January 2025 Newsletter State Action to Decarbonize is More Important than Ever The Legislature has all the information it needs to design and pass laws that will reduce the State’s emissions efficiently and equitably. It’s time to pass carbon cashback and other policies needed to put us on the path of decarbonization. The longer we wait, the steeper the pathway becomes.
Endorse Carbon Cashback!

As the 2025 legislative session approaches, we want to demonstrate the public’s strong support for the policy of carbon cashback. Please consider joining the growing list of supporters by clicking on the link below, where you can endorse the following policy statement as an individual or on behalf of your organization, business, or agency. 

Mahalo!

To meet Hawaiʻi’s net-negative greenhouse gas emissions goal by 2045 in a way that financially benefits the great majority of kamaʻaina families, we endorse a state policy that sets a fee on carbon pollution to incentivize moving away from fossil fuels, with the majority of the proceeds rebated to households.

https://www.carboncashbackhawaii.org/sign-up

Climate News - States Seek Damages from Big Oil for Climate Pollution

November 2024 Newsletter The Climate Crisis: Our Last Stand for a Livable Future by Charles Fletcher, Interim Dean, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa. Climate News - Global Climate Indicators in 2023. Earlier this year, the World Meteorological Organization released its report on the State of the Global Climate 2023. Its key messages follow: “2023 was the warmest year on record at 1.45 ± 0.12 °C above the pre-industrial average.

October 2024 Newsletter - To Address the Cause or the Effects of Climate Change—Is that Really the Question? - Hawai‘i is committed to addressing climate change in a big way, but with limited resources, it’s difficult to do everything, and it’s not surprising that there might be some tension between adapting to climate change and addressing its underlying causes by decarbonizing our economy to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change.

August 2024 Newsletter - Where our State Candidates Stand on Climate Action - As in previous election years, Honolulu Civil Beat has invited this year’s candidates for public office to state where they stand on various issues and what their priorities would be if elected. We’re looking at the responses to see what the candidates for the State House and Senate have to say about energy and the climate. As of August 2, 90 candidates have responded, 80 running for the House and 10 for the Senate.

July 2024 Newsletter - Immediate and Substantial Emissions Reductions - Carbon Cashback is the only bill introduced in the 2024 legislative session that would have had an immediate, substantial, economy-wide effect in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon Cashback and other bills that reduce emissions must be passed soon if we are to meet the State’s energy and climate goals and avoid the worst effects of climate change.

June 2024 Newsletter - How Families Might Respond to Carbon Cashback - A great advantage of the carbon cashback policy is that it returns money to households without any strings attached.

May 2024 Newsletter - Action Needed on Decarbonization Plan - The opportunity for substantive legislative action in 2024 is gone. We should insist that our lawmakers start preparing now for meaningful action in 2025, like passing carbon cashback and other laws needed to achieve a secure energy future and a safe climate.

April 2024 Newsletter - Climate Bills Face Bad Weather - Unfortunately similar to last year’s session, the bills that are still alive are woefully insufficient if Hawai‘i is to meet its emission reduction targets. The State seems to be stuck in a piecemeal and incremental process. We need comprehensive policies that significantly change behavior and move us to different ways of generating and consuming energy.

March 2024 Newsletter - The Work Goes On - The Carbon Cashback bill (SB 2525 in the Senate and HB 2178 in the House) is among the 2,000-plus bills that have died this session, which is at about the halfway point. Since so much of the session remains, Carbon Cashback Hawaii (CCH) is considering other bills to support. To garner CCH’s support, a bill would need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and do it in a way that advances social justice, the broad objective of the Carbon Cashback bill.

February 2024 Newsletter - Legislature Axes Climate Bills, Including Carbon Cashback. Disappointingly, neither carbon cashback bill, HB 2178 and SB 2525, made it through the February 15 first lateral filing deadline, so both bills are dead this session.

January 2024 Newsletter - Carbon Cashback is Integral to Hawai'i Decarbonization Strategy. The Hawai’i State Energy Office Pathways to Decarbonization report on how to cost-effectively and equitably move the State to its 2045 net-negative greenhouse gas emissions target. The report includes 24 recommendations to “ensure the attainment of the State’s decarbonization goals.” Key among them is a recommendation to adopt a “carbon surcharge” using the State’s existing barrel tax, with dividends paid to residents

December 2023 Newsletter - Not all carbon pricing policies are created equally. We must ensure that carbon pricing policies do not adversely impact low-income communities and households. This article describes three of the more common carbon pricing alternatives and highlights the advantages of the carbon fee and dividend carbon pricing model, particularly for Hawai‘i.

November 2023 Newsletter - The State Legislature will have an opportunity to pass Carbon Cashback legislation in its 2024 session. Please let your lawmakers know that Carbon Cashback can deliver big results not just in carbon emission reductions, but also in terms of climate justice.

October 2023 Newsletter - It Pays to Put a Price on Pollution - see exactly how much Hawaii residents would receive each year in climate rebates under the latest Carbon Cashback bill.  

September 2023 Newsletter - Carbon Cashback Helps Low-Income Families

August 2023 Newsletter - Lahaina: Window to Climate Reality

July 2023 Newsletter - 2023 Legislative Outcomes - Climate and Energy bills that passed

May 2O23 Newsletter - Educating legislators and the public about the urgency of climate action and the benefits of Carbon Cashback

April 2023 Newsletter - Carbon Cashback Update - The passage of House Resolution 125 urging the U.S. Congress to adopt a national Carbon Fee and Dividend policy is a climate legislative milestone this year.

March 2023 Newsletter - Carbon Cashback will have to wait - Sadly, all four Carbon Cashback bills introduced this legislative session have died, and we’ve lost the opportunity this year for a policy that would have effectively reduced greenhouse gas emissions while providing economic benefits to Hawai‘i’s low-and middle-income families.

February 2023 Update - Carbon Cashback clears first hurdle - HB 1146 moves on. The House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection held a public hearing on February 7, and after considering supporting testimony from numerous organizations, businesses, and individuals, passed HB 1146, one of the Carbon Cashback bills, with minor amendments. Status of the other carbon cashback bills.

Jan 2023 Update - The Carbon Cashback bill has been introduced in both the House and the Senate.

SB 1004 introduced by Sen. Karl Rhoads. SB 1060 introduced by Sen. Gilbert Keith-Agaran.

HB 1146 introduced by Rep. Lisa Marten. HB 1498 introduced by House Speaker Scott Saiki (by request)