Visitors to Hawaii will now be charged a “climate-change tax,” in a US first.
On Tuesday, Hawaii’s Democrat governor Josh Green signed into law a “green fee” for visitors, which will be used to offset their carbon footprint for visiting the islands. It will consist of a 0.75% tax on visitors staying at hotels and rental properties, and cruise-ship passengers will also have to pay a prorated tax for the number of days their ship is in port on the islands.
“It’s important so people see that where we have shoreline erosion near hotels, we’re able to protect these incredible assets,” Green signed while signing the bill.
”Where we have people being displaced, we’re able to help them, where we see sea level rise coming up, we can adapt and we can actually have these resources from the hard monies and also likely bonds from these dollars to help us go forward with large projects as the legislature sees fit as the people across our state express need.”
The new law will take effect in January of next year.
Hawaii has consistently gone further than other US states in imposing restrictions on carbon emissions, whether as a voluntary measure from government or in response to legal action from citizens.
Last year, Hawaii’s Department of Transport (DoT) reached a settlement with 13 teenagers who alleged it was violating the state constitution by operating a transportation system that harms the environment and infringes their right to a pollution-free environment.
Under the settlement, the Hawaii DoT will adopt a plan to hit net-zero emissions by 2045 for ground, air and marine transportation. Emissions targets are set for five-year intervals.
The DoT has promised to take “any actions necessary” to meet the emissions targets, including creating a volunteer youth council to advise the department and the establishment of a special unit under the direction of a “Climate Change Mitigation and Culture Manager.”
The settlement agreement also includes a pledge for immediate investment in “clean” transportation. New pedestrian, bicycle and transport networks will need to be completed within five years, and $40 million will be spent to expand the electric-vehicle charging network.
The 13 youths alleged that their constitutional right to a “clean and healthful environment” had been violated after the Hawaiian state legislature declared that “an existential climate emergency threatens humanity and the natural world.”
In a statement commenting on the settlement, director of the DoT Ed Sniffen said, “Climate change is indisputable.”