April 22, 2019
The work of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University often extends across the sea — in this case, to Hawai’i. Hawai’i is setting examples for sustainable development in many ways, and was recognized in late 2018 by the United Nations as a Local2030 hub — the first island and first place in Asia Pacific to be named a hub. Hawai’i Green Growth (HGG) coordinates the hub activities and the ASU Wrigley Institute serves on the hub’s board, drawing on ASU expertise to help support practical implementation of U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.
The HGG collective (which includes Hawai’i's governor, all four county mayors, and leading private sector and civil society CEOs) supports and catalyzes projects promoting the U.N. SDGs, including the Aloha+ Challenge, Hawai’i’s practical commitment to achieving sustainability. Hawai’i’s goals include 100% renewable energy and carbon neutrality by 2045. In mid-April, the ASU Wrigley Institute played an active role in events to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Aloha+ Challenge.
These events commemorated collective island leadership on the global sustainability agenda. Senior sustainability scholar Amanda Ellis, director of Asia Pacific for the ASU Wrigley Institute, was among the speakers at the Islands of Innovation Summit on April 20. She lent her expertise to a panel discussion about “creative ways accelerators and incubators are moving the dial on local and global goals,” according to the HGG event page. Ellis is based in Hawai’i and serves on HGG’s board.
Photo: Amanda Ellis, far right, participates in an Islands of Innovation panel discussion