Lackluster progress at the international conference on climate change in Bali, coupled with the passage of a scaled-back energy bill in Washington last week, has once again meant only incremental progress on the global warming front.

That's painfully frustrating, considering the United States — currently the world's largest producer of carbon emissions — had the opportunity to show leadership on this issue and help bring about the transformational changes needed to make a difference.

After stark criticism of the U.S. for its failure to back efforts to forge a new accord on global warming in Bali, the Bush administration had a change of heart, of sorts. The U.S. at last agreed to play an active role in developing a new protocol for climate change by 2009. While that role is far better than the obstructionist role the U.S. had been playing up to this point, it amounted to little more than support for an ambiguous plan for future talks over the next two years.

The White House continued to oppose any meaningful mandatory cuts in greenhouse emissions, derailing much-needed progress in Bali. Goals for reduction in emissions were reduced to a footnote in the report that emerged from the conference, rather than the focal point.

The administration, at least, now appears to recognize that a new accord must be in place prior to the expiration of the Kyoto Protocol, which the U.S. thus far has refused to join because it did not include developing nations such as China and India. Now, there is a sensible consensus that developing nations must be part of the process.

In Washington, the energy bill signed by Bush last week rightly set higher standards for gas mileage that have been long overdue, raising the average requirement to 35 miles per gallon by 2020 for all cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. But it failed to make the grade on the renewable energy front. Stripped from the bill were requirements on utilities to push toward renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar and geothermal.

Rather than offering incentives to consumers for energy-saving efforts, such as solar panels and hybrid vehicles, Congress instead left in place the $13 billion in tax breaks for oil companies. It was yet another missed opportunity to set the right course.

But where Washington failed, Hawai'i has a key opportunity to lead.

As lawmakers, business and community leaders chart the course for a sustainable Hawai'i this legislative session, an aggressive agenda on renewable energy and protecting our fragile environment from greenhouse gases should be a cornerstone of that plan, because Hawai'i has a lot to lose if nothing is done.

Consider a study reported this month in the journal Science. In the most comprehensive study of its kind thus far, scientists found that rising carbon emissions could kill off ocean reefs by 2050.

Hawai'i has long sought to be a good steward of our environment, and our state is well-positioned to lead the way in developing policies to reduce emissions and the impact of climate change.

Efforts of lawmakers like Rep. Cynthia Thielen, who has aggressively pushed for wind power and other alternative energy sources; state policies that have pressed for ethanol-blended fuels; utilities taking a path toward renewable energy sources and the mayor's push to develop eco-friendly policies all show our progressive leadership thus far.

We can do more. Hawai'i remains more than 90 percent dependent on oil, by far the highest in the nation. This legislative session offers the opportunity to make Hawai'i a leader in dealing with innovative policies on global warming.

Recent events have shown that waiting for Washington is not the answer. The time to trade the incremental progress for an aggressive and innovative agenda is long overdue, even if it means we need to get the ball rolling here at home.

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