leaders Commit to Sustainability: July 7, 2014
- Honorable Ronny Jumeau, Seychelles Ambassador for Climate Change and Small Island Developing State Issues