STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1230-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: S.B. No. 2965

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2965, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION AND ADAPTION INITIATIVE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission (Commission) to:

(1) Prioritize, identify, utilize, and maintain nature-based solutions in its climate change mitigation and adaption efforts at the regional, state, and local levels; and

(2) Develop a science-based carbon budget for the State based on greenhouse gas analysis in the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Hawai‘i Reef and Ocean Coalition, Organizing for Action, Blue Planet Foundation, Sierra Club of Hawai‘i, The Nature Conservancy of Hawai‘i, Healthy Climate Communities, Friends of Hanauma Bay, and many individuals supported this measure. An individual opposed this measure. The Office of Planning and Life of the Land provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying the definition of "nature-based solutions" to mean actions that may work cooperatively and in tandem with built and modified ecosystems when appropriate and necessary for climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts; and

(2) Changing its effective date to January 28, 2045, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2965, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2965, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair