Like other islands and coastal communities, Hawaii is particularly vulnerable to climate change and effects on hydrological cycles, ocean ecosystems, forests, and other life-support systems critical to the wellbeing of people and economy. To tackle these challenges, Hawaii Green Growth, Hawaiian Airlines, and Conservation International launched an executive private sector forum to develop joint initiatives that will help preserve Hawaiis unique natural resources and put the island state on a sustainable path for future generations while effectively balancing trade-offs between economic growth and environmental conservation.

In 2017, the forum is developing a "Business Blueprint for Action" for Hawaii on carbon offset, reforestation, and Payment for Ecosystems Services. Through this initiative, Hawaii is launching strategies to mitigate carbon, address ocean acidification, and help transform degraded public and private lands from financial liabilities to assets. The forum is supported by a technical working group to provide expert financial and policy analysis on market-based solutions.

This effort is supporting private sector action on the Aloha+ Challenge: He Nohona Aeoia, A Culture of Sustainability" Hawaiis statewide initiative on sustainable development. Launched in 2014, the Aloha+ Challenge is led by Hawaii's Governor, all four County Mayors, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, State Legislature, and statewide public-private partners to achieve integrated goals by 2030 for environmental stewardship, community resilience, and economic prosperity. In addition to natural resource management, goals include clean energy transformation, local food production, solid waste reduction, smart sustainable communities and climate resilience, and green workforce and education.

The Aloha+ Challenge is recognized as a place-based model that can be scaled to help achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris Climate Agreement. Hawaii is working with the Global Island Partnership, UN Development Programme, and other partners to scale the Aloha+ Challenge as a locally and culturally appropriate model to meet the UN 2030 Agenda.