Hawaii on Thursday agreed to take action to decarbonize its transportation system by 2045 to settle a lawsuit by 13 young people alleging the U.S. state was violating their rights under its constitution with infrastructure that contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.
Democratic Governor Josh Green announced the "groundbreaking" settlement at a news conference attended by some of the activists and lawyers involved in the lawsuit, which they called the first-ever youth-led climate case seeking zero emissions in transportation. They argued that the state had prioritized infrastructure projects such as highway construction and expansion that lock in the use of fossil fuels rather than focusing on projects that cut carbon emissions. "We're addressing the impacts of climate change today, and needless to say, this is a priority because we know now that climate change is here," Green said.
"It is not something that we're considering in an abstract way in the future." The case had been set for trial on Monday. It would have been the second-ever trial in the United States of a lawsuit by young people who claim their futures and health are jeopardized by climate change and that a state's actions violated their rights.
As part of the settlement, Hawaii will develop a roadmap to achieve zero emissions for its ground, sea, and inner island air transportation systems by 2045, the year by which the state was already aiming to become carbon neutral. The agreement, which ca.
