As we pass the halfway point of the 2020s, the climate crisis is escalating at a pace that defies our preparedness. Global greenhouse gas emissions remain dangerously high, and this year set records for both heat and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, with CO2 concentration rising by an unprecedented 3.4 parts per million, an 86% increase over the previous year’s growth rate, marking the highest rise in recorded history.
Last year, natural carbon sinks like forests and soils absorbed nearly no carbon, and essential climate system components — including ice sheets, ocean circulation and tropical forests — are approaching irreversible tipping points. The world is currently on track for a temperature increase of 2.6 to 3.1 C by century’s end, a rise that would make large areas of our planet unlivable.
Hawaii, on the frontlines of climate change, faces a dual responsibility: to act for its own survival and to lead by example. Hawaii’s legacy as a renewable energy pioneer is vital, but we must double down on clean energy deployment and climate resilience. Our true potential lies in modeling responsible, climate-resilient behavior for the world, showing what genuine climate leadership looks like.
In the 2025 legislative session, Hawaii has a critical opportunity to pass laws that prioritize cutting emissions and fortifying adaptation planning. Emissions reduction must remain a top priority. Hawaii has made great strides toward clean energy, but we need policies that move faster.
Hawaii should mandate stronger energy efficiency standards across sectors, require solar and battery systems in new construction, and expand electric vehicle infrastructure. Community solar projects, especially in underserved areas, should be prioritized to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and make clean and affordable energy accessible to all. Hawaii’s carbon-intensive tourism sector must also transition to sustainable practices, with incentives to reduce emissions from transportation and hospitality.
Simultaneously, Hawaii cannot afford to delay adaptation measures. Rising sea levels, coastal erosion, intense rain bombs and deepening drought have become the new normal. Without robust adaptation strategies, these impacts will further strain our infrastructure and worsen vulnerabilities in underserved communities. Hawaii’s geography and history make us susceptible to extreme weather, fire-prone landscapes, and coastal flooding that threatens communities, tourism assets, and public health.
A key element of Hawaii’s adaptation strategy should be integrating indigenous knowledge systems that have long guided sustainable resource use in the islands. Native Hawaiian practices offer insights into living harmoniously with the land and sea, knowledge that modern science alone cannot replicate. Integrating indigenous perspectives with scientific research, Hawaii can develop a more holistic and culturally attuned approach to climate resilience.
For example, ahupua‘a land management practices — integrating resource management from ridgeline to reef — emphasize ecosystem interdependence and can inform today’s strategies for water and resource conservation.
An Adaptation Science Center at the University of Hawaii could support these efforts, bringing together oceanography, Earth and atmospheric science, engineering, ecology, and indigenous knowledge to develop Hawaii’s path to resilience. This center could focus on priorities like heat vulnerability mapping, drought resilience strategies, and disaster-resilient infrastructure. Establishing Hawaii as a global hub for adaptation research could attract federal and international funding, making Hawaii a leader in climate resilience for vulnerable communities worldwide.
Inaction on adaptation would be disastrous. Experts predict that for every 1 C of warming, roughly 1 billion people could be displaced globally. At 2.7 C of warming, about one-third of humanity could live in conditions similar to the Sahara Desert. Hawaii is already experiencing more extreme heat, extended drought, and intense storms, which threaten to displace communities, strain emergency response, and push vulnerable populations into poverty.
Investing in adaptation is not just a moral obligation; it’s an economic necessity. Sea level rise and coastal flooding jeopardize transportation routes, tourism infrastructure and communities, leading to lost revenue and property damage.
As the Legislature convenes in 2025, Hawaii stands at a crossroads. The stakes have never been clearer. This session should set the tone for a future that prioritizes emissions reduction, safeguards vulnerable communities, and respects indigenous knowledge. Hawaii can and must lead the world toward a sustainable, resilient future — for ourselves and for the world.
Chip Fletcher is interim dean of the University of Hawaii-Manoa’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology.
