About

Hawai‘i Green Growth (HGG) is a United Nations Local2030 hub

that brings together diverse stakeholders committed to economic, social and environmental priorities. Our work seeks to connect generations of indigenous knowledge and systems-thinking with modern science, technology, and policy to support scalable solutions that can be applied globally.

As a Local2030 sustainability hub, Hawai‘i Green Growth public-private partners are collaborating to advance:


  • Hawai‘i’s statewide Aloha+ Challenge sustainability and climate goals
  • Open-data impact Dashboard with agreed indicators
  • Joint policy priorities, innovative financing, and resilient infrastructure solutions
  • Educational pathways for the next generation of leaders
  • Scalable island models to achieve the UN SDGs and Paris Agreement

History of Hawaiʻi Green Growth

HGG emerged as a response to the 2011 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Honolulu. It aimed to identify crucial green growth priorities and promote a sustainable economy, particularly within the context of an island. The UN acknowledged HGG's exceptional efforts and invited it to become one of the pioneering Local2030 sustainability hubs in November 2018. HGG's recognition as the first Island and Pacific hub underscores its collective accomplishments as a public-private partnership through the Aloha+ Challenge, a local framework that strives to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Our Process

Today, Hawaiʻi Green Growth continues to be a vibrant hub of public-private partnerships that convenes regularly to identify shared priorities, determine indicators to measure our goals and collaborate to drive meaningful and concrete action. Our five working groups gather quarterly to focus on discussions around data, policy and legislation, local-global next generation leadership, CEO-led Sustainable Business Forum, and the Ala Wai Watershed Collaboration.

Political Leadership & Local Goals

Public-Private Partnerships

Measurement

Concrete Action

OUR TEAM

Celeste Connors

 Chief Executive Officer

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Shelley Gustafson

 Operations & Strategy Director

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Kaimana Bingham

Data & Innovation Director

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Patrick Branco

External Affairs
& Communications Director

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Samantha Happ

Managing Director, Local2030 Islands Network

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Chris Hobbs

Local2030 Islands Network Dashboard Development and Communities of Practice Facilitator

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Cyrus Howe

Operations Manager

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Dylan Senkiw

Sustainability Business Forum Coordinator

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Elena Arinaga

Local-Global Communications and Outreach AmeriCorps VISTA

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Erin Azuma

Project Coordinator

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Erin Derrington

Local2030 Islands Network Global Energy & Water Communities of Practice Coordinator

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Jillian Cristobal

Dashboard Lab Coordinator

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Kīhei Seto

Community Engagement & Communications Coordinator

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Mandy McCarty

Community Engagement & Next Gen AmeriCorps VISTA

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Paula Moehlenkamp

 Pacific RISA Detailee

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Russ Masuda

 Software Developer

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