Aloha Friend,

Yesterday, Governor Josh Green joined youth plaintiffs in announcing the resolution of the Navahine v. Hawaii Department of Transportation constitutional climate case, the world’s first youth-led case seeking to address transportation emissions.

The settlement agreement, which the court has approved, acknowledges the constitutional rights of Hawaii’s youth to a life-sustaining climate and confirms the commitment by HDOT to plan and implement transformative changes of Hawaii’s transportation system to achieve the state’s goal of net-negative emissions by 2045.

“The passion demonstrated by these young people in advocating for a healthy, sustainable future for their generation and those to come, is laudable,” Governor Green said. “This settlement informs how we as a state can best move forward to achieve life-sustaining goals and further, we can surely expect to see these and other youth in Hawaii continue to step up to build the type of future they desire.”

Thirteen youth from across the Hawaiian Islands brought the case in June 2022, asserting their rights to a safe and healthy climate and asking the Hawaii state government to take action to meet the climate emergency and enable Hawaii’s paradigm shift to a climate-safe, zero-emissions transportation system.

Navahine is also the first settlement agreement in which state government departments and agencies have agreed to work with youth plaintiffs to address concerns regarding constitutional issues arising from climate change, and commit to implementing specific plans and programs designed to decarbonize a state transportation system and reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fossil fuel dependence.

The agreement reaffirms Hawaii’s commitment to move from a fossil fuel dependent transportation system to a cleaner, safer system with more electric vehicles and more options for walking, cycling, and public transit.

The agreement offers an exemplary and replicable model for decarbonizing transportation systems across the country and the world, including provisions for immediate and ongoing action by HDOT such as:

• Establishing a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan within one year of the agreement, laying the foundation and roadmap to decarbonize Hawaiʻi’s transportation system within the next 20 years.


• Creating a lead unit and responsible positions within HDOT to coordinate the mission of GHG reduction throughout the agency; oversee climate change mitigation and adaptation for the highways program; and ensure implementation of the Complete Streets policy of building and upgrading public highways for all users, ages, and abilities.


• Establishing a volunteer youth council to advise on HDOT mitigation and adaptation commitments in the years to come.


• Improving the state transportation infrastructure budgeting process to prioritize reduction of GHG and vehicles miles traveled (VMT) and transparently analyze and disclose the GHG and VMT impacts of each project and the overall program.


• Making immediate, ambitious investments in clean transportation infrastructure, including completing the pedestrian, bicycle, and transit networks in five years, and dedicating a minimum of $40 million to expanding the public electric vehicle charging network by 2030.