Hawaii Passes Law Committing to Paris Agreement

States are continuing to fight back against President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, with Hawaii becoming the first state to pass a law adopting the goals of the accord. NPR reports the bill was signed Tuesday by Gov. David Ige. He was joined by mayors from around the state, who also signed an agreement to commit to the goals of the agreement, according to the New York Times. "Climate change is real, regardless of what others may say," USA Today quotes Ige as saying. He says he was motivated by the signs of climate change he sees daily in Hawaii: "Tides are getting higher, biodiversity is shrinking, coral is bleaching, coastlines are eroding, weather is becoming more extreme."

The legislation signed by Ige commits Hawaii to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and creates a commission to develop strategies for fighting climate change. While only Hawaii has passed a law to abide by the Paris climate agreement, more than a dozen states have joined the US Climate Alliance, which aims to uphold the tenets of the agreement at the state level. The governors behind the alliance say states can meet the goals of the accord without hurting their economies. While Trump's withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement can't be completed until 2020, he has said his administration will "cease all implementation" of the accord effective immediately. (More Paris Agreement stories.)