The agreement provides funding under the inflation reduction act (IRA) to the executive office of the hawaii department of land and natural resources to develop a comprehensive, economy-wide climate…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a $3,000,000 Cooperative Agreement to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program (CFDA 66.046). The funding will support the development of a Priority Climate Action Plan and a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan for the state of Hawaii in collaboration with local air pollution control districts, municipalities, and tribal governments. The plans will identify strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and harmful air pollutants, with a focus on engagement with low-income and disadvantaged communities. Key deliverables include the two climate action plans and a final status report.

The grant includes sub-awards to the University of Hawaii at Manoa to provide capacity building support, including outreach specialists, an environmental justice specialist, and grant and program management staff. An additional $350,000 sub-award to Hawaii County will fund stakeholder engagement to support the state's climate action plan development. The intended beneficiaries of this effort are Hawaii residents and visitors, particularly those in low-income and disadvantaged communities.

The agreement provides funding under the inflation reduction act (IRA) to the executive office of the hawaii department of land and natural resources to develop a comprehensive, economy-wide climate mitigation plan or update an existing plan in collaboration with air pollution control districts, and large and small municipalities statewide, and tribal governments that will support actions to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) and harmful air pollutants and to conduct meaningful engagement with low- income and disadvantaged communities. This assistance agreement provides full federal funding in the amount of $3,000,000. Pre-award costs are approved back to 6/1/2023. Activities:in general, activities include the development, updating, and evaluation of plans to reduce climate pollution (i.e., to reduce GHG emissions and/or enhance carbon sinks). Specific activities include developing a greenhouse gas inventory, quantifying greenhouse gas reduction measures, conducting a low income and disadvantaged communities benefit analysis, review of authority to implement and stakeholder engagement. Subrecipient:this assistance agreement includes a subaward to the university of hawaii at manoa to support capacity building for the state and county including outreach specialists (2) environmental justice specialist for two years and (1) grants specialist (1) program specialist (1) for 3 years. These positions will support stakeholder engagement including community engagement for the pcap and ccap development. These positions will ensure that engagement is equitable and includes 'invisible stakeholders' that are missed by typical government engagement actions. One outreach specialist will be based in maui the other will be based between kauai and honolulu and oversee the statewide community engagement activities. The environmental justice specialist will support needed state EJ mapping and data GAP analysist and assist the state in creating an official statewide EJ map. The grants specialist will assist with efforts to leverage and intersection with other funding and coordinate state application to implementation funding. The program specialist will support the ccmac coordinator in overseeing the development of the ccap and pcap this assistance agreement also includes a subaward to hawai#699; i county for $350,000 to conduct stakeholder engagement that will support state ccap and pcap development. Outcomes:three key deliverables will be produced and submitted over the course of the four-year program period, including: a priority climate action plan (pcap), due march 1, 2024; a comprehensive climate action plan (ccap), due two years from the date of the award; and a status report, due at the close of the grant period. Expected outcomes include a pcap and ccap that identifies: tons of pollution (ghgs and CO-pollutants) reduced over the lifetime of the measures; tons of pollution (ghgs and CO-pollutants) reduced annually; and tons of pollution (ghgs and CO-pollutants) reduced with respect to low-income and disadvantaged communities. The intended beneficiaries include hawaii residents and visitors, including low-income and disadvantaged community members.