Hawaii is the first state in the U.S. that will legally enforce parts of the Paris Agreement.
Gov. David Ige signed two bills Tuesday that reflect climate goals in the Paris accord. One bill aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions statewide; the other bill creates a task force that will work to improve the soil and capture and store carbon dioxide.
President Donald Trump said the U.S. would abandon the agreement last week after months of suspense. Many world leaders and U.S. politicians urged him to stay.
After the announcement, a handful of states — including Hawaii, Washington and New York — pledged to uphold the treaty's goals. California Gov. Jerry Brown took it even further.
Brown signed agreements with officials in China, pledging to work together on developing clean energy and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Hawaii is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Rep. Chris Lee says the state already has lost a significant amount of coastline and seen an increase in hurricanes.
