Hawaii ignores Trump, presses on with Paris climate agreement

John Bacon | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Hawaii made its Paris commitment official — by signing it into law One law aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions; the other creates a task force that will work to trap and store carbon dioxide. Video provided by Newsy

Hawaii Gov. David Ige has signed the nation's first state legislation boosting the drive toward the commitments of the Paris climate agreement despite the Trump administration decision to withdraw the U.S. from the global accord.

The Hawaii measures are designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, monitor the rise in sea level and encourage agricultural practices that improve soil health — crucial actions for the environmentally fragile island state, Ige said. He applauded the legislature for its efforts to "deliver the island Earth that we want to leave our children" and said his state is committed to "environmental stewardship.”

"Climate change is real, regardless of what others may say," Ige said at Tuesday's bill signing in Honolulu. "Hawaii is seeing the impact first hand. Tides are getting higher, biodiversity is shrinking, coral is bleaching, coastlines are eroding, weather is becoming more extreme. We must acknowledge these realities."

Andrew Light, a professor of public policy and atmospheric sciences at George Mason University, was one of the Obama administration’s climate negotiators in Paris. He said he was encouraged by the efforts of Hawaii and other states to essentially go it alone, without federal support.

"I am excited about what Hawaii has done," Light said. "Efforts by state, local and business leaders to mitigate the impact of the Trump administration decision are absolutely critical right now."

Read more:

Other states also have taken steps to align with the agreement. California's ambitious plan calls for reducing carbon emissions by 40% from 1990 levels by 2030. Both states are among more than a dozen in the newly formed U.S. Climate Alliance that share a commitment to upholding the Paris Accord and taking aggressive action on climate change.

The alliance was formed last week by three Democratic governors, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, California Gov. Edmund Brown and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. And they say the issue can be addressed without taking an economic hit.

“New York and states across the country are picking up the mantle of climate leadership and showing the world it’s possible to address climate change while also creating good-paying careers,” Cuomo said.

Cities are also getting involved. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced in April that all of the city's public buildings will be powered by renewable energy by 2025. At the bill signing in Honolulu, Mayor Kirk Caldwell and representatives for Hawaii Island Mayor Harry Kim, Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa and Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho signed a statement declaring their commitment to continue supporting the Paris agreement.

The earliest a nation can formally withdraw from the agreement is November 2020. But the greenhouse gas reduction targets are largely voluntary, and President Trump said last week his administration would "cease all implementation of the non-binding" deal, which more than 190 nations have signed.

Trump said it's possible the U.S. will be back on board in the future.

"We're getting out, but we will start to negotiate, and we’ll see if we can make a deal that’s fair,” he said.