New members of the Climate Advisory Team (CAT) that was convened to give guidance for climate resilience and disaster recovery all have ties to the University of Hawaiʻi. Gov. Josh Green announced the members of the CAT in July.
The CAT is charged with developing policy recommendations to minimize the impacts of future climate-related natural disasters and to speed recovery from the physical and financial damage they cause. The team will make policy recommendations in anticipation of the 2025 Hawaiʻi state legislative session through consultation with subject matter experts and community leaders.
The CAT is led by Chris Benjamin, chair of Climate Hawaiʻi, a special advisor to the governor, former president and CEO of Alexander & Baldwin Inc. and member of the UH Mānoa Shidler College of Business Advisory Council.
Gov. Green and Chair Benjamin have added the following members to the CAT:
- Denise Antolini—professor of law emerita from the UH Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law with 30 years of environmental law experience.
- Robin Campaniano—UH Mānoa alum, chairs the UH Mānoa Shidler College of Business Advisory Council, former insurance commissioner, former president/CEO of AIG Hawaiʻi Insurance Co.
- Chip Fletcher—interim dean of UH Mānoa’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology with extensive expertise in climate change, coastal community resiliency and sea level rise impacts.
- Kawika Riley—vice president of external affairs at Kupu who earned his PhD in political science (Indigenous politics and law and policy) from UH Mānoa.
- Gwen Yamamoto Lau—UH Mānoa alumna who is executive director of the Hawaiʻi Green Infrastructure Authority and served on EPA’s Environmental Financial Advisory Board.
Maui wildfire devastation
As Hawaiʻi continues to recover from the devastation caused by the historic Maui wildfire disaster, Gov. Green has emphasized the importance of climate resilience efforts. In convening the CAT, the governor reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to delivering a robust policy framework that prioritizes the well-being and security of residents, while effectively managing state resources for a sustainable and resilient future.
The CAT includes local experts in climate, environmental stewardship and finance and insurance, who are dedicated to finding solutions that emphasize justice, equity and aloha ʻāina.
Members of the CAT serve as unpaid volunteers and do not require Senate confirmation.
Legislative proposals
The CAT is engaging with a wide range of community stakeholders and experts to inform its work. Its goal is to propose a package of bills for the governor’s review, to be submitted for consideration in the 2025 legislative session.
“Climate-related disaster prevention is the best insurance, but some impacts are likely inevitable; that is why the CAT is focused on developing both resilience and recovery strategies,” Benjamin said. “Resilience initiatives are likely to include investments in our natural environment to minimize the impact of climate change and in our built environment to reduce the potential loss of life and ensure shelter and economic activity.”
