On June 4, 2018, Governor David Ige of Hawaii signed into law two very important bills to combat climate change: HB 2182 and HB 1986. Representative Chris Lee authored the first bill, HB 2182, which makes Hawaii carbon neutral by 2045 and establishes the Greenhouse Gas Sequestration Task Force. The second bill, HB 1986, complements HB 2182 by creating a framework for a carbon offset program that allows for carbon credits through global carbon sequestration protocols. HB 1986 was also modified by Representative Chris Lee. These two ambitious laws set an unprecedented example for other states to follow. Governor Schwarzenegger and the Schwarzenegger Institute congratulate Hawaii, Governor Ige, and Representative Chris Lee on their leadership to combat climate change and are proud to have contributed to the success of this recent legislation.
Representative Chris Lee used the Schwarzenegger Institute’s Digital Environmental Legislative Handbook as a resource when drafting HB 2182 and sought guidance from Senator Pavley throughout the legislative process. Senator Pavley shared her legislative expertise and best practices from the Handbook with Representative Chris Lee, which ultimately resulted in the passage of these bills. The Schwarzenegger Institute is pleased that the Digital Environmental Legislative Handbook is proving to be a resourceful tool for state legislators across the country. HB 2182 and HB 1986 have already been added to the Digital Environmental Legislative Handbook for other states to follow.