"Hawaii Enacts Law Committing To Goals Of Paris Climate Accord"

"Hawaii has become the first U.S. state to enact legislation to bring its environmental standards in line with the Paris climate accord, officials said on Wednesday, less than a week after President Donald Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the global agreement.

Hawaii Governor David Ige signed a bill on Tuesday requiring state officials to plan a response to climate change that aligns the state with the standards and goals of the Paris pact, according to Scott Glenn, an environmental adviser to the governor.

'People come to Hawaii to enjoy its environment,' Glenn said. 'When climate change is threatening our reefs and threatening our weather ... then it's threatening our economy, too.'

Although Hawaii already has strong environmental rules, the new law is the first to directly refer to the standards of the Paris agreement, said Glen Andersen, who tracks energy and climate issues at the National Conference of State Legislatures."

Tom James reports for Reuters June 7, 2017.