Hawaii Aviation and Climate Action Summit

Hawaii Aviation and Climate Action Summit

Click here for the Final agenda and speaker biographies

Click here for the November 27th Media Advisory

This is a one-time summit to bring together practitioners, policymakers, and thought leaders to develop near and long-term action plans to reduce the carbon intensity of commercial airlines serving the islands of Hawai``i.

Tourism is the #1 driver of the economy in Hawaii, and over 95% of visitor arrivals to Hawaii each year arrive by plane. Nearly a third of the energy consumed in the state is for jet fuel, three times the U.S. average, and a higher proportion of energy consumption for air transportation than any other individual state. Over a third of the flights are to and from international destinations, and those flights will start to come under the mandate established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)’s Carbon Offset and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). CORSIA, the international aviation equivalent of the Paris Climate Accord, limits international airlines to carbon-neutral growth from 2020. Starting with a voluntary pilot in 2022, international airlines will reduce or offset emissions though either purchasing offsets, or flying their aircraft on blends of low-carbon and renewable fuels. The Hawaii Climate Commission and Hawaii State Sustainability Coordinator sponsored two forums earlier in 2019 on carbon offsets. This Summit is focused on the "R" in CORSIA, the companion effort to directly reduce greenhouse gas intensity of air operations by reducing the carbon intensity of jet fuel. At this summit we will bring together industry, policymakers, and key stakeholders in Hawaii to discuss the opportunities, challenges, best practices, and lessons learned to reduce climate impacts of Hawaii’s tourism sector through sustainable alternative jet fuel.

Sponsors and supporters include

• Simonpietri Enterprises LLC
• Hawaii Bioeconomy Trade Organization
• Island Energy Services, LLC
• Hawaiian Airlines
• Hawaii State House of Representatives Energy and Environment Committee Chair, Representative Nicole Lowen
• Ulupono Initiative
• Perkins Coie
• Hawaii State Energy Office