Director, Climate Hawaiʻi, an initiative of Hawai’i Executive Collaboration. Former Executive Director, Blue Planet Foundation and Director, Sierra Club, Hawaiʻi Chapter
Location: Honolulu, HI
Jeff Mikulina is a policy expert and climate advocate in Hawaiʻi who has served at the helm of sustainability organizations for over two decades. He currently serves as the executive director of Climate Hawai‘i, an initiative of the Hawai‘i Executive Collaboration. Jeff also hosts “Empowered Hawai‘i,” a monthly TV program on Hawai’i’s sustainability journey, works with the Blue Planet Alliance on their 100% Renewable Islands Fellowship program, and writes on climate issues for a variety of outlets, including Esquire magazine. Jeff received a Master’s of Science degree in Systems Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a focus on sustainable product design and decision theory.
Mr. Mikulina’s report makes three main conclusions: (1) Hawaiʻi is not on track to reach the Zero Emissions Target (net negative emissions by 2045), largely due to the GHG emissions from the transportation system in Hawaiʻi; (2) the State and HDOT have not responded to the urgent need to reduce GHG emissions from the state transportation system; and (3) at present, Hawaiʻi lacks the state framework and leadership necessary to transform the transportation system. Mr. Mikulina’s perspective is widely respected, and his assessments are influential and critical in supporting the youth plaintiffs’ claims that the transportation system’s business-as-usual operations need to be changed.