Accelerating Progress Toward a Sustainable Hawai`i Island

This report, commissioned by Hawai`i County Mayor Harry Kim and authored by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), provides a whole-system evaluation of the county's 2005 goals. It identifies the loss of local land control to outside investors as the island's most critical challenge and offers specific recommendations to accelerate progress in affordable housing, energy self-sufficiency, and environmental stewardship. The document emphasizes the use of measurable indicators to ensure government transparency and the adoption of 'whole-system thinking' to address root causes rather than symptoms of community stress.

• The most critical challenge facing Hawai`i County is the loss of land control, as essential assets are rapidly purchased by outsiders at prices that exceed the reach of local residents.
• To address the housing crisis, RMI recommends the creation of land trusts, community corporations, and cooperatives to ensure permanent affordability and remove housing from the speculative market.
• RMI suggests that 'green design' is essential for long-term housing affordability because energy savings reduce the total monthly cost of living for residents.
• The report advocates for a shift in economic development from maximizing 'throughput' (the flow of dollars into the community) to maximizing the 'local economic multiplier' by building local assets and reducing dependence on outside interests.
• To achieve energy self-sufficiency, the report recommends adopting an energy building code modeled after the City and County of Honolulu and developing a County biofuels development plan.
• The report identifies a 'vicious cycle' where the lack of affordable housing near workplaces increases commute times, which in turn erodes family structures (ohana) and increases the risk of drug abuse.
• RMI emphasizes that the County must implement a system of measurable indicators for its goals to make them durable, transparent, and cost-effective, preventing decisions based on anecdotal information or political bias.
• Regarding environmental stewardship, the report recommends implementing a rezoning moratorium for lands in agriculture or conservation and requiring permanent traditional-access easements to mountains and shorelines in all new subdivisions.
• The report suggests that the County should adopt a 'least-cost planning process' for water infrastructure, citing Maui County's approach as a model for managing residential demand while protecting agriculture and the environment.
• To improve governance and community voice, RMI recommends the formalization of neighborhood and community associations that can develop master plans and review location-specific issues.

APA

Kinsley, M., Shi, L., Page, C., & Datta, K. (2007). Accelerating Progress Toward a Sustainable Hawai`i Island. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2007-16_SustainableHawaiiIsland.pdf

Chicago

Kinsley, Michael, Linda Shi, Christina Page, and Kyle Datta. Accelerating Progress Toward a Sustainable Hawai`i Island. RMI, 2007. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2007-16_SustainableHawaiiIsland.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kinsley |first1=Michael |last2=Shi |first2=Linda |last3=Page |first3=Christina |last4=Datta |first4=Kyle |title=Accelerating Progress Toward a Sustainable Hawai`i Island |publisher=RMI |date=February 2007 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2007-16_SustainableHawaiiIsland.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kinsley2007accelerating, author = {Kinsley, Michael and Shi, Linda and Page, Christina and Datta, Kyle}, title = {{Accelerating Progress Toward a Sustainable Hawai`i Island}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2007}, month = feb, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2007-16_SustainableHawaiiIsland.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }