HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

59

THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

ENGAGING, ENDORSING, Accepting, and adopting the new york DECLARATION on forests to achieve the United nations paris agreement and the 2030 agenda for sustainable development; SPECIFICALLY sustainable DEVELOPMENT goal 15, life on land.

 

 


     WHEREAS, Hawaii is recognized as a global partner and local leader in sustainability, peace, climate change adaptation, and human rights due to its adoption of global standards of social justice to improve the well-being of Hawaii's islands and the world; and

 

     WHEREAS, in September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the historic Transforming Our World:  The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda), a comprehensive, compassionate, creative, and courageous plan of action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity; and

 

     WHEREAS, the 2030 Agenda includes seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one hundred sixty-nine Targets, and two hundred thirty Indicators upon which general agreement has been reached to measure, monitor, and mobilize; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Hawaiian islands are home to forests that play a pivotal role in Hawaii's natural environment, both historically and for future generations, by providing watershed, soil, and habitat protection; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii's forests cover two million acres, approximately half of the entire land mass of Hawaii, and Hawaii has a strong commitment to planting, management, and natural regeneration of its forests; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii's forests are critically important to local culture, the people, and perpetuation of pristine environments and provide aesthetic value, enjoyment, water conservation, and improved air quality; and

 

     WHEREAS, the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) provides a proactive and participatory human rights based approach to protect and restore forests that supports the scope and significance of the United Nations SDGs; and

 

     WHEREAS, the NYDF was created and launched at the United Nations Climate Summit at United Nations Headquarters in September, 2014, receiving endorsements by two hundred entities including governments, corporations, civil society, and indigenous peoples; and

 

     WHEREAS, the NYDF outlines ten global targets related to protecting and restoring forests, which, if realized, have the potential to reduce annual carbon emission by 4.5 to 8.8 billion tons of CO2 – the equivalent of the annual emissions of the United States; and

 

     WHEREAS, the ten goals of the NYDF are:

 

     (1)  Stop forest loss;

 

     (2)  Eliminate deforestation from agricultural activities;

 

     (3)  Reduce non-agricultural deforestation;

 

     (4)  Support alternatives to deforestation for subsistence farming, fuel, and other basic needs;

 

     (5)  Restore forests;

 

     (6)  Quantify forest conservation and restoration targets for 2030 as part of the 2030 Agenda SDGs;

 

     (7)  Reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in accordance with global climate agreements;

 

     (8)  Provide financing for forest action;

 

     (9)  Reward countries and jurisdictions that reduce forest emissions; and

 

    (10)  Strengthen governance, empower communities, and recognize the rights of indigenous peoples; and

 

     WHEREAS, adopting the NYDF can accelerate progress with new partnerships to achieve the United Nations Paris Agreement and the United Nations 2030 Agenda; and

 

     WHEREAS, the ten goals of the NYDF coincide with the seventeen SDGs and provide an agenda for grassroots and global action but it is up to individuals, communities, and states to generate the political will necessary to achieve these goals; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii is already participating in global efforts to empower and engage everyone, everywhere to protect the planet and end poverty, regularly attending sessions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Human Rights Council, and the United Nations High Level Political Forum; and

 

     WHEREAS, in Hawaii, college, community, and capitol discussions on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties annual results and the United Nations High Level Political Forum follow-up and review of the SDGs continue to generate genuine insight into how both sets of goals are being realized in the Hawaiian Islands and what next steps are needed to continue Hawaii's forward momentum; and

 

     WHEREAS, adopting the NYDF in Hawaii will allow for greater coordination and communication between Hawaii and other NYDF partners to share promising practices and support further improvements for Hawaii's forests; and

 

     WHEREAS, adopting the NYDF will link Hawaii's forest practitioners to a global network with relevant expertise and capacity to support the implementation of the forest elements of commitments under the Paris Agreement that; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2019, the Senate concurring, that this body engages, endorses, accepts, and adopts the New York Declaration on Forests; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature urges federal leaders and the nation to embrace the goals of the NYDF and the 2030 Agenda and make sustainable development the centerpiece of national social and sustainable policies; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, Vice President of the United States, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, Majority Leader of the United States Senate, Minority Leader of the United States Senate, members of Hawaii's congressional delegation, United Nations Secretary General, United Nations General Assembly President, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, NYDF Platform Secretariat, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, United Nations High Level Political Forum, and mayors of each county.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

United Nations; Sustainable Development Goals; 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; New York Declaration on Forests; Climate Change