Honolulu mayors commit to renewable transportation

Hawaii wants to move away from fossil fuels by 2045 for its transportation. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Peter Gill)

The shift away from fossil fuels has attracted mayors in the state of Hawaii to commit to renewable transportation sources, according to an article written by Honolulu mayor Kirk Cameron with Dawn Lippert.

This means residents will be breathing the same air with less greenhouse gases. The initiative is a collaboration that the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, the state’s mayors and startup community have embarked on to ensure that within 28 years all vehicles running in the state are no longer dependent on fossil fuels.

The commitment to 100% clean transportation was announced on the deck of Hokule’a. This is the traditional Polynesian canoe that sailed its navigators around the globe with the stars as their only guide.

Hawaii is second in the nation in electric vehicle (EV) sales per capita at 0.4%, just behind California as 0.7%.

While Hawaii has “one of the highest ridership rates in the nation,” according to Cameron, the Aloha State does not have ZEV mandates and awareness implemented like that in the Golden State. Nearly 25% of Hawaii’s emissions are traced to fossil fuel consumption.

The private sector’s participation in the project is guaranteed with the help of Elemental Excelerator. With Hawaii as the company’s “testbed for energy and climate solutions,” turning Hawaii into an energy hub for ZEVs is no longer a far-fetched idea.

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