STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1382

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 93

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 93 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE GOVERNOR AND THE STATE TO WORK TOWARDS A JUST CLIMATE FUTURE BY INTEGRATING INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE INTO POLICY AND DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES RELATED TO CLIMATE ADAPTATION, CLIMATE MITIGATION, AND CLIMATE RESILIENCY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Urge the Governor and the State to:

(A) Work towards a just climate future by integrating indigenous knowledge into policy and decision-making processes related to climate adaptation, climate mitigation, and climate resiliency; and

(B) Formulate and identify goals to facilitate a just climate future that purposefully and meaningfully includes indigenous knowledge as an integral component; and

(2) Urge the investment, integration, and practice of Olelo Hawaii as a key mechanism to achieving a just climate future.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Climate Protectors Hawaii, Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, Kupuna for the Moʻopuna, Hawaiʻi Public Health Association, Climate Change and Health Working Group, 350Hawaii.org, Coalition Earth, Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi, and eleven individuals.

Your Committee finds that the State has long been a recognized leader in environmental rights and the preservation of natural resources. Your Committee further finds that the integration of indigenous knowledge or indigenous traditional ecological knowledge has gained national and international attention as a crucial key to addressing the climate crisis. Due to unique climate change impacts affecting Hawaii, indigenous knowledge reflected in island-based science responses can enhance the State's capacity to adapt to and recover from climate-driven challenges.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Urging the Mayors of each county to:

(A) Work towards a just climate future by integrating indigenous knowledge into policy and decision-making processes related to climate adaptation, climate mitigation, and climate resiliency; and

(B) Formulate and identify goals to facilitate a just climate future that purposefully and meaningfully includes indigenous knowledge as an integral component;

(2) Amending its title accordingly; and

(3) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 93, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 93, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture and Environment,

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair