STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1632

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 111

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Transportation and Culture and the Arts and Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.R. No. 111 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING THE ADOPTION OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL PLASTICS TREATY AND RAPA NUI SUMMIT DECLARATION TO ADDRESS CLIMATE JUSTICE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to encourage the adoption of recommendations from the United National Global Plastics Treaty and Rapa Nui Summit Declaration to address climate justice and sustainable development.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from Greenpeace Hawaii, 350Hawaii.org, Energy Justice Network, Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, Green Party of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi Reef and Ocean Coalition, Kauai Climate Action Coalition, and two individuals.

Your Committees find that plastic pollution contributes to climate change and biodiversity loss while threatening public health. Plastic pollution is especially dangerous to the State given its cultural and economic reliance on the diverse ecology of the islands and surrounding ocean. The United Nations Global Plastics Treaty and Rapa Nui Summit Declaration offer guidance for states to reduce and address plastic pollution. Accordingly, this measure encourages the adoption and implementation of the recommendations these documents offer which will better position the State to address the harmful effects of plastics.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that the State should aim to create economic incentives that follow the Zero Waste Hierarchy, rather than the waste hierarchy; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Transportation and Culture and the Arts and Agriculture and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 111, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 111, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Transportation and Culture and the Arts and Agriculture and Environment,

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair

________________________________ CHRIS LEE, Chair