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A small fee stands to make a big impact in Hawai\u2018i.<\/p>\n
Hawai\u2018i lawmakers passed a groundbreaking bill that will impose a small tax on visitors in an effort to protect the islands from the growing risks of a warming planet.<\/span><\/p>\n Funds generated by this \u201cgreen fee,\u201d as it is being called, will be used to invest in projects to fight climate change and stem biodiversity loss \u2014 including restoring native ecosystems such as coral reefs and native forests, and removing invasive grasses like those that fueled the deadly Lahaina wildfire<\/a> in 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhen we started the journey, it really was a moonshot idea,\u201d said Jack Kittinger, who leads regenerative economies at Conservation International. Kittinger lives in Hawai\u2018i and has worked to support the initiative since its inception in 2018.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAs we worked on this over many years, it became more and more clear that this was necessary for our survival,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n With 1.4 million residents and 10 million visitors every year, Hawai\u2018i\u2019s communities and infrastructure are stressed by both tourism and the growing climate emergency.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLike many island communities, Hawai\u2018i is at the forefront of the climate crisis,\u201d Kittinger said. \u201cThe tragedy of the Lahaina wildfire made that apparent in the most painful way.<\/span><\/p>\n This bill gives us an opportunity to reduce our climate risk and reshape our tourism sector.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The bill adds an additional 0.75 percent to the existing hotel tax and applies to travelers who stay in hotels and short-term rental stays. The legislation also, for the first time, applies this tax to visitors who arrive in Hawai\u2018i on cruise ships.<\/span><\/p>\n The administration of Gov. Josh Green, who campaigned on the issue, estimates that the legislation will bring in US$ 100 million<\/a> annually to support biodiversity on the islands and strengthen climate resilience.<\/span><\/p>\n Hawai\u2018i, known as the endangered species<\/a> and invasive species<\/a> capital of the world, has long struggled to fund its environmental and conservation needs \u2014 which are amplified by the number of tourists who visit the island.<\/span><\/p>\n Kittinger says that the idea of tourists chipping in has gained support since the idea was first introduced \u2014 including support from tourists themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe polled visitors, and the vast, vast majority of people who visit Hawai\u2018i want to be able to give back with support of a green fee,\u201d he said. \u201cIslands carry unique vulnerabilities, and in Hawai\u2018i, where tourism is the major industry, if you do not take care of the environment, that creates a long-term vulnerability for the industry and communities alike.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Hawai\u02bbi\u2019s natural wonders contribute more than US$ 6 billion<\/a> to the state\u2019s economy each year, yet only 1 percent of the state\u2019s annual budget goes to the environment.<\/span><\/p>\n Conservation International helped spark the initiative more than six years ago, authoring an analysis<\/a> of a green fee, based on successes in other places. A recent study<\/a> from Care for \u02bb\u0100ina Now, a coalition of nonprofits and local businesses that has worked to pass the bill, estimates that Hawai\u2018i has an annual conservation funding gap of at least US$ 560 million \u2014 but could be as high as US$ 1.7 billion.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe’re not going to fill a US$ 560 million a year gap with one new law,\u201d Kittinger, a co-author of the study, said. \u201cBut if we can generate US$ 100 million, that’s a consequential amount that we can amplify through other conservation finance approaches such as a green bond. We’re on the doorstep of achieving that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n From COVID delays to the deadly Lahaina wildfires, the effort faced many challenges along the way, he said. Yet each of these events deepened the drive to create a resilient, regenerative economy.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe have to do things that are commensurate to the scale of the challenges we face,\u201d Kittinger said. \u201cThis is going to give us a fighting chance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Mary Kate McCoy is a staff writer at Conservation International. Want to read more stories like this? Sign up for email updates<\/a>. Also, please consider supporting our critical work<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n