Ann Arbor Environmental Leadership Earns MGC Platinum Honors
Ann Arbor is one of two local governments to receive the first-ever platinum certification for environmental leadership by the statewide Michigan Green Communities (MGC) program. As part of the annual Michigan Green Communities (MGC) Challenge, local governments are awarded bronze, silver, gold or platinum seals of achievement. These achievements demonstrate community leadership in various areas of sustainability, including energy efficiency, climate resilience, recycling, mobility, environmental stewardship and more.
Ann Arbor achieved platinum status for exemplary actions in multiple categories, including climate resilience and adaptation, energy efficiency and renewable energy, clean mobility and materials management and community engagement, and for making progress on at least four metrics. The cities of Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids are the first to achieve this highest level of recognition.
For the second consecutive year, the MGC Challenge saw a record number of participants, with 68 communities being recognized for their efforts. Ann Arbor and the other participants logged actions taken through 2024 to improve sustainability. Six communities achieved bronze certification, 18 achieved silver certification, 42 achieved gold certification and two achieved platinum certification.
“This is a great honor,” said Dr. Missy Stults, director of sustainability and innovations at the City of Ann Arbor. “Ann Arbor is pushing the envelope on what it means to be a sustainable city, and to get recognition for that means that we’re heading in the right direction. We are incredibly thankful to the Michigan Green Communities team and to all the cities across our great state working to make Michigan a bit more sustainable for today and for future Michiganders!”
The MGC program is open to all local governments in Michigan at no cost. MGC is a sustainability networking, benchmarking and technical assistance program. It guides and supports communities in adapting to a changing climate, protecting infrastructure, improving the quality of life for residents, and creating a more environmentally sustainable and economically competitive future for the state of Michigan.
Michigan Green Communities is supported by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services; the Michigan Economic Development Corporation; the Michigan Department of Transportation; the Michigan Department of Natural Resources; the Michigan Association of Counties; the Michigan Municipal League; and the Michigan Townships Association. For more information about this program, visit www.migreencommunities.com.
This achievement comes as the City of Ann Arbor reaches its five-year milestone of the A2ZERO climate and sustainability plan to create and implement a just transition to carbon neutrality, community-wide, by the year 2030. This MGC platinum status also comes on the heels of the city being named as one of only 112 cities worldwide on the 2024 CDP A List, recognizing global leadership in environmental transparency, climate action and resilience planning.
For more information about A2ZERO, activities underway, or ways to get involved, see www.a2gov.org/sustainability or email sustainability@a2gov.org.
# # # # #
Media Contact:
Dr. Missy Stults, Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations Director, mstults@a2gov.org