Maui Council Accepts Invitation to Join Circle City Scan Pilot Project

The Maui County Council accepted Local Government for Sustainability’s invitation for the county to join the Circle City Scan Pilot Project. This was enabled through the adoption of Resolution 21-65 by a unanimous 7-0 vote.

Introduced by Councilmember Kelly Takaya King, the resolution says a circular economy decouples economic growth from environmental degradation. The resolution also notes that Local Governments for Sustainability USA is launching the Circle City Scan Pilot Project to help five municipalities transition to a circular economy.

“Partnering with Local Governments for Sustainability on this pilot project is another important step in the County of Maui’s efforts to take action on climate change and environmental protection,” King said. “I thank my colleagues for accepting the invitation to join this innovative and prestigious project and look forward to working with Mayor Victorino and the executive branch in taking tangible steps to establish a circular economy.”

The resolution identifies four steps in the Circle City Scan Pilot Project:

• socio-economic analysis to ensure a focus on relevant and impactful sectors,
• material-flow analysis to identify the most significant opportunities for circularity and positive impact,
• exploration of an array of possible circular strategies and their potential impacts and
• action plan to implement the circular strategies and elaborate on the next steps.

The resolution also commits the council to working with the Mayor’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resilience and other executive-branch agencies to support the county’s participation in the project.

In a press conference on March 24, Mayor Michael Victorino proposed spending $1 million to implement climate-action projects and programs for Maui County departments. 

“We must take action on climate change,” Victorino said. “To manage this effort, my office will coordinate climate action to ensure the county’s resiliency.”