Punahou students, faculty and staff gathered in Luke Lecture Hall on Feb. 12 for a timely conversation with Dr. Chip Fletcher, Dean of the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Special Advisor on Climate Change and Resilience to Governor Josh Green. The event was organized by Punahou’s Office of Sustainability, with Sustainability Fellows extending the invitation and introducing the speaker.
Grounding his remarks in scientific evidence, Dr. Fletcher described how climate impacts are accelerating worldwide. Global ocean heat content reached a record high in 2025, fueling stronger storms and rising sea levels. He explained that natural systems are highly sensitive to even small increases in average temperature, with consequences such as coral reef bleaching, continental drying and more extreme weather. In Hawaiʻi, rainfall has declined by roughly 20 percent, underscoring how shifts in the global water cycle directly affect island communities.
Dr. Fletcher also addressed the policy landscape, referencing international climate commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. To limit warming below 2°C, he noted, global emissions must fall by 25 percent by 2030. While emissions briefly declined during the pandemic, they have since rebounded.
Despite the sobering data, he highlighted significant growth in clean energy investment and the rapid expansion of renewable power worldwide. He called for urgent decarbonization, investment in adaptation and resilience and stronger community stewardship of natural systems.
During a thoughtful Q&A session, students focused on solutions, asking what meaningful action should look like. Dr. Fletcher pointed to practical steps: ending subsidies for oil and gas companies and instead supporting local farmers and agriculture, strengthening climate alliances and investing in both mitigation and adaptation. He emphasized that taking action – in policy, community investment and everyday decisions – is itself a source of optimism.
The event reinforced the importance of scientific literacy and civic engagement as Punahou students consider their role in shaping a sustainable future.
