Hawaiian Kids Said Climate Change Violated Their Rights. They Just Landed A Juicy Settlement And Praise From Dem Gov

A group of 13 Hawaiian youths won a $40 million settlement against the state after accusing the Hawaii Department of Transportation (DOT) of violating their rights by not doing enough to cut greenhouse gas emissions, Politico reported Friday.

In a legal settlement resolving the landmark case brought against the DOT for prioritizing highway development over public transit and vehicle electrification, the state agreed to develop a plan to fully decarbonize travel – including ground, sea and interisland air travel – by 2045, according to a copy of the Navahine v. Hawai’i Department of Transportation agreement. The DOT also agreed to complete a pedestrian, bicycle and transit network in the next five years, and to allocate a minimum of $40 million to “rapidly accelerate the expansion of the public EV charging network” between now and 2030, according to Politico.

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Hawaiian lawmakers rushed to praise the plaintiffs following the first-of-its-kind settlement .