Hawaiʻi makes history as first state to charge tourists to save environment

This story was originally published by Honolulu Civil Beat .

Hawaiʻi has officially become the first U.S. state to enact a so-called “green fee” — a charge added onto hotel room stays and other short-term visits to help protect the local environment and address the growing impacts of climate change.

Governor Josh Green signed the fee into law Tuesday after years of unsuccessfully urging the Legislature to pass it. Set to take effect next year, the fee could raise around $100 million annually, state officials estimate, a portion of which will go toward Hawaiʻi’s response to future disasters similar to the 2023 Lāhainā wildfire.

“Hawaiʻi’s doing what other states and other nations are going to have to do … there will be no way to deal with these crises without some forward-thinking mech