For over 25 years, the Hawai‘i Convention Center has united guests, planners, staff, and communities in a shared mission: preserving the natural beauty of the Hawaiian Islands. Our Hoʻomaluō program embodies this commitment, inspiring everyone we serve through environmental conservation.
From exclusive turnkey environmental programs to our Sustainability Toolkit, event planners and attendees can feel empowered to create unforgettable experiences while minimizing environmental impact.
LEED Gold Certification
In 2024, the Hawai‘i Convention Center achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) v.4.1 O+M Gold recertification, marking a major milestone in the Center’s continued sustainability efforts.
In 2018 the Center became the first “public assembly, convention center” to earn LEED v.4 O+M Gold Certification in the U.S., and was the only LEED project of its kind in Hawai‘i. The Center was recertified in August 2021 and again in September 2024. This 3-year recertification places the Center among a select group of buildings to complete an extensive review of sustainability and conservation practices.
LEED, developed by the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the world’s most widely used green building rating system, with 197,000 projects worldwide.
Get Involved
One Million Trees
Through the nonprofit Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative, the Hawai‘i Convention Center is committed to planting 1 million Legacy Trees statewide, contributing to the reforestation of native and endemic trees on O‘ahu and the Island of Hawai‘i. With less than 10 percent of Hawai‘i's old-growth native forests remaining, the Center invites meeting planners and guests to support these crucial reforestation efforts.
Guests can easily sponsor and dedicate a Legacy Tree, track its growth, and contribute to Hawai‘i’s brighter future. Planted in the original Legacy Forest on the Island of Hawai‘i’s Hāmākua Coast, sponsored koa trees will reach over 50 feet, offsetting the carbon footprint of a typical family vacation to the islands.
Carbon Offset Program
In 2022, the Center launched a first-of-its-kind program that provides Carbon Offset opportunities for all meetings and events at the Center. This initiative is an expansion of the One Million Trees program and provides meeting organizers with the opportunity to offset the carbon footprint of their meeting. Individual attendees can also select and plant endemic and native trees virtually or in-person.
Genki Ala Wai Project (Genki Balls)
In collaboration with the nonprofit Genki Ala Wai Project, a nonprofit group under the Hawaii Exemplary State Foundation, meeting planners and attendees can create and deploy “Genki Balls” into the Ala Wai Canal to assist with Ala Wai ecosystem restoration. Through bioremediation, or the use of living organisms to remove pollutants from soil and water, the nonprofit organization is working to make the Ala Wai Canal fishable and swimmable within 7 years. The tennis ball-sized Genki mud balls contain a mixture of clay soil, rice bran, molasses, water and Effective Microorganisms (EM)-1 solution, which helps digest the canal’s polluted sludge.
Ongoing Sustainable Efforts
Energy Conservation & Efficiency
- Energy-Efficient Cooling and Heating: The Center’s innovative design features a rooftop canvas sail harnessing Hawai‘i’s trade winds for natural ventilation, reducing the reliance on air conditioning and electricity. It also uses a smaller, energy-efficient jockey chiller when necessary.
- In October 2024, the Center completed an upgrade of five chillers with improved energy-efficient York chillers, engineered and sized to improve system reliability and flexibility to support building-wide events and back-of house offices and workspaces. This project will provide an estimated 17 percent reduction in electrical costs, as well as reduced operational and maintenance costs.
- Timed Energy Consumption: The Center’s lighting and air conditioning systems are programmed to follow a set schedule and automatically turn off when the building is inactive. Motion sensors in intermittent-use areas also help with energy conservation. In addition, overall energy performance is managed on a daily basis.
- Sustainable Solutions: The Center continues to retrofit lighting in the ballroom, exhibition halls, parking areas, and back-of-the-house offices and hallways to more efficient configurations. It is also upgrading lighting controls to the RAB Lightcloud control system, allowing flexibility in scheduling and settings.
- In 2024, the Center completed the replacement of 15 percent of its original transformers, representing an 85 percent savings in electrical usage per unit.
Water Conservation
- Water-management practices have helped the Center reduce water use by 13 percent between 2021 and 2024.
- Water-Saving Appliances: The Center boasts automatic dispensers for sink faucets, hand towels, hand soap and hand sanitizer in all restrooms to save on water, towels, and cleansing products. It also features low-flush toilets, urinals and low-flow aerators in sinks and showers throughout the building.
- Low-Irrigation Xeriscaping: Twenty-five percent of the Center’s lawn space is artificial turf to reduce the need for watering. The rest of the landscape utilizes drip irrigation to minimize water use.
- Reclaimed Water: The Center uses recycled water to water plants, clean the facility, dishwash, and inside the barrels that are used to tie down tents for our rooftop events.
Air Quality
- No Smoking: The Center established a building-wide no-smoking policy to maintain optimum air quality. Designated smoking areas are located to have minimal impact on public air quality.
- Reduced Vehicle Emissions: Staff members use self-pedal bicycles, electric carts and propane-powered lifts, reducing the need for petroleum products, thereby improving air quality. The Center also encourages attendees to take alternative modes of transportation, such as Honolulu’s bikeshare program, Biki, which has a station onsite.
- To determine the carbon footprint of Center attendees and staff, a survey is conducted to measure the distance they travel to the Center. Sixty percent of attendees walk from Waikīkī hotels or travel approximately 1 mile from neighboring locations.
- Indoor Air Quality Tests are conducted annually of meeting and workspaces. The Center has lowered TVOC and CO2 levels by approximately 5 percent in 2023-2024 from previous years.
Waste Reduction
- Recycling Programs: The Center’s robust recycling and repurposing program tracks waste diversion from landfills, diverting 44 percent of waste from 2023-2024, above the national average of 32 percent. The Center recycles glass, plastic, aluminum, paper, and cardboard from events and all administrative offices. Recycle receptacles for attendee and client use are placed in meeting rooms, public areas, convention offices and at food and beverage events.
- Composting: Green waste collected from landscaping areas is composted and recycled into mulch. Disposable food and beverage service ware is biodegradable and compostable.
- Equipment Donation: Equipment and materials no longer necessary are offered to other State of Hawai‘i agencies or community organizations. Used computers, monitors, and keyboards are recycled through a local service that repurposes current equipment for local communities and recycles older equipment.
- Mitigating Food Waste: Food that is prepared but not served is donated to Aloha Harvest, which then distributes it to charitable organizations. Food waste is used for animal feed locally.
Sustainable Purchasing
- Supporting Local: The Center encourages a “buy local” procurement policy whenever possible. This extends to Hawai‘i-sourced food products and items created and produced in Hawai‘i, reducing shipping and packaging needs.
- Locally Sourced Foods: Food and Beverage buys from local suppliers and producers and offers menus featuring local tastes and products. 808 Coffees Café, a coffee kiosk on the meeting room level, serves only locally grown and produced coffee.
Upcoming Projects
- The Center is planning to replace 12 escalators with new units that include optimized components to provide a 30 percent savings in electrical use. This includes an Ecoline power feature that allows escalators to slow when not in use.
- The Center will also install solar photovoltaic panels on its roof surfaces to help offset electrical consumption.
Awards & Accolades
The Hawai‘i Green Business Program (HGBP) has recognized the Hawai‘i Convention Center for its energy efficiency and sustainable business practices throughout the years. From attaining Po’okela Level (Excellence in Leadership) in 2018 to receiving the Hawaiʻi Green Business Program award in 2020 to 2024, the Center is committed to operate in an environmentally, culturally and socially responsible manner. The Center was also honored in Pacific Edge Magazine’s 2022 Business Achievement Awards as a winner in its “Commitment to Green” category.