Kalamazoo Earns Gold Status for Environmental Leadership
Published on May 15, 2024
The statewide Michigan Green Communities (MCG) program has recognized the City of Kalamazoo for its environmental leadership, earning Gold Certification designation. The City’s ranking is an improvement from 2023 when it achieved a Silver Certification. Local governments are awarded bronze, silver, gold, or platinum seals of achievement as part of the annual MGC Challenge. These achievements reflect community leadership in areas such as energy efficiency, climate adaptation and resilience, recycling, environmental justice and more.
Kalamazoo’s Gold status highlights exemplary action in multiple categories and examples of community leadership regarding several environmental initiatives. The City recently released its first-ever Municipal Operations Greenhouse Gas Report detailing greenhouse gas emissions attributable to municipal activities and emissions from within the city limits. The City also is moving to electrify its vehicle fleet, with a goal of having 100 electric vehicles in its fleet by 2032. And the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety’s new Station 2 is a state-of-the-art facility that is LEED Certified.
“The City of Kalamazoo is serious about its commitments to the environment,” said Justin Gish, sustainability planner, City of Kalamazoo. “Every City department, from Public Services to Public Safety to Human Resources, is working to do their part to meet the goals laid out in the City’s Community Sustainability Plan. Achieving Gold Certification in the Michigan Green Communities challenge proves to the public that Kalamazoo is on the right track.”
The Michigan Green Communities Challenge included over 60 communities statewide that logged actions taken through 2023 to improve sustainability efforts. MGC guides and supports communities in adapting to a changing climate, protecting infrastructure, improving the quality of life for residents, and creating a more environmentally and economically sustainable future for the state of Michigan.
MGC is supported by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; Michigan Department of Health and Human Services; Michigan Economic Development Corporation; Michigan Department of Transportation; Michigan Department of Natural Resources; Michigan Association of Counties; Michigan Municipal League; and Michigan Townships Association. More details about MGC can be found here.