Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism

Hawaii State Energy Office
For Immediate Release: November 4, 2020

The United States today officially withdrew from the Paris climate agreement making it the only nation in the world to abandon the landmark accord. The duration of the United States’ absence from the agreement will depend on the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, which is still unclear. If a U.S. administration wanted to reenter the accord it would need to send a notice to the United Nations and after a period of 30 days, the U.S. would be readmitted.

Following is a statement from Scott Glenn, chief energy officer for the State of Hawaii:

“With today’s withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement, the need for state and local governments to strengthen their efforts to counter the devastating effects of the climate crisis has never been greater. Hawaii pledges to work on a bipartisan basis with its partners in the 25-state U.S. Climate Alliance to accelerate our ambition and pace of climate leadership. Following science-based climate policies, Climate Alliance states have collectively outpaced the rest of the country in both emissions reductions and economic output. We have shown that building resilient communities and growing a clean energy economy can be achieved. Even as we await the outcome of the U.S. presidential election and the US’ future role in the climate crisis, Hawaii will continue its leadership.”

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Alan Yonan Jr.
Communications Officer
DBEDT State Energy Office
(808) 291-3543