Hawaii defies Donald Trump by backing Paris climate change deal

Hawaii has become the first US state to formally adopt pledges in the Paris Agreement to drastically tackle climate change.

The volcanic island state's Governor David Ige has signed two landmark laws supporting "the commitments and goals" of the accord.

It makes Hawaii the first state to defy President Donald Trump, who pulled the US out of the treatysigned by 148 other countries.

The first law to come into force is Senate Bill 559, which states that "not only is climate change real, but it is the overriding challenge of the 21st century".

The bill continues: "Regardless of federal action, the legislature supports the goals of the Paris Agreement to combat climate change and its effects on environments, economies, and communities around the world."

Image:Donald Trump says the Paris Agreement helped China but hindered the US

It commits Hawaii to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by publishing emission contribution levels every five years, promoting "environmental integrity", conserving forests, wetlands and nature preserves and incentivising companies to be more carbon-neutral

The second law, House Bill 1578, commits to creating a certification scheme for farmers that measures and promotes carbon-neutrality.

A task force will be created to set up the scheme and advise on "climate resiliency".

Mr Trump, who had previously dismissed climate change as a hoax, had declared he would fulfil a campaign commitment to withdraw from the UN-brokered Paris Agreement because it "disadvantaged" his country.

He claimed it would cost the US $3tn (£2.3tn) and more than 6 million jobs.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the move was "extremely regrettable", while French President Emmanuel Macron urged people to "make our planet great again".

In the US, former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said: "One man cannot destroy our progress. One man can't stop our clean energy revolution."

Eleven other states that account for more than a third of US GDP have made pledges to follow suit.

They are able to fight Mr Trump's plans because energy policy in the US is shared between national, state and local government.

President Obama faced a similar struggle when trying to impose stricter greenhouse gas emissions limits during his administration.

This is not the first time Hawaii has waived national policy pursued by Mr Trump.

In March, a Hawaiian judge indefinitely suspended the President's "travel ban" on seven Mulism-majority countries.